Physicians for Informed Consent and Peter Gøtzsche Debate Risk of Dying from the MMR Vaccine vs. Measles in BMJ

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Physicians for Informed Consent (PIC), an educational nonprofit organization focused on science and statistics, recently responded in the BMJ to Professor Peter Gøtzsche's statement on May 24, 2019, "Rational doubt cannot be raised about the measles vaccine." Gøtzsche's response was to PIC's assertion that "it has not been proven that the MMR vaccine results in less death or permanent disability than what is expected from measles."

To read the full comments, please visit bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j5104/rapid-responses.

Gøtzsche went on to write that "the reason that so few people die or get seriously injured from measles is that most of the population is vaccinated." However, it is a documented fact that before the vaccine was introduced in the United States, measles was only fatal in 1 in 10,000 cases. Consequently, to prove the vaccine causes less permanent injury than measles, vaccine safety studies must have the statistical power to detect permanent injury in as little as 1 in 10,000 vaccinated children. Dr. Shira Miller, PIC's founder and president, states, "Rational doubt will continue to be raised about the measles-containing vaccine MMR until a safety study with the statistical power to detect permanent injury from the vaccine in 1 in 10,000 vaccinated subjects is produced."

Doctors, scientists, and statisticians at Physicians for Informed Consent produce PIC's educational materials, including the Measles Disease Information Statement (DIS) and the Measles Vaccine Risk Statement (VRS), from data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Health Statistics. The Measles DIS and VRS are resources that are currently utilized in doctors' offices nationwide to help parents make educated and evidence-based vaccination decisions. To access these resources or learn more about measles and the MMR vaccine, please visit physiciansforinformedconsent.org/measles.

About Physicians for Informed Consent
Physicians for Informed Consent is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization focused on science and statistics. PIC delivers data on infectious diseases and vaccines, and unites doctors, scientists, healthcare professionals, attorneys, and families that support voluntary vaccination. In addition, the PIC Coalition for Informed Consent consists of more than 150 U.S. and international organizations. For more information, please visit physiciansforinformedconsent.org.

SOURCE Physicians for Informed Consent