Autism report retracted

**smokey the elder** · 02-03-2010, 07:33 AM

I put this in the Dog House because I need to get off on a rant. The Lancet, a highly-respected British medical journal, had published a paper in 1998 relating autism to the MMR vaccine. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/02....html?hpt=Sbin Recently, this paper was retracted.

Recently, poor ethical standards by the person conducting the research came to light. This risked the lives of thousands of children; some died from whooping cough.

The thing that really burns me is that the scientific illiteracy in the US has gotten to the point that people are willing to accept the much larger risk of dying from a preventable disease, instead of the tiny risk of side effects of a vaccine demonstrated to be safe and effective for the vast majority of the populations.

The FDA and other regulatory agencies are not perfect (they are run by human beings, after all!) but they do their best (most of the time) to ensure all marketed drugs, including vaccines, are safe.

Well, this kind of rambled on.

**Lady's Human** · 02-03-2010, 07:46 AM

This, along with recent revelations about "massaging" data used in climate research, does nothing more than fuel the distrust of science.

It's easy to distrust that which you don't understand.

Trying to understand it takes effort, and well, that's just too much like work.

Easier to listen to the sound bites and wander along.

**smokey the elder** · 02-03-2010, 09:57 AM

Why did I know you were going to bring THAT up?

We'll just have to agree to disagree there. 'Nuff said.

**Lady's Human** · 02-03-2010, 10:02 AM

STE, the point had nothing to do with whether or not you or I agree/disagree with the climate change science......the point was that science not being conducted openly and above board fuels the distrust of science.

**JenBKR** · 02-03-2010, 11:14 AM

THANK YOU for posting this! For the last 2 years (since having my son) I have had to listen to countless people tell me how stupid I am for having him vaccinated. I haven't done enough research, I listen blindly to my doctor and do whatever he says even though he gets tons of money to give my child shots...whatever the current arguement is. My own in-laws tried to keep us from doing any vaccinations.

**smokey the elder** · 02-03-2010, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Lady's Human

STE, the point had nothing to do with whether or not you or I agree/disagree with the climate change science......the point was that science not being conducted openly and above board fuels the distrust of science.

Fair enuff.

**Karen** · 02-03-2010, 01:21 PM

I do hope this will help quell the fear-mongering amongst anti-vaccine folks, but I am not holding out hope. At least this will give every parent who DOES choose to get a child vaccinated the ammunition to say: "Didn't you hear? They retracted that whole report!"

**Cataholic** · 02-03-2010, 02:03 PM

I am one of those people that question the vaccines. The "science" changes, sometimes decade to decade. Who do you believe? When do you believe them? Do you inquire as to who paid for their study? How do you explain the increase in children with autism? Is it just really in the parent's head? Like mental disease/disorders were 50 years ago?

If your child is the one that develops autism, really, all you care about is that 'tiny risk'. Look at the advancments made with SIDS, also recently updated.

There are advances made, probably every week, in science, and elsewhere. What that can mean, and often does mean, is that the earlier research wasn't "right". It is a parent's- no, strike that- a person's right and obligation to control and monitor what goes into their body.

**Karen** · 02-03-2010, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by Cataholic

I am one of those people that question the vaccines. The "science" changes, sometimes decade to decade. Who do you believe? When do you believe them? Do you inquire as to who paid for their study? How do you explain the increase in children with autism? Is it just really in the parent's head? Like mental disease/disorders were 50 years ago?

I do think some of the increase in Autism is because of different diagnosis techniques, and more recognition of the different degrees of autism and the spectrum of symptoms. I am sure I went to school with some kids 30 years ago who now would be classified as some kind of autistic, but the, unless the case was extreme, it often wasn't pursued that there was anything medically wrong.