There has been a mild controversy brewing for the last few years, due to suggestions by a few researchers and some parents that some forms of childhood vaccines might cause autism. I've known about this for some time, and I have to admit that I sweat it a bit when it came time to give Jake his vaccinations, even though I knew the benefit/risk ratio would still have to be much better with the vaccines than without (at least, most vaccines).
Medpundit notes that the researchers who started it have retracted their claims, and has some fairly harsh words for both the researchers and their publisher, The Lancet. Yet I somehow doubt it'll quiet the fears of many parents, and that this fear will be zinging around for years to come.
(Thanks for the link, Dani, I don't hit Medpundit as often as I should.)
Dean,
That study in the Lancet was practically an atrocity in my view; non-scientist that I am, it just didn't seem reasonable even at first that vaccines would cause autism...if they did, then autism would be much more prevalent in the human population - a vaccine, of course, just being a virus...humans come across literally hundreds of viruses in a normal lifetime.
On a personal note, one of my older brothers is autistic...and even if it could be conclusively proven that a childhood vaccine caused it, I'd still say go ahead with the vaccination...the costs, if any, are vastly outweighed by the benefits.
Polio is back, in countries (not here) where it had been thought erradicated. It's fashionable not to vaccinate, but those who don't can only get away with it because of all those that *do*.
The trend against vaccination in third world countries isn't due to the autism scare or the inherent risk of the vaccine. Many people are convinced that the vaccines are an American plot to spread AIDS.
Another example of how crazy ideas have real world consequences.
Sorry, MJ, I wasn't clear. I meant that it is fashionable in the U.S. among some people, and that they can only enjoy that choice because the rest of the population does vaccinate.
My point about Africa and polio is that I have heard many say that "it can never come back."
There are myriad issues here. Do vaccines really work? In my opinion, some do and some don't. Do vaccines cause harm? The juries out, there have been NO long term studies. Many vaccines were designed NOT for children.
Many doctors can't/won't recommend against vaccination, but one of the highest percentage of unvaccinated groups of children belong to pediatricians.
What about reporting policies? In many cases (espeically polio) statistics about disease are drastically skewed by changes in reporting.
I'm not saying vaccines are evil, but there's nothing to prove to me that they're all great.
An interesting book is called "Vaccines: Are They Really Safe". It just raises some interesting questions. And I want answers to those questions before I pump my kids full of chemicals.
Lucy, I'd very much like to see the data about unvaccinated pediatrician's children. If that is true, it's news to me.
Dani -- My life is a little hectic, and since I've pretty much made up my mind I'm not reading much on vaccines right now. But, there's every possibility I'll come across the data again and if/when I do then I'll make sure to remember to send it to you. Its a very interesting topic.
My brother and younger sister each have an autistic child. My sister is a member of FEAT, Families for Effective Autism Treatment. You can visit her website at www.infeat.org.
The issue is not "vaccines"; rather, it's the organic mercury preservative thimerosal that was added to all vaccines to extend shelf life. The symptoms of autism and mercury toxicity are very similar. The theory is that some individuals lack the genetic ability to dispose of mercury. Mercury exposure can begin before birth. When children who have the genetic predisposition are vaccinated, the thimerosal triggers the autism.
Check the website for more information and links.
Just because one group of researchers retracts their claim doesn't mean it isn't true. The research was obviously flawed to begin with given such a small sample and no control group as a comparison.
Mark, unfortunately, vaccines aren't just a virus. If that were the case it really wouldn't be that big of an issue. First the virus has to be grown on what amounts to diseased tissue (chicken, monkey, human). The virus has to be weakened or killed with chemicals similar to antibiotics. Then the serum is stabilized with such things as aluminum or thimersol (mercury).
High levels of any heavy metal can cause developmental problems in children (like lead).
Meezer, your statement isn't quite correct. Children who are vaccinated can still get childhood diseases. Generally children in poorer areas who lack good nutrition and medical care will be more susceptible to contracting viral and bacterial infections.
I feel the worst problem with vaccines is that the immunity it provides is far weaker than actually getting the virus/bacteria. In the case of measles, mothers who were vaccinated provided very little immunity to children at birth compounded with bottle feeding instead of breast feeding (which aids in the passing of immunities). This led to an outbreak of measles in children under 3, where it had previously been a rarity (even pre-modern medicine).
...that turned out longer than I thought it would
The UK has never used thimerosal in their vaccines and experienced the same rise in autism as the US over the past thirty years.
Something is causing more autism, but I think we will find that it isn't thimerosal, though I am glad it isn't in vaccines anymore. If it was a cause, we should see a decline in cases over the next few years.
However, nothing in the article quoted in the post was about thimerosal, it was about the MMR vaccine itself, as far as I could see. Which to me makes the retraction carry a lot more water, because even doctors can hop on the anti-vaccine bandwagon.
Skip, you're right about a weaker immunity. I got pertussis in med school and my residents were so panicked when they saw me trying to breathe, I ended up in the ER, where an astute pediatrician said "You've got whooping cough. Go home." However, had I gotten pertussis without having had the immunization, it could have killed me. We can't treat viruses. Granted, the immunity after a vaccine isn't as great, but getting the immunity via a shot is vastly safer than getting it via the disease, at any age.
The only debatable vaccine in that regard is chicken pox. Some pediatricians don't believe in this shot because children virtually never have serious complications, but adults often do. The concern is that the shot may well wear off in early adulthood, leaving a whole lot of people very vulnerable to reinfection, and instead of having mildly ill kids, we will have very ill adults. My kids have the chicken pox shot because I know I will remember to get them a booster when they turn 18, and I didn't want them to be sick now.
The other questionable vaccine is hepatits B. Quite frankly, that's a lifestyle disease, like HIV only a lot easier to get. People object to that shot for that reason. However, the shot is from recombinant DNA and has virtually no risk (no virus involved in its manufacture). So my kids got it, too. Who knows, they may end up exposed to Hep B- a drug addict, promiscuous or a surgeon- or all three;-)
Dani
you are incorrect about the UK not using thimerosal. They did and still do. there was just an article about it in a Uk newspaper.
the evidence for thimerosal causing autism is very strong. There was a good article on thimerosal and autism in the latest MotherJones.
Babies who receive the full schedule of vaccinations receive far too much mercury. This has finally been recognized by folks at the CDC and FDA, and they both admit to overlooking this crucial fact for many years. One reason why it became a problem in recent years is because the number of recommended vaccines increased dramatically during the 90s.
see www.safeminds.org
dan