Flu cases on the rise in Northeast Ohio

Dr. Daniel Neides of the Cleveland Clinic stirred up ire and controversy among the medical community with an op-ed on cleveland.com that bashed vaccinations in general and linked vaccines to autism, a thoroughly debunked idea that's out of step with the medical and scientific community.

(Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio-- Cleveland Clinic doctor and Wellness Institute executive Daniel Neides sparked outrage among colleagues across the country when he posted an guest column on cleveland.com espousing the widely discredited and anti-scientific notion that vaccinations are linked to autism.

Doctors began sharing the story and condemning the message on Twitter soon after, calling it "dangerous misinformation" and asking the Clinic to discipline Neides.

Clinic officials quickly distanced themselves from Neides' words, saying the doctor penned and submitted the post on his own and the column "absolutely does not reflect the position of the hospital." In a statement on Twitter, the Clinic said: "We fully support vaccines to protect patients & employees. Statements made by our physician do not reflect the position of Cleveland Clinic."

Neides, medical director and chief operating officer of the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, began with a rant against flu shots, just as flu season starts in earnest here in Northeast Ohio.

Neides claimed that formaldehyde (which he called a preservative) in a flu shot he received made him sick for two days. Formaldehyde is not used as a preservative in the shot, according to the Food and Drug Administration. It's used to keep the virus inactive so that it can't replicate and cause serious illness.

In the column entitled "Make 2017 the year to avoid toxins (good luck) and master your domain: Words on Wellness" Neides went on to say:

"Does the vaccine burden - as has been debated for years - cause autism? I don't know and will not debate that here. What I will stand up and scream is that newborns without intact immune systems and detoxification systems are being over-burdened with PRESERVATIVES AND ADJUVANTS IN THE VACCINES."

Neides then advocated delaying or spreading out vaccinations for children to reduce this "burden," an idea common among those opposed to vaccines and fearful of long debunked studies that linked these shots to autism.

There is no evidence that vaccinations cause autism, or that varying the vaccine schedule has any effect on a child's risk of developing the condition. In fact, there's evidence that delaying or spreading out vaccines is harmful, increasing the time during which children are susceptible to potentially deadly childhood diseases.

The reaction to Neides' words among the medical community was quick.

Dr. Kevin Pho, an internal medicine physician who practices in New Hampshire, was one of several who called on the Clinic to discipline or fire Neides.

The @ClevelandClinic must specifically disavow Dr. Neides in a high-profile manner. But the damage has already been done. — Kevin Pho, M.D. (@kevinmd) January 8, 2017

Dr. Vinay Prasad, a hematologist-oncologist at the Oregon Health and Sciences University, tweeted his shock at Neides' words:

Wow, this quack is the head of an institute of an actual medical center?

Entire article empty rhetoric & harmful jenny Mccarthy myths https://t.co/1UNcOQjiNe — Vinay Prasad MD MPH (@VPrasadMDMPH) January 7, 2017

Neides is a family doctor who works in the Clinic's Wellness Institute, located in Lyndhurst. But he also plays a significant role in medical education at the Clinic's Lerner College of Medicine as associate director of clinical education, a fact that worries doctors and non-clinicians alike.

it's worse than that. Look how involved in teaching med students he is. https://t.co/TKE2vD0QIF pic.twitter.com/g2NdOFDIQk — Michelle N. Meyer (@MichelleNMeyer) January 8, 2017

Neides earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from The Ohio State University.

The Clinic said it will release a more detailed statement in the coming days.