Vaccines: Separating fact from fiction

[trotsky]

The worry: Vaccines cause autism

The facts: So far, ten studies involving thousands of children have failed to find any connection between the MMR and autism. Plus, the original paper suggesting a connection between the two was formally retracted by 10 of its 13 authors in 2004. As for the thimerosal issue, there's a bit more backstory worth explaining: First, it's absolutely true that mercury can be harmful. The kind in contaminated fish and water builds up in the body when ingested and can cause severe nerve damage. However, the type of mercury that's in thimerosal doesn't accumulate in the body. "It's never been linked to any adverse effect," says William Schaffner, M.D., professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville, Tennessee.

...

The worry: Too many shots too soon is risky

"There is no evidence that the contents of vaccines are the cause of autism or mitochondrial disorders," he says. What's more, because even common illnesses like colds, the flu, and rotavirus can cause significant harm to these children, doctors strongly advise they receive all the recommended shots. So what does all of this mean for parents of healthy kids? Not much -- getting more than one shot at a time isn't the huge physical stress it seems to be. Their immune systems handle far greater challenges from everyday exposure to germs on shared toys, doorknobs, and the playroom floor.

More at CNN...

Lots of widespread vaccine myths debunked right there in a mainstream media outlet. More are debunked at the link.

[Donnachaidh]

1. I'd like to know who funded the ten studies that claim that vaccines

did not cause autism. The studies were mentioned but no information on who paid for them.

[cosmik debris]

2. What difference does it make...

if you have already made up your mind?

You may as well admit it, you won't believe any study that doesn't confirm your bias.

You are just looking for a way to justify your bias by saying that the dollars were prejudiced.

[trotsky]

3. Autism: Removing Thimerosal From Vaccines Did Not Reduce Autism Cases In California, Report Finds

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080107181551.htm
"This study was supported through the California Department of Public Health."

Study Finds No Link Between Autism And Thimerosal In Vaccines
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070516071735.htm
"This study adds to the evidence that there is no casual association between thimerosal and childhood autism," said Judith Miles, who is the William S. Thomson Endowed Chair of Autism and professor of pediatrics and pathology in the MU School of Medicine.

Autism: Study Says Thimerosal Mercury Doesn't Have Time To Accrete In Baby Bodies
http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_releases/autism_study_says_thimerosal_mercury_doesnt_have_time_to_accrete_in_baby_bodies
This research was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. It was performed in conjunction with investigators Angela Gentile, M.D, Norberto Giglio, M.D., and Veronica Umido, M.D., of R. Gutierrez Children’s Hospital in Buenos Aires; Carlos Gotelli, Ph.D., and Mariano Gotelli, Ph.D., of the Center of Toxicology Research in Buenos Aires; Lihan Yan, M.S., of EMMES Corp in Rockville, Maryland; and Thomas Clarkson, Ph.D., Elsa Cernichiari, M.S., Grazyna Zareba, Ph.D., and John Treanor, M.D., of the University of Rochester.

The information is all out there and public. No need to try and discredit conclusions reached by highly educated and devoted professionals.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. and.. The fact that this story is on CNN immediately compromises its validity as far as I am

concerned.

If I do not trust them for political news, why should they become so trustworthy just because it is a different subject.

How much advertizing money is poured into CNN by the very same pharmaceutical companies that make these vaccines?

[trotsky]

5. If you can't address the facts, attack the source.

So typical. If it were some obscure industry publication you'd knock it for that, too. Whatever it takes to justify your unfalsifiable beliefs.

[cosmik debris]

10. CNN also reported that Obama won

So you must be getting ready for the McCain Administration.

:rofl:

[laconicsax]

6. The studies didn't claim that vaccines didn't cause autism.

They were unable to find evidence supporting the claim that vaccines DO cause autism.

There's a difference between evidence against a lack of supporting evidence. You can't directly test for something that doesn't exist.

If I understand the scientific method correctly, a study designed to determine a link or nature of a link between vaccinations and autism would have the researchers proceeding on the hypothesis that the link exists and it should manifest itself in some form of observable result. An experiment/study would then be set up to give those results. If those observable results don't show up, they examine their methodology and if it's determined that their methodology was sound, then they can conclude that the hypothesis that vaccinations cause autism is not supported by the evidence.

Sure, such a study could be funded by groups hoping to find a lack of evidence, but such a group would be unlikely to fund ten different studies, and it's equally unlikely that ten different studies would have the same result simply because of who funded them.

[beam me up scottie]

7. K&R for what it's worth.

The anti-vaccine brigade will respond as they always do: your sources are suspect, your motive is suspect, you are a shill for the medical mafia, you're not as credible as uneducated celebrities, blah blah blah.

Insert logical fallacy here:

[laconicsax]

8. But teh vaxines are full of evil toxin that are ment to poizon u!

[beam me up scottie]

9. Okay, you're officially on report.

We were all briefed before coming here, you know you're not supposed to discuss the vileay onspiracycay.

The chemtrails haven't been 100% effective, you know some of the herd are still suspicious.

Report to central processing for reprogramming. :spank:

[cosmik debris]

11. You should know better than to post this stuff

During a full moon!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

12. I still need to report my 24 hours of slight soreness after my flu vax to VAERS.

[trotsky]

13. Yeah but flu vaccine still has thimerosal in it.

Did you get teh autism yet?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

14. I don't know what are the symptoms?

[trotsky]

15. Do you have an indigo aura?

That is a sure sign according to internationally-acclaimed autism expert Jenny McCarthy.

[beam me up scottie]

16. What about the cell phone towers?

I'm sure they're somehow involved.

[salvorhardin]

17. I'll be able to answer that after Saturday

I'm getting my flu shot inside a TV studio with lots of equipment around, my cell phone in my pocket, sattelite dishes on the roof and I'm pretty sure there's a cell phone tower less than half a block away. I'm gonna get myself some'o'that mutant autism. I figure by 11 am on Saturday my skin should be a nice shade of blue and you all can start calling me Doctor Manhattan.

[beam me up scottie]

18. OH NOES!!!1! That sounds like Doctors Unprovable Mutant Blue Autism Symptom Syndrome!

Will no one save us?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

19. More greenish brown and usually quite pungent.

[salvorhardin]

20. I just got teh autism AND Alzheimer's

Our local CFI affiliate, FreeThought Fort Wayne, taped our little cable access show this morning. I did my vaccine myths segment where I had an infectious disease specialist give me a flu shot on camera. Like I said above, this was in a full TV studio full of electronic equipment and I'm pretty sure there was a cell tower less than a half mile away. The microwaves and radio waves must have amped up the effects of all the toxic chemicals in the flu vaccine and now I have both the mutant autism and Alzheimer's. At least that's what some quacks say.

[cosmik debris]

21. Don't worry,

The cure du jour is a raw food diet and natural vitamin D supplements.

That'll fix you right up.

[salvorhardin]

22. Damn

I was hoping a strict diet of nothing but Taco Bell and Snickers bars would do the trick.

[uppityperson]

23. But I thought there was NO flu, it is all just a conspiracy

to get us outside tanning.

[varkam]

24. My god! And you can still form coherent thoughts!

You must be some kind of super human.