caeron Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 Today the court ruled that there is no proven link between autism and getting vaccinated. http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/12/court.autism.reactions/ I've been following this case because it plays to a particular pet peeve of mine, namely stupid people reaching dumb conclusions, then pretending it's science. Don't get me wrong, Autism sucks. No doubt in the desperate attempt to find an explanation, many parents had decided, with no evidence, that getting vaccinated causes autism. Why? Because these kids got vaccinated and then developed autism! Never mind that autism's onset is typically at the age you vaccinate, clearly there had to be a causal linkage! Quoting from the article above: "Fournier said her daughter was a happy, healthy toddler who developed autism after receiving shots. She said she's heard countless similar stories from other parents." Well, of course you did. Did you ask, if by chance, their children also were breathing before developing autism? What about potty training? Maybe learning not to poo themselves set it off? Why, oh why, did you become insanely fixated upon this as THE answer. When studies didn't confirm this, why did you fault the study rather than your hasty conclusion? I wonder how much more progress could have been made if people had looked at the science objectively. /rant off Quote
TotallyOz Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 There was a great episode about this on Private Practice recently. Some people get things in their minds and they won't let it out. With something as horrendous as autism, I am sure many look to blame something. I am sure I would be looking for anything in the world to blame to try to come to terms to understand this. It is so much easier to accept medical problems with ourselves than it is with our children. Quote
Guest zachary Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 on one of the news shows about 2 years ago, they showed a kid at his birthday party, and i don't remember if it were the balloons popping or what, it was a loud noise, and the kid suddenly went from being loud and fun and running around to evidencing the classic symptoms of autism, looking at hands, withdrawing, unresponsive. the parents filmed his birthday party. it was an incredible piece of film, the kid as of the date of the show been autistic for years, and if i am correct, the only film of someone evidencing the sudden change of behavior. it was the quickness of the symptoms that i found really curious; from black to white. re the vaccines, i don't think anything is proved; it would be nice if it were. question, since kids started the sabin vaccine in the 50s, then the salk vaccine in 1962, and since then the others were added, in the 70s right? has the occurrence of the disease gone up concomitantly with the addition of the additional vaccines? i didn't think so, certainly not with the first two polio vaccines. what exactly was their supposed proof? Quote
caeron Posted February 18, 2009 Author Posted February 18, 2009 There really was no proof that it was the vaccines. It was built on a bunch of speculation. The sad part is that the hysteria they generated (and still do) over the vaccines has caused a lot of gullible parents not to vaccinate. It's both sad and infuriating. Quote
