Sridhar Vembu links vaccines to autism; Liver Doc says 'Stay in your lane'
The Zoho founder shared a report claiming vaccination is the 'Dominant risk factor' for autism, but Dr Cyriac Abby Philips rebutted his claim citing robust studies and warning against the return of polio
The war of tweets between Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu and “The Liver Doc” has taken off once again, with the former’s tweet on Tuesday morning (October 28) seeming to link vaccines with autism.
Zoho’s founder Vembu in his tweet on X wrote, “Parents should take this analysis seriously. I believe there is increasing evidence that we are giving way too many vaccines to very young children. This is spreading in India too and we are seeing a rapid increase in autism in India."
Vembu retweeted a post from Nicolas Hulscher, who quoted the McCullough Foundation’s Report on the “Determinants of Autism Spectrum Disorder”.
Also Read: ‘Left liberal’: Sridhar Vembu hits back at Liver Doc over ‘gomutra’ debate
Hulscher, quoting the report, said: “The most comprehensive analysis ever conducted on the causes of autism finds vaccination is the DOMINANT risk factor.”
‘Do not stop vaccinating your kids’
Tagging Vembu’s post and an earlier story in The Federal titled "Science illiterate boomer uncle: The Liver Doc slams Zoho CEO Vembu for cow urine claims", Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, who goes by the handle “The Liver Doc”, responded sharply.
He asked the public and patients to not stop vaccinating their children. Dr Philips is a prominent hepatologist recognised for his expertise in liver health and critical views of alternative medicine.
Also Read: ‘Science illiterate boomer uncle’: The Liver Doc slams Zoho CEO Vembu for cow urine claims
“You don't want polio to come back. You don't want measles to kill your child like it is doing in the US because boomer uncles in charge of US Health Departments have become anti science,” he wrote.
He said the conclusions of the report mentioned in Hulscher’s post are not credible either.
“The ‘authors’ who themselves are a bunch of antivaxxers, funded by an antivaxx organisation, who published the study on their own antivaxx website. Not peer reviewed, not scrutinised. The low IQ authors have selectively amplified weaker associations while dismissing robust epidemiological data from millions showing no vaccine-autism link," read his post.
‘Largest-ever study found no link’
Dr Philips said the largest study ever on this, a Danish study, found no association between childhood vaccines and 50 different health conditions, including autism, asthma, and autoimmune diseases.
“Here is the evidence, unlike the pathetic links shown by the other guy,” he wrote, adding the link:
“These health Illiterates have themselves taken these vaccines, given their children their vaccines, and saw them enjoy longevity and now advising others to consider stopping vaccinations. How selfish and bigoted can this get?” continued Dr Philips.
Vembu undeterred
When Dr PV Ramesh urged Vembu to delete his post, saying he was “being devastatingly reckless and posed a threat to public health,” Vembu was undeterred and held on to his stand.
Also Read: Liver Doc calls out Nayanthara on wellness tip; actor deletes post, shares cryptic note
“I will not delete my post. I stand by what I said. The term ‘Dodgy western source’ should be applied to FDA and CDC recommendations, by the way. Those institutions do not deserve blind faith. The brave doctors who are questioning the dogma are doing a valuable service. Science progresses only when we question dogma and what you are peddling is dogma, in the name of ‘Science’,” posted Vembu in response to Dr Ramesh’s tweet.