McCain Joins Vaccines Cause Autism Fray
John McCain has jumped into the vaccines-cause-autism fray on the side of those who blame vaccines for the "epidemic" of autism. It would be interesting to know who fed him the Kool-aid on this issue, since McCain isn't known to have any familiarity with vaccine safety issues. I somehow doubt that he's reviewed the epidemiology and other studies. I guess you can't go wrong bashing the guhment and the pharmaceutical industry, even if, in this case, the evidence clearly vindicates them. For the record: experts in autism and epidemiology doubt there has been an epidemic increase in autism. No one can rule out a small increase, but most of the change in the numbers is clearly due to different definitions of autism spectrum disorders and better medical, educational and counseling services for autistics.
The vaccine court is considering the cases of about 5,000 children whose parents blame vaccines for autism. The outlook isn't good for these cases. That isn't to say that some tiny number of autistic kids may not have suffered a vaccine reaction. In a recent rant on Huffpo, David Kirby noted that the vaccine court has conceded the case of a kid with autistic symptoms apparently related to her mitochondrial disorder. The underlying condition was apparently exacerbated by a feverish reaction to a chickenpox vaccine. Read Steve Novella's blog to understand why the judgement is much less significant than Kirby paints it. Still, the judgement has evidently sent many parents rushing to their doctors to diagnose whether their children have a mitochondrial disorder that could be linked to vaccination.
Comments:
Posted 03/03/2008 10:45am with
It’s really disappointing that McCain didn’t take the time to think two steps out and consider the effect of telling the American people that their pediatricians have been lying when they said it was safe to immunize their kids.
If he has poor enough judgment to accept what some anti-vaccine zealot tells him without checking it against any kind of expert, it’s pretty scary to think of how he would make decisions as president.
Posted 03/03/2008 12:19pm with
John McCain, the straight-talking tort reformer, needs to understand how much of the anti-vax movement is driven by lawsuits and questionable vaccine court claims. I urge everyone to read Kathleen Seidel’s excellent investigation of shady junk science “experts” who make a living testifying for plaintiffs in vaccine injury cases.
http://www.neurodiversity.com/weblog/
Posted 03/03/2008 04:50pm with
When will you pro mercury people get a clue!!!! You have lost because you chose to defend poison rather than children.
Now what you have left for a reputation will be even further damaged.
Why is it so hard for you to defend the little ones?
A. Child gets damaged by mercury in vaccines
B. Mercury is removed from child and child loses autism symptoms
C. families show evidenceof recovery in Vaccine injury court and pro mercury people lose all credibility
Autism ABC lesson provided at no cost
Posted 03/03/2008 06:46pm with
Ha-you’d lie to believe it’s not abig deal, but we KNOW the decision IS a big deal. And there are more cases to come that the government that the government has conceded-no MORE SECRETS, huh?
By the way, McCain knew about the dangers of vaccines back in 2002 when he fought on our side after a clause was sneaked into the Homeland Security Act to give vaccine makes immunity from litigation.
also, mitochrondrial disorder is VERY common among autistic disorder.
We have so much thanks to give to David Kirby.
Me thinks, mr Allen, that you are worried.