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Court Rules Against Vaccine-Autism Claims Again
barnyjr writes "According to a story from Reuters, 'Vaccines that contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal cannot cause autism on their own, a special US court ruled on Friday, dealing one more blow to parents seeking to blame vaccines for their children's illness. The special US Court of Federal Claims ruled that vaccines could not have caused the autism of an Oregon boy, William Mead, ending his family's quest for reimbursement. ... While the state court determined the autism was vaccine-related, [Special Master George] Hastings said overwhelming medical evidence showed otherwise. The theory presented by the Meads and experts who testified on their behalf "was biologically implausible and scientifically unsupported," Hasting wrote.'"
EXACTLY!!!
That's why I said it will be interesting to see if the rate changes.
If the rate of autism drops then they need to take another look at the possible autism/vaccine connection.
If the rate does not change then it validates the claims that there never was a connection and the correlation between the increase in autism and the thimerosal in the vaccines of the time was a coincidence.
Are my posts really that hard to understand? This is the third comment on this topic where the commentators replying to my post seem to be missing my point.
Your close.
What I'm trying to get across is that there are claims that the sudden and rapid increase in autism in America was caused by the mercury based preservative thimerosal used in many of the vaccines in use at the time. The autism rate began to climb about the same time that the number of vaccines containing thimerosal being given to children also increased. I never said that the vaccines where the cause of the spike but the timing of the two events is close enough that a link is possible, but not that there is a link. That is why its going to be interesting to see if the rate changes, thimerosal has been phased out but the number of vaccines being given is unchanged, one variable has been altered, if the autism rate changes then it validates the possibility that there was a link, not that there is one.
Fact: high levels of mercury will cause serious neurological issues in the human brain at any age. In infants the high levels may cause permanent damage, I don't know, I have not researched it and I'm not a pediatrician.
My comments about smallpox is completely separate from the ones on thimerosal and autism. You seem to have confused the two.
I am really getting tired of having to explain myself on slashdot. This comment is not directed at the PP specifically but in general to those readers who seem to fail to really parse through what is being said in a comment before replying.
My point, which you seem to have missed, was that the autism rate changed, and it occurred around the same time the number of vaccines containing thimerosal given to children was increased. This fact is not changed by any of the medical reports saying there is no connection or what a court may decide.
With me so far?
It is an accepted fact that the rate of autism has increased. Note that I never said anything about the vaccines actually causing the change, just that the change occurred at around the same time.
Just in cased you missed it, I never claimed that the correlation of the change in autism and the use of thimerosal containing vaccines was proof of causation.
Still with me?
My last comment about how it will be interesting to see if the rate of autism changes now that thimerosal is being phased out totally agrees with your comment about how "scientific evidence says it won't", to wit, if there is NO change in thee rate then the claims of a link between thimerosal and autism will be further invalidated.
Did you follow all that or should I start drawing pictures?
THANK YOU!!
You have no idea how refreshing it is to get a clear, concise response to my comment that sounds like you actually understood what I was trying say.
I was unaware of the study you linked to, I'll read it later over a fresh cup of coffee.
So if the report is valid then the possible thimerosal/autism coneection can be laid to rest. Of course now the question is what is causing the increase in autism, if it wasn't the mercury then what else changed?
The search continues.
Once again, Thank you.
Oh, I touched a nerve. So sorry.
Thank you for proving that you can read something more complex than Dr.Zeus books, I was worried.
I never said that there wasn't another cause to the spike in autism rates. In fact another poster, who seemed to comprehend what I was saying, sent a link to an study showing that even with thimerosal completely removed from the equation the autism rates are still climbing, thus further invalidating the claim by some parties of a connection between thimerosal and autism.
You on the other hand simple claimed that "scientific evidence" would show the rate would not change, you where right by the way, and expected your opinion to trump mine by shear force of will. Looks like I'm not the only one who needs to take a debate class.
And yes, I can draw, but you wouldn't like it, I use shades of Grey and sometimes even colors.