Another Study in Autisum

[Arizona Angel]

I came across this link. What do you think about this article?

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/october2007/181007_dangerous_vaccines.htm

 

[Kacey]

There has been a great deal of speculation about autism and a possible link to certain vaccines containing mercury - but quite a few studies have been done, and no on has ever found a causative link. The first symptoms of autism generally occur at the same time as a particular set of common vaccinations - but while correlation has been found (onset occurs shortly after the vaccination) causation has not (the vaccines have not been shown to trigger autism, just to be diagnosed shortly after). Children receiving the same vaccinations, but without the thimerisal (a preservative suspected of causing autism), or not receiving the vaccinations at all, have similar rates of diagnoses of autism.

Would that it were that simple...

 

[MBuzzy]

Just a thought - what is this website? I mean, I haven't completely made up my mind on the issue, but this doesn't sound like a very scientific analysis of the data. I would like to see some tests, correlation tables, sample groups, cite some sources, even a hypothesis.....

Maybe this is just a symptom of the entire modern media, but we as americans tend to take a lot of "studies" and articles for granted because they are on a website or news program or magazine. But where did these things come from?? Are those reporting doing so accurately and unbiased?

A little example, I just read an article on cnn.com about bad marriages leading to heart failure. I did some more research the actual study was completely inconclusive. There are just too many outside factors and the study was too subjective. If you read the source data, this is clear. But if you read the article, they report it as fact. If the public doesn't question it....it stay there.

plus...I just initially have to second guess any website called prison plant.....

 

[Arizona Angel]

Why has autisum become so common?

 

[Tames D]

There has been a great deal of speculation about autism and a possible link to certain vaccines containing mercury - but quite a few studies have been done, and no on has ever found a causative link. The first symptoms of autism generally occur at the same time as a particular set of common vaccinations - but while correlation has been found (onset occurs shortly after the vaccination) causation has not (the vaccines have not been shown to trigger autism, just to be diagnosed shortly after). Children receiving the same vaccinations, but without the thimerisal (a preservative suspected of causing autism), or not receiving the vaccinations at all, have similar rates of diagnoses of autism.

Would that it were that simple...

This is my understanding as well.

 

[Steel Tiger]

Have to agree with MBuzzy on this one. The article looks more like a why should we have government innoculations rather than an actual discussion of the increase in the prevalence of autism. The only evidence for a causal link in the article is that Jenny McCarthy said there was.

Looking at the autism situation from a layman's point of view I would think that there has been an increase in the rate of autism diagnosis because it is not being diagnosed as something else. There is also the probability that doctors are recognising autism in children who, in earlier decades, would not have been considered autistic.

 

[stephen]

Many vaccines used to include a preservative which included mercury, this has not been the case for a few years now.

I believe that the flu shot is the only one to still include it.

Also, since Thermisol has been replaced in the vaccines, there has been no decrease in the rate of Autism diagnosis.

Seems to put a hitch in that whole vaccines = autism link.

 

[tellner]

It's not just that there hasn't been a "causative link". There hasn't even been a statistically significant correlation. But people still feel rather than think. lack of evidence doesn't really seem to bother them. And very few of them understand how to balance cost and benefit. Every bad reaction is a sign of even greater hidden harm, but the benefits of not getting smallpox, polio or typhus seem to elude them.

The first time I encountered this was among a bunch of radical animal rights types. Their contention was that animal tests of any sort were morally wrong and that they were useless in any case. At the time they said that the diseases prevented by vaccines were "on the decline anyway" so that the vaccine and the requisite testing were unnecessary. They went on to talk about various vague harm the vaccines were supposed to do. I've seen them beating the anti-Thermisol drum lately. I don't know how much they have to do with it and how much is opportunism.

Prison Planet is like one of those stopped clocks that's right twice a day. They got the extent of Blackwater's power and the projected use of churches to keep people pacified during martial law right. But they're more than a tad paranoid and have a strongly anti-rational streak. What I like about them is the suave grace with which they wipe the foam from their lips :shrug:

 

[MBuzzy]

Why has autisum become so common?

Who knows.........and this could very well be the reason. I think that some more conclusive data would be GREAT though. If this IS the reason and we had more data, it would be easy to make a case AGAINST pharmaceutical companies. I mean, vaccinations do serve a purpose. Without them, we would still have small pox, typhoid, etc. Therefore, we have to look at the good caused by these vaccinations as well.

Look at the Anthrax vaccination...I'm in the military. I'm REQUIRED to have it. I'm also at a threat for being exposed to it, however small that may be. Critics have argued that the vaccine isn't effective against all forms, that it isn't fully proven and that it has these horrible side effects. Well, the side effects happen in such an unbelievably small percentage of the population who is innoculated, that they aren't significant. They're just brough into the media by a few who refused to take it. You can't put a chemical like that into hundreds of millions of people and never get ANY adverse reactions, everyone's body chemistry is different. Also, if I can have ANY protection, I'll take it, even if it isn't complete or proven that it will work - its a chance. Lastly....veteranarians have been taking the same vaccine for over 30 years and no one ever heard a thing about it. Strange how it is a big concern now....

Steel Tiger also hit on a big point...Autism is now being diagnosed correctly. When I was growing up, I never seldom heard the term autism, but I heard terms like "retarded," "slow," "down's syndrome," etc. We have just put a name on it. I don't think that the incidence has changed, we've just put a name to it (of course, that's completely unsupported - but I find it funny how as soon as you slap a label on something, everyone's got it).