Part 1 - Meryl Dorey and pertussis vaccination - Australia, selective data sets.

How Meryl Dorey used plagiarism, factoids, selective data sets and
simple lies to mislead the NSW HCCC when replying to a complaint.
On September 9th 2009 Meryl Dorey responded to a complaint against herself and The
Australian Vaccination Network. The complaint was submitted by Mr. Ken McLeod to the
NSW Health Care Complaints Commission.

Aside from attempting to “refute” Mr. McLeodʼs complaint, Dorey also attacked long
established facts specific to pertussis vaccine efficacy.

“Since the AVN was established, Australia has experienced an increase of over 23% in our
rate of vaccination against whooping cough with a concurrent increase in the incidence of
this disease of almost 40 times. Please refer to the Australian government graphs
below:”
(Dorey then relies on selective data sets of immunised children and static diagnoses from
the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. Pages 6 and 7 of the AVN Reply to
HCCC. This sleight of hand also features in “Pertussis: The Fear Factor”.)
Part 1 - Meryl Dorey and pertussis vaccination - Australia, selective data sets.

The 23% increase in pertussis vaccination “since the AVN was established” can be
gleaned from these two tables [95.1% (Table 1) - 71.6% (Table 2 - 2001)]. In order to show
that pertussis vaccination isnʼt effective, Ms. Dorey must compare vaccination status to
diagnoses. Partially, fully or in need of a booster? Knowing full well that pertussis
vaccination begins to wane at about age 15 years Dorey chooses notification data only, to
secure her “40 fold increase”.

One cannot simply draw a line from childhood vaccination to notification of all ages. We
know nothing of vaccine status, age/sex confounders, nationality, place of residence,
immigration/refugee status. Notification data are not irrelevant. Yet a claim of direct
causation requires ignorance about herd immunity, pertussis strains, acellular vs live cell
vaccines, periodic outbreaks or epidemics, and vaccinated vs non-vaccinated infection
rates during outbreaks.
Part 1 - Meryl Dorey and pertussis vaccination - Australia, selective data sets.

From the above we can see pertussis infections rise and fall with epidemics about
every 3-5 years. Pertussis Fact Sheet. This is supported by Figure 49 below, 1996-2006.
Part 1 - Meryl Dorey and pertussis vaccination - Australia, selective data sets.

Figure 50 shows the notification rate for age group and sex, 2006. Communicable
Diseases Intelligence, Vol. 32 No. 2. http://bit.ly/fjzpz6
This is notable for the low distribution in small children. The DHA figures below reflect
exactly what the above graph is telling us. Now, Ms. Dorey did submit notifications for
2008 and up to April 2009 to The HCCC, manifesting quite some authority in dismissing
pertussis vaccine efficacy. Something extremely relevant was happening to those who
seek to make informed choices on the topic of vaccination.

But rather than use these data to protect AVN members or young parents, Ms. Dorey uses
it to seemingly create an illusion for her benefit.
Part 1 - Meryl Dorey and pertussis vaccination - Australia, selective data sets.

Compare the 2006 and 2008 tables, paying particular attention to the three youngest age
groups.

Now compare the age and sex distribution graph below. In two years the risk of pertussis
infection in young children and teens has risen dramatically.
Part 1 - Meryl Dorey and pertussis vaccination - Australia, selective data sets.

- From Communicable Diseases Intelligence, Vol. 34 No. 3 http://bit.ly/eHaZw9

Pertussis is a vaccine preventable disease. In submitting her complaint response to the

HCCC Ms. Dorey cited several publications, that in the course of presenting data on
infection trends and outbreaks, overwhelmingly support vaccination for pertussis. 0-4
years experience ~ 5x ^. 5-9 year olds, ~ 10x ^ and 10-14 year olds, ~ 5 plus x ^.

No doubt - as we will see - Ms. Dorey consciously ignored the facts and the many benefits
of pertussis vaccination. In formulating her hypothesis - that vaccination causally
correlates with pertussis infection - “an experience which is being duplicated in every
country for which mass vaccination against this illness exists”, Ms. Dorey has
misrepresented a number of authors and failed her members.

For my money Iʼd rather lay my eyes on these data and know my 6 year old faced a 10
times greater risk of pertussis than 2 years previously. Iʼd like an answer from Meryl Dorey,
as to why I wasnʼt informed of this in making a choice, rather than see some
technophobeʼs T-Shirt mounted meandering indoctrination: Love them, Protect them,
Never inject them.

Seriously. Is the AVN about smearing vaccination as a public health initiative at the
expense of the health of the families unfortunate enough to be caught in their web?

The best advice is clear. Vaccinate children, encourage adults to get a booster. Now!