The Harm

Families make case for vaccine link to autism

WASHINGTON (AP) — Parents claiming that childhood vaccines cause autism should not be rewarded by the courts when the scientific community has already rejected any link, government lawyers argued Monday on the first day of a hearing in federal court.

Overall, nearly 4,900 families have filed claims with the U.S. Court of Claims alleging that vaccines caused autism and other neurological problems in their children. Lawyers for the families are presenting three different theories of how vaccines caused autism. The theory at issue Monday was whether vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal caused autism.

Lynn Ricciardella, a Justice Department lawyer, said that theory has not moved beyond the realm of speculation. She said that the Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have rejected any link between thimerosal and autism.

I understand that these parents are angry but vaccines are not the cause and this law suit will lead to more people not vaccination there children weakening herd immunity and leading to the death of un-vaccinated children.
Vaccines have saved countless lives and multiple scientific peer reviewed studies have show no connection between vaccines and autism.

If you haven’t herd there is a Measles outbreak, the largest in 7 years.
The CDC says the cause is an increased number of travelers from Europe and Israel and a decrease in vaccinations.
Okay, so the outbreak is small but but it is a example of what could happen when many don’t get vaccinated. Yes if a few don’t get vaccinated the odds of them getting what ever they where being vaccinated against is the same as those who has been vaccinated to none (depending on variety of factors). This is called “herd immunity. The problem is when enough people don’t get vaccinated herd immunity breaks down and it no longer protects the non-vaccinated from preventable diseases.
So this “outbreak” may be small and not really news but another much larger outbreak could happen in the future cause if the anti-vaccination bullshit grows.
Get your children vaccinated! It could/would save lives and the lives of others.

Thanks to the The Bad Astronomer at The Bas Astronamy Blog I bring you this.

McCain said, per ABC News’ Bret Hovell, that “It’s indisputable that (autism) is on the rise amongst children, the question is what’s causing it. And we go back and forth and there’s strong evidence that indicates that it’s got to do with a preservative in vaccines.”

No, we do know what the cause of the rise is, its caused by changes in diagnostic criteria and grater awareness of autism.[1][2] [article it self]

McCain said there’s “divided scientific opinion” on the matter, with “many on the other side that are credible scientists that are saying that’s not the cause of it.”

No, no reputable scientists says vaccinations cause autism, studies have shown no connection between the two. [3][4][5][article it self]

Whats the harm here? McCain’s statements could cause parents (out of fear of autism) not to get there children vaccinated and thus get preventable diseases that could even lead to death.
While I disagree with The Bad Astronomer on him being anti-science (I thing he’s just misinformed) his statements are non the less dangerous.

1. http://whyfiles.org/209autism/
2. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,149666,00.html
3. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=344288
4. http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/01/california-stud.html
5. http://autism.about.com/b/2008/02/04/new-british-study-shows-no-relationship-between-mmr-vaccine-and-autism-whats-your-take.htm