On August 8, 2014, Hooker published his latest paper, "Measles-mumps-rubella vaccination timing and autism among young African American boys: A reanalysis of CDC data". This paper re-analyzed the dataset (designed as for a case-control study) used in deStefano paper, using a cohort methodology and a different and less subtle statistical test. This is technical stuff, but it's critical to the validity of Hooker's findings. What Hooker claims to have found: " a 3.36-fold increased risk for autism in African-American males who received MMR vaccination before the age of 36 months"

Here is a photograph of Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, MD. This will become important later; you will see why. ( More about Dr. Yeargin-Allsopp ; link to her 95 published papers .)

The paper was a case-control study. The gist of the paper is that vaccination with MMR was similar for the 624 autistic children and the 1824 non-autistic children. The paper was one more piece in the wall that reads: "vaccination does not cause autism."

Back in 2004, a CDC epidemiology team published a paper, " Age at first measles-mumps-rubella vaccination in children with autism and school-matched control subjects: A population-based study in metropolitan Atlanta." (The paper is also called, "the Destefano paper", after the lead author.)

According to Dr. Hooker, the CDC whistleblower informant -- who wishes to remain anonymous -- guided him to evidence that a statistically significant relationship between the age the MMR vaccine was first given and autism incidence in African-American boys was hidden by CDC researchers. After data were gathered on 2,583 children living in Atlanta, Georgia who were born between 1986 and 1993, CDC researchers excluded children that did not have a valid State of Georgia birth certificate -- reducing the sample size being studied by 41%. Hooker explains that by introducing this arbitrary criteria into the analysis, the cohort size was sharply reduced, eliminating the statistical power of the findings and negating the strong MMR-autism link in African American boys. Dr. Hooker has worked closely with the CDC whistleblower, and he viewed highly sensitive documents related to the study via Congressional request from U.S. Representative Darrell Issa, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The CDC documents from Congress and discussions that Hooker had with the whistleblower reveal widespread manipulation of scientific data and top-down pressure on CDC scientists to support fraudulent application of government policies on vaccine safety. Based on raw data used in the 2004 DeStefano et al study obtained under FOIA, Dr. Hooker found that the link between MMR vaccination and autism in African-American boys was obscured by the introduction of irrelevant and unnecessary birth certificate criteria -- ostensibly to reduce the size of the study.

Remember that one of the authors of the Destefano paper is an African-American woman. Hooker is labeling her a race traitor.



On August 19, 2014 "Autism Media Channel" published a YouTube video, CDC Whistleblower Confesses to Autism-Vaccine Fraud. This video features one Andrew Jeremy Wakefield, claiming that Hooker was motivated to undertake his research because he was contacted by an unnamed, but remorseful CDC researcher.

On August 22, 2014, Autism Media Channel published a second YouTube video, CDC Whistleblower Revealed. In this video, the identity of the CDC researcher was revealed: William W. Thompson. The Autism Media Channel videos, narrated by Wakefield, are quite inflammatory in tone.



Wakefield compared the alleged coverup (to which Dr. Yeargin-Allsopp would have had to been a party) to the infamous Tuskegee syphilis experiments, and in a later passage, to

"You see, vile as the crimes of Stalin, Pol Pot and Hitler were, these men were not hypocrites.... These men were not entrusted with the welfare of their victims. Their mottos did not include the words, 'To save lives and protect.' They were not running a mandatory program disguised as caring. "How many children? How many went to the wall in that decade of silence? How many Presidents, Mr. Obama?"

There are several distinct issues:

The quality of the Hooker paper on its own merits. That is, what is the quality of Hooker's reanalysis? In other words, is there any there there? Let's say Thompson had legitimate concerns about the Destefano paper, especially with respect to an effect of the MMR on African American male toddlers. Is there any other plausible way that Thompson could have addressed his concerns? The "whistleblower" aspect. The story behind Hooker's reanalysis of the Destefano dataset is the claim that Thompson contacted Hooker to reveal "secret knowledge" -- that the CDC covered up data -- and that Hooker was the best person for this "whistleblowing" to go on. Turning back to the Hooker paper, is there any legitimacy to Hooker's claims that one, some subjects were improperly excluded; and two, unneccessary variables from the birth certificates were used to obscure real risks.

With respect to the first and fourth issues, a really thorough examination of Hooker's paper would require access to the CDC dataset and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and funding for such a study.

With respect to the second point. For scientists in a given field such as epidemiology, there would be many channels to get a message out that there was a statistically significant signal that wasn't reported in a paper, such as the claim about the Destefano paper. If you are an author on the paper, you could talk to a lot of people at any conference you go to, or pick up the phone and call a colleague at a different institution. You could say, "Hey, I know this is tough, but I need someone to get the word out on this so I can get a follow up study funded and put this question which really bothers me to rest. Would you please help me out?"

With respect to the third point: we will have to await further revelations.

Posts discussing Hooker's allegations, excluding anti-vaccine sources (I will be updating these silently as new posts appear).

Timeline

August 8, 2014: Hooker paper published online

August 18, 2014: Focus Autism Press Release published online

August 18, 2014: Andrew Wakefield's Autism Media Channel Video Alleging a CDC Whistleblower published online

August 22, 2014: Andrew Wakefield's Autism Media Channel Video Naming William W. Thompson as "The CDC Whistleblower " published online

Posts discussing Hooker's allegations from anti-vaccine sources and those believing Hooker's allegations (I will be updating these silently as new posts appear).

Timeline

August 8, 2014: Hooker paper published online

August 18, 2014: Focus Autism Press Release published online

August 18, 2014: Andrew Wakefield's Autism Media Channel Video Alleging a CDC Whistleblower published online

Other links