We all know Celia Farber as the emotionally high-strung but lovable AIDS Denialist. As with most AIDS Deniers Ms. Farber is drawn to conspiracy theories. For quite some time she has been promoting the scientifically disproved “Vaccines Cause Autism” gambit. And now with the Measles outbreak at Disneyland, she is vehemently and angrily declaring that measles does not kill. She has even gone to the extreme of picking fights with her own facebook friends. Unfortunately Ms. Farber is just flat wrong. She has Cherry Picked her data.
Below I have done a copy/paste from one of the many facebook posts where Ms. Farber goes off the rails about this subject. The post I chose is an article about Melinda Gates defending the measles vaccine. Ms. Farber says such things as:
“Why does she speak of measles deaths when there are no deaths from measles?”
“Please will you tell me on what data you base your assumption that measles is fatal, either usually or ever?”
“I was asking if you are willing to look at data with me. i.e., for example, the stark contrast between measles danger and that depicted in the media.”
And my personal favorite:
“My training is in reviewing and assessing the weight and veracity of information, in many forms.”
The Data
Even though at one point Ms. Farber does mention the “dangers” of the measles, she is mostly focused on deaths. And not all deaths around the world from measles. No, that would put a damper on her righteous indignation. Ms. Farber only seems to care about deaths in America. Her data is carefully selected from the CDC MMWR which she limits to the first 8 months of 2013 and the first 5 months of 2014 when there were no deaths reported. Well, that settles it! Measles does not kill. Oh, wait, that is not completely true. Ms. Farber must have over looked this information from the CDC as well:
- Death from measles was reported in approximately 0.2% of the cases in the United States from 1985 through 1992.
- Since 1995, an average of 1 measles-related death per year has been reported.
Who really cares if only one person dies a year? That is pretty insignificant. Unless, of course, it is your child or loved one. Oh, but wait again. There are people outside of the U.S. aren’t there? What does the World Health Organization have to say about Measles Related Deaths?
Key facts
- Measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available.
- In 2013, there were 145 700 measles deaths globally – about 400 deaths every day or 16 deaths every hour.
- Measles vaccination resulted in a 75% drop in measles deaths between 2000 and 2013 worldwide.
- In 2013, about 84% of the world’s children received one dose of measles vaccine by their first birthday through routine health services – up from 73% in 2000.
- During 2000-2013, measles vaccination prevented an estimated 15.6 million deaths making measles vaccine one of the best buys in public health
How do you like that? Measles does indeed kill! Celia Farber is wrong. But why are there so few deaths in America? Well, it wasn’t always that way. It seems those pesky vaccines that Ms. Farber hates so much are the culprits that stopped U.S. deaths:
In the decade before 1963 when a vaccine became available, nearly all children got measles by the time they were 15 years of age. It is estimated 3 to 4 million people in the United States were infected each year. Also each year an estimated 400 to 500 people died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 4,000 suffered encephalitis (swelling of the brain) from measles.
The truth is vaccines are good. Ms. Farber is wrong. But why is death the only thing that Ms. Farber seems to care about? The pain and suffering from measles can be horrendous. Pneumonia and encephalitis are no fun. And going blind later in life would suck, too.
For some reason Ms. Farber is anti-science, unless it suits her agenda. She seems to believe one scientist at a time in one field at a time. She did it with Duesberg and HIV and she is doing it again with Andrew Wakefield and vaccines. Forget the fact that Wakefield did one study of about 10 kids as opposed to the many studies done with thousands and thousands of kids that blows Wakefield’s bullshit study to smithereens. No, Ms. Farber loves her martyrs and she will damn well defend them loudly and vehemently no matter how wrong she is. And Ms. Farber has a great track record of being wrong.
Farber Facebook Tirade
Why does she speak of measles deaths when there are no deaths from measles?
I posted some stats yesterday. (see below.)
Propaganda depresses me so much, but I don’t know why. Nothing depresses me more, I think. The headline alone is enough to make you want to set your hair on fire.
This is not journalism. I’m not even sure it passes as good propaganda. It’s just watery slime.
http://www.vox.com/…/26/7907…/melinda-gates-measles-vaccines
Melinda Gates has the perfect response to the anti-vaccine movement
Americans have “forgotten what measles deaths look like.”
VOX.COM
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Celia Ingrid Farber Because she is a “pod person,” that’s why, and if there’s one thing pod people love it’s vaccinations, especially in Africa. Pod people believe that white Western people must at all turns inject Africans with all kinds of things, and seize control of their fertility by any means, all the while we rape their land and plunder their resources. Colonize and terrorize them with fake sexually transmitted viral illnesses that supposedly stem from the too muchness of their African sexuality.
Beware of pod people. This is what they look like. (Photo above.)
January 26 at 11:49pm · Edited · Like · 12
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Jerry Guern When I traveled would rural Malawi, Tanzania, and Ethiopia ten years ago, it was a fact in minds of every African I talked to that AIDS was created by Western doctors. I didn’t know what to make of that.
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Rebecca Romani Weren’t there two deaths here in San Diego?
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Laura Seegers What you should make of that is that Africans are not as stupid as they are made out to be.
Yesterday at 1:51am · Like · 4
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Jim Te Water Naude What makes anyone think measles is not deadly?
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Brandy Wood So the fact that there are hospitalizations is not of any concern? We have to wait for death to be concerned?
Yesterday at 10:19am · Like · 2
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Celia Ingrid Farber You guys don’t get what they are doing do you? Jim–what makes anyone think measles is deadly. I am officially offering to have this debate with you, here and now. I posted stats yesterday. Did you see the CDC stats I posted? May I refer you to them? (Scroll down on my page.) Please will you tell me on what data you base your assumption that measles is fatal, either usually or ever?
Yesterday at 11:38am · Edited · Like · 2
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Celia Ingrid Farber Brandy Wood: I am reposting data, which I hope you will take a moment to look at. First this:
Perspective on Measles hysteria, which should really be called Anti-Wakefield hysteria:
During the first 8 months of 2013, the CDC reported 159 cases of measles in adults and children, including infants.
There were zero deaths.
From CDC Website:
During January 1–August 24, 2013, a total of 159 cases were reported to CDC from 16 states and New York City (Figure 2). Patients ranged in age from 0 days to 61 years; 18 (11%) were aged <12 months, 40 (25%) were aged 1–4 years, 58 (36%) were aged 5–19 years, and 43 (27%) were aged ≥20 years. Among the 159 cases, 17 (11%) persons required hospitalization, including four patients diagnosed with pneumonia. No deaths were reported.
Yesterday at 11:08am · Edited · Like · 2
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Celia Ingrid Farber Brandy Wood and Jim Te Water Naude: In the first five months of 2014, there were 288 cases of measles reported to the CDC, from 18 states, ranging in age from 2 weeks to 65 years. Of those, 15% were hospitalized.
There were no deaths.
From the CDC’s website:
Patients with reported measles cases this year have ranged in age from 2 weeks to 65 years; 18 (6%) were aged <12 months, 48 (17%) were aged 1–4 years, 71 (25%) were aged 5–19 years, and 151 (52%) were aged ≥20 years. Forty-three (15%) were hospitalized, and complications have included pneumonia (five patients), hepatitis (one), pancytopenia (one), and thrombocytopenia (one). No cases of encephalitis and no deaths have been reported.
Yesterday at 11:10am · Like · 2
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Celia Ingrid Farber Few hospitalizations (11% and 15%) and no deaths. (IN this slice of time/data.) Brandy, this is a yes or no question: Are the media drumming up a distorted picture of how “terrifying” measles is or are they being good reporters and getting it right? If the former, why? What’s behind it? Do you know anything about the cross-pollination of vaccine manufacturers and the Murdoch Empire’s board of directors? I do.
May I tell you about it?
GSK, manufacturer of MMR vaccine, exerts heavy influence and sits as board members on newspaper that attack Andy Wakefield, that ordered the hit job by Biran Deer. Yes, it’s that blatant.
Are we talking about this now or am I wasting my time? I only engage in conversations where both sides have gloves off and are willing to get into the dirt, with real facts. Not ideological positions.
Yesterday at 11:15am · Like · 1
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Brandy Wood I am more interested in the majority of scientific research than I am in ideology, which is why I vaccinate my kids and believe that global warming exists. I can absolutely agree that the tone of this article is preachy and self righteous. And, of course, uncalled for, when you look at the science. 15% hospitalization rate in a country without universal health care is a serious cause for alarm in my book. My kids was constipated and a visit to the ER cost is $2,100. Money we do not have. Not to mention the number of infections which can be picked up during a hospital stay. Melinda Gates existence is based on getting headlines, so I have no doubt that she dramatizes for effect, but it does not diminish the concerns about hospitalizations for me.
Yesterday at 11:43am · Like · 1
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Celia Ingrid Farber Who’s talking about Global Warming Brandy? Who asked you not to vaccinate your kids? I was asking if you are willing to look at data with me. i.e., for example, the stark contrast between measles danger and that depicted in the media. I wonder if you have watched any of the video testimonials from thousands of parents whose kids regressed into autism within hours of getting vaccinated. I wonder if you have followed the disappeared CDC whistleblower story, or looked up the correlation between infant vaccinations and “SIDS.” I will keep posting data for you here (data, not opinion) and you can read it if you like. I am not asking to have any emotional discussions. My training is in reviewing and assessing the weight and veracity of information, in many forms.
Yesterday at 11:49am · Like · 1
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Jerry Guern Celia, I would certainly like to read more about the vaccine industry / media empire connections, if you have any links. Rebecca, I’d urge you to engage Celia on this topic; she’s tapped into a hell of a lot of important info and perspective that you’re NOT going to see in corporate media.
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Celia Ingrid Farber Via a family blog, taken off the internet recently, after it started having too mud of an impact, and over one millions readers.
“AM I SCARED OF A MEASLES OUTBREAK?
No.
I can give my child 9 shots (3 doses of a 3-in-1 shot) for a disease that is not deadly, that a child is more likely to catch if they are vaccinated, that doesn’t offer permanent immunity, and that has high risks associated with the shot including seizures, encephalitis, blood disorders, sensory impairments, learning disabilities, immune system suppression, inflammatory bowel disease, inflammation of the brain, and many other severe allergic reactions.
Nope. I’ll just stick with my anti-vaccination movement label. And head off to Disneyland…”
HIV Innocence Group Truth 
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