Discredited anti-vax studies still sway
In 1998, British gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield published a bogus study stating that the MMR combination vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella diseases causes autism. He was paid a lot of money by a law firm that was suing a vaccine manufacturer to come to that conclusion. In 2002, he published another flawed study.
His articles convinced many parents in Britain and the United States to become anti-vaxxers in an effort to protect their children.
After intense investigations, Wakefield’s research was proven false, and he lost his medical license. Unfortunately, the damage was done. Incredibly, people today still believe Wakefield’s lies.
Jeanette Breen, owner of Baldwin Midwifery, was fined for faking vaccination records, and Julie DeVuono, owner of an Amityville pediatric practice who was convicted of falsifying COVID-19 records last year, aren’t much better [“670 LI students linked to midwife,” News, Jan. 19]. They preyed on parents’ devotion to their children for illicit monetary gains.
These two women and others like them are perpetuating the lies about vaccines and jeopardizing children’s health. Stiff punishment should be meted out to stop this nefarious and dangerous behavior.
— Phyliss Grodofsky, Merrick
Jailing fraudsters is good for society
I think it is important to realize that this was a “good news” story [“A perfect storm for fraud,” LI Business, Feb. 4]. It should not be about failing to verify Paycheck Protection Program applicants, but rather it is evidence that those who exploited the rest of us are being held accountable.
Putting those convicted in jail is a good thing, regardless of what was gained back. If all we get back is the amount used to prosecute the crime, so be it. Let those individuals stay in jail and, we hope, find it difficult to get a job again, and they might be denied any of society’s benefits.
PPP was a good idea, with a low barrier for entry because of the…
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