Brian Hooker (bioengineer)

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Brian S. Hooker a biologist and chemist who was Department Chair and Professor Emeritus of Biology at Simpson University. He is known for promoting the false claim that vaccines cause autism.

Contents

Education

In 1985, Hooker earned his Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering, from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California. He earned his master's of science degree in 1988 and his doctorate in 1990, both in chemical engineering, from Washington State University, in Pullman, Washington. [1]

Research

Hooker formerly managed applied plant and fungal molecular biology research projects, including development of plant-based biosensors and transgenic production systems for human pharmaceutical proteins and industrial enzymes at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where systems biology researchers are focused on understanding gene and protein networks involved in individual cell signaling, communication between cells in communities, and cellular metabolic pathways. Hooker has also been involved in research on microbial kinetics and transport mathematical modeling, design, development, and support for biological destruction of chlorinated hydrocarbons, development of tP4 transgenic plant protein production platform technology, and development of the RT3D bioremediation/natural attenuation software package.[ citation needed ]

He left PNNL in 2009, and was hired as an associate professor at Simpson University, [2] where he teaches biology and chemistry. As of 2022, he holds the title of "Professor of Biology" there. [1] Simpson University is a private Christian University of liberal arts and professional studies offering undergraduate, graduate and teaching credential programs.

Anti-vaccine claims

Hooker is known for his anti-vaccine activism and his claims of conflicts of interest within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He was a board member of Focus Autism, [3] (now called Focus for Health) an organization which believes in the "ongoing cover-up of the vaccine/autism link". [3] Hooker has no background or qualifications in epidemiology.[ citation needed ]

Hooker and Andrew Wakefield have alleged scientific fraud, conspiracy, and coverup on the part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with regard to the supposed link between vaccines and autism. [4] [5] An online video describing this situation was debunked by Snopes. [6]

In 2014, William Thompson alleged that a paper he co-authored in 2004 had not disclosed a correlation it had found between autism and the MMR vaccine among African-American boys. [7] [8] The study did not have racial information on a large proportion of the boys being studied, and when Thompson's co-authors performed a more in-depth analysis, the correlation between the MMR vaccine and autism ceased to exist. For these reasons they decided to not include racial information. [9] Thompson disagreed with their decision, but didn't disclose the alleged correlation for ten years. [8]

In 2014, after talking to Thompson, Hooker published a paper titled "Measles-mumps-rubella vaccination timing and autism among young African American boys: a reanalysis of CDC data" in the journal Translational Neurodegeneration . [10] The paper claimed that the 2004 study showed a statistically significant correlation between autism and the MMR vaccine among African-American boys if it was administered at a certain age. [10] Later, the journal retracted the paper for scientific misconduct, saying that Hooker had not disclosed important conflicts of interest and that there were "concerns about the validity of the methods and statistical analysis". [11] [12] Hooker was a board member of an anti-vaccine group who had provided funding for the study. [13] Hooker has claimed that his son, who has autism, was permanently damaged by vaccines; Hooker had filed a case for compensation with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. [4]

Hooker also claimed he was censored in an article published by the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons , [14] a journal published by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, [15] which has been characterized as a biased pseudoscientific group. [16]

Hooker is an associate editor of the International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research, an anti-vaccine journal. [17] [18]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mumps</span> Human disease caused by paramyxovirus

Mumps is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the mumps virus. Initial symptoms of mumps are non-specific and include fever, headache, malaise, muscle pain, and loss of appetite. These symptoms are usually followed by painful swelling around the side of the face, which is the most common symptom of a mumps infection. Symptoms typically occur 16 to 18 days after exposure to the virus. About one third of people with a mumps infection do not have any symptoms (asymptomatic).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MMR vaccine</span> Combined vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella

The MMR vaccine is a vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella, abbreviated as MMR. The first dose is generally given to children around 9 months to 15 months of age, with a second dose at 15 months to 6 years of age, with at least four weeks between the doses. After two doses, 97% of people are protected against measles, 88% against mumps, and at least 97% against rubella. The vaccine is also recommended for those who do not have evidence of immunity, those with well-controlled HIV/AIDS, and within 72 hours of exposure to measles among those who are incompletely immunized. It is given by injection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubella</span> Human viral disease

Rubella, also known as German measles or three-day measles, is an infection caused by the rubella virus. This disease is often mild, with half of people not realizing that they are infected. A rash may start around two weeks after exposure and last for three days. It usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. The rash is sometimes itchy and is not as bright as that of measles. Swollen lymph nodes are common and may last a few weeks. A fever, sore throat, and fatigue may also occur. Joint pain is common in adults. Complications may include bleeding problems, testicular swelling, encephalitis, and inflammation of nerves. Infection during early pregnancy may result in a miscarriage or a child born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Symptoms of CRS manifest as problems with the eyes such as cataracts, deafness, as well as affecting the heart and brain. Problems are rare after the 20th week of pregnancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccine hesitancy</span> Reluctance or refusal to be vaccinated or have ones children vaccinated

Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain about their use, or using certain vaccines but not others. Although adverse effects associated with vaccines are occasionally observed, the scientific consensus that vaccines are generally safe and effective is overwhelming. Vaccine hesitancy often results in disease outbreaks and deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases. Therefore, the World Health Organization characterizes vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Childhood immunizations in the United States</span>

The schedule for childhood immunizations in the United States is published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The vaccination schedule is broken down by age: birth to six years of age, seven to eighteen, and adults nineteen and older. Childhood immunizations are key in preventing diseases with epidemic potential.

The MMRV vaccine is a combination vaccine which combines the attenuated virus measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox). The MMRV vaccine has similar immunogenicity and overall safety profiles to the MMR vaccine administered with or without the varicella vaccine. The MMRV vaccine is typically given to children between one and two years of age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mumps vaccine</span> Vaccine which prevents mumps

Mumps vaccines are vaccines which prevent mumps. When given to a majority of the population they decrease complications at the population level. Effectiveness when 90% of a population is vaccinated is estimated at 85%. Two doses are required for long term prevention. The initial dose is recommended between 12 and 18 months of age. The second dose is then typically given between two years and six years of age. Usage after exposure in those not already immune may be useful.

Claims of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism have been extensively investigated and found to be false. The link was first suggested in the early 1990s and came to public notice largely as a result of the 1998 Lancet MMR autism fraud, characterised as "perhaps the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years". The fraudulent research paper, authored by Andrew Wakefield and published in The Lancet, falsely claimed the vaccine was linked to colitis and autism spectrum disorders. The paper was retracted in 2010 but is still cited by anti-vaccine activists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Wakefield</span> Discredited British former doctor (born 1956)

Andrew Jeremy Wakefield is a British fraudster, discredited academic, anti-vaccine activist, and former physician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Measles vaccine</span> Vaccine used to prevent measles

Measles vaccine protects against becoming infected with measles. Nearly all of those who do not develop immunity after a single dose develop it after a second dose. When the rate of vaccination within a population is greater than 92%, outbreaks of measles typically no longer occur; however, they may occur again if the rate of vaccination decreases. The vaccine's effectiveness lasts many years. It is unclear if it becomes less effective over time. The vaccine may also protect against measles if given within a couple of days after exposure to measles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubella vaccine</span> Vaccine used to prevent rubella

Rubella vaccine is a vaccine used to prevent rubella. Effectiveness begins about two weeks after a single dose and around 95% of people become immune. Countries with high rates of immunization no longer see cases of rubella or congenital rubella syndrome. When there is a low level of childhood immunization in a population it is possible for rates of congenital rubella to increase as more women make it to child-bearing age without either vaccination or exposure to the disease. Therefore, it is important for more than 80% of people to be vaccinated. By introducing rubella containing vaccines, rubella has been eradicated in 81 nations, as of mid-2020.

Frank DeStefano FACPM is a medical epidemiologist and researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he is director of the Immunization Safety Office.

Vijendra Kumar Singh is a neuroimmunologist who formerly held a post at Utah State University, prior to which he was a professor at the University of Michigan. While affiliated with both institutions, he conducted some controversial autism-related research focusing on the potential role of immune system disorders in the etiology of autism. For example, he has testified before a US congressional committee that, in his view, "three quarters of autistic children suffer from an autoimmune disease."

Kreesten Meldgaard Madsen is a Danish epidemiologist and expert on infectious diseases who, as of 2003, worked at the Danish Epidemiology Science Centre at Aarhus University. He is known for leading two studies that found no link between either the MMR vaccine and autism or thimerosal and autism. The first of these studies pertained to MMR and was published in 2002; the second pertained to thimerosal and was published in 2003. Both of these studies received considerable media attention.

<i>Vaxxed</i> 2016 anti-vaccination documentary film

Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe is a 2016 American pseudoscience propaganda film alleging a cover-up by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of a purported link between the MMR vaccine and autism. According to Variety, the film "purports to investigate the claims of a senior scientist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who revealed that the CDC had allegedly manipulated and destroyed data on an important study about autism and the MMR vaccine"; critics derided Vaxxed as an anti-vaccine propaganda film.

In early months of 2019, a measles outbreak occurred in the Portland metropolitan area, including the Clark County, Washington suburbs, in the United States. At the time, the outbreak was the largest outbreak in more than two decades; outbreaks in 2019 in areas including Brooklyn and Rockland County, New York have since seen far greater numbers of cases.

The Lancet MMR autism fraud centered on the publication in February 1998 of a fraudulent research paper titled "Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children" in The Lancet. The paper, authored by now discredited and deregistered Andrew Wakefield, and twelve coauthors, falsely claimed causative links between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and colitis and between colitis and autism. The fraud involved data selection, data manipulation, and two undisclosed conflicts of interest. It was exposed in a lengthy Sunday Times investigation by reporter Brian Deer, resulting in the paper's retraction in February 2010 and Wakefield being struck off the UK medical register three months later. Wakefield reportedly stood to earn up to US$43 million per year selling diagnostic kits for a non-existent syndrome he claimed to have discovered. He also held a patent to a rival vaccine at the time, and he had been employed by a lawyer representing parents in lawsuits against vaccine producers.

Extensive investigation into vaccines and autism has shown that there is no relationship between the two, causal or otherwise, and that vaccine ingredients do not cause autism. Vaccinologist Peter Hotez researched the growth of the false claim and concluded that its spread originated with Andrew Wakefield's fraudulent 1998 paper, with no prior paper supporting a link.

Misinformation related to immunization and the use of vaccines circulates in mass media and social media in spite of the fact that there is no serious hesitancy or debate within mainstream medical and scientific circles about the benefits of vaccination. Unsubstantiated safety concerns related to vaccines are often presented on the internet as being scientific information. A large proportion of internet sources on the topic are mostly inaccurate which can lead people searching for information to form misconceptions relating to vaccines.

JABS is a British pressure group launched in Wigan in January 1994. Beginning as a support group for the parents of children they claim became ill after the MMR vaccine, the group is currently against all forms of vaccination.

References

  1. 1 2 Simpson University Catalog 2021–2022, p. 413
  2. ↑ "Academic Affairs", Simpson University. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Lupkin, Sydney (October 9, 2014). "How a Now-Retracted Autism Study Went Viral -- Again". ABC News . Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Did a high ranking whistleblower really reveal that the CDC covered up proof that vaccines cause autism in African-American boys?". sciencebasedmedicine.org. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  5. ↑ Wessel, Lindzi (25 April 2017). "Four vaccine myths and where they came from". Science. AAAS. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  6. ↑ "Fact Check: Fraud at the CDC Uncovered?". Snopes.com. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  7. ↑ DeStefano, Frank; Bhasin, Tanya Karapurkar; Thompson, William W.; Yeargin-Allsopp, Marshalyn; Boyle, Coleen (2004). "Age at first measles-mumps-rubella vaccination in children with autism and school-matched control subjects: a population-based study in metropolitan atlanta". Pediatrics. 113 (2): 259–266. doi:10.1542/peds.113.2.259. ISSN   1098-4275. PMID   14754936.
  8. 1 2 "August 27, 2014 Press Release, "Statement of William W. Thompson, Ph.D., Regarding the 2004 Article Examining the Possibility of a Relationship Between MMR Vaccine and Autism"". 2014-08-28. Archived from the original on 2014-08-28. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  9. ↑ Cara, Ed (2016-04-04). "Controversial Documentary 'Vaxxed' Premiered In NYC This Weekend; We Decided To See It". Medical Daily. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  10. 1 2 Hooker, Brian S. (2014). "Measles-mumps-rubella vaccination timing and autism among young african american boys: A reanalysis of CDC data". Translational Neurodegeneration. 3: 22. doi: 10.1186/2047-9158-3-16 . PMC   4183946 . PMID   25285211. (Retracted, see doi:10.1186/2047-9158-3-22, PMID   25285211,  Retraction Watch . If this is an intentional citation to a retracted paper, please replace {{ retracted |...}} with {{ retracted |...|intentional=yes}}.)
  11. ↑ Hooker, Brian S. (2014-10-03). "Retraction Note: Measles-mumps-rubella vaccination timing and autism among young African American boys: a reanalysis of CDC data". Translational Neurodegeneration. 3 (1): 22. doi: 10.1186/2047-9158-3-22 . ISSN   2047-9158. PMC   4183946 . PMID   25285211.
  12. ↑ Leask, Julie (2020-09-21). "Vaccines — lessons from three centuries of protest". Nature. 585 (7826): 499–501. Bibcode:2020Natur.585..499L. doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02671-0. S2CID   221843817.
  13. ↑ McDonald, Jessica. (December 21, 2018). "Rep.-elect Green Wrong About Vaccines, CDC Fraud", FactCheck.org. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  14. ↑ http://www.jpands.org/vol22no4/hooker.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  15. ↑ "Respectful Insolence: The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons: Medical "science" as dubious as it gets". 2009-02-21. Archived from the original on 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  16. ↑ Kreidler, Marc (2019-10-20). "Questionable Organizations: An Overview | Quackwatch" . Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  17. ↑ Jarry, Jonathan (8 June 2024). "Spikeopathy Speculative Fiction Contaminates the Blood Supply". Office for Science and Society . McGill University. Archived from the original on 2024-09-11. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  18. ↑ Christiansen, Siri (September 10, 2024). "No, there aren't self-assembled nanostructures in COVID-19 vaccines". Logically Facts . Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
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