The Honest Truth about Vaccines and Autism
A major blow to all anti-vaccine activists and their lawyers hit like a case of anthrax on January 8, 2008. A 7 year review of autism cases before and after thiomerosal was removed from pediatric vaccines in California actually shows that autism rates INCREASED after the mercury containing preservative was removed. The article has a superb bibliography with many trustworthy references.
The Autism-Vaccine Courtroom Knockout Team · Jan 23, 2007 The Baltimore City Circuit Court’s December 2007 ruling in Blackwell v. Sigma Aldrich (Case 24-C-04-004829) represents the latest addition to a developing series of judicial dismissals of expert witnesses presented by plaintiffs alleging that administration of vaccines and thimerosal-containing medical products resulted in the development of autism in their children.
The Blackwell court’s excluded Dr. Mark Geier, Dr. Stephen Siebert, Dr. Elizabeth Mumper, Prof. Richard Deth, and Prof. Boyd Haley.
Science Based Medicine Blog - January 2008 "Mercury in vaccines as a cause of autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs): A failed hypothesis" - by Dr. David Gorski
One of the most pernicious medical myths of recent years has been the claim, promulgated by a subgroup of parents of autistic children and facilitated by scientists of dubious repute, that somehow the mercury in the thimerosal. I say “almost” single-handedly, because, unfortunately, he had help. Relying on the dubious research of a variety of investigators, such as the father-and-son team of Dr. Mark Geier and David Geier, whose prodigious output of badly designed studies emanating from a lab in their home in suburban Maryland, done using a rubberstamp institutional review board stacked with friends and cronies to approve the studies, and published for the most part in non-peer-reviewed journals, activists loudly insisted that mercury in vaccines was the cause of most autism.
The scientific data, taken in totality, do not support a link between mercury in vaccines and autism. On January 8, 2008 another important study by Robert Schechter and Judith Grether was released published in the Archives of General Psychiatry entitled Continuing Increases in Autism Reported to California’s Developmental Services System: Mercury in Retrograde1, that utterly failed to support the hypothesis that mercury in vaccines is an etiological factor in autism. It is yet another nail in the coffin of the medical myth that mercury in vaccines causes autism.
VACCINES & AUTISM: Myths and Misconceptions - The Anti-Vaccination Movement
by Dr. Stephen Novella - Skeptical Inquirer - Nov-Dec 2007
Despite the growing scientific consensus that vaccines are safe and that neither vaccines nor mercury cause autism, a stubborn vocal minority claims otherwise, threatening the effectiveness of this public health program.
Anti-Vaccination Fever: The Shot Hurt Around the World - by William John Hoyt, Jr. - Skeptical Inquirer - January 4, 2008
Sensationalist media, religious fanatics, and alternative medical practitioners fanned the fires created by questionable research to spawn worldwide epidemics of a disease that had almost been forgotten.
Court Cases
These court case are available in either mp3 or .pdf format.
Vaccine Program / Office Special Masters
Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services - Case No. 98-916V
Hazlehurst v. Secretary of Health and Human Services - Case No. 03-654V
Snyder v. Secretary of Health and Human Services - Case No. 01-162V
Autism and anti-vaccine promotions Autism Canada Foundation
Autism is Treatable Seminar - Biomedical treatments
The Canadian Federation of University Women teamed up with the Autism Canada Foundation in this seminar.
"The objective of this one-day conference is to explain why and how biological issues may have an impact on the physical, behavioural and cognitive health of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Attendees will learn what biomedical treatments are available to them now and how to determine which ones might be best for their child.
The presentations are geared towards parents, agency and school personnel, medical professionals and others dedicated to improving the quality of life for those with ASD."
Anti-vaccine promoters - parents
Vaccine Truth - Wendy Callahan and her billboard in Florida - This is one of the most ridiculous sites that I have ever seen. You can link to two radio shows where she is interviewed, and download pictures of her billboard. I wonder why the State of Florida has not stepped in to stop this nonsense.
Search Google for Wendy Callahan
Medical literature reviews set the record straight
Thimerosal Exposure in Infants and Developmental Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study in the United Kingdom Does Not Support a Causal Association
PEDIATRICS Vol. 114 No. 3 September 2004
Conclusions. We could find no convincing evidence that early exposure to thimerosal had any deleterious effect on neurologic or psychological outcome.
Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines and Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Critical Review of Published Original Data
PEDIATRICS Vol. 114 No. 3 September 2004
Conclusions. Studies do not demonstrate a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and ASD, and the pharmacokinetics of ethylmercury make such an association less likely. Epidemiologic studies that support a link demonstrated significant design flaws that invalidate their conclusions. Evidence does not support a change in the standard of practice with regard to administration of thimerosal-containing vaccines in areas of the world where they are used.
MMR vaccine---worries are not justified
Arch Dis Child 2001;85:271-274 ( October )
There is no good scientific evidence to support a link between MMR vaccine and autism or inflammatory bowel disease; indeed there is mounting evidence that shows no link. There is considerable evidence of the effectiveness and safety of MMR vaccine. Using separate vaccines is an untried and untested policy and, as far as protecting children from infectious disease is concerned, a backward step.
While the final decision rests with the parents, the evidence of the safety and efficacy of MMR vaccine is so overwhelmingly conclusive that health professionals should have no hesitation in recommending its use.
Thimerosal and the Occurrence of Autism: Negative Ecological Evidence From Danish Population-Based Data
PEDIATRICS Vol. 112 No. 3 September 2003, pp. 604-606
Conclusions. The discontinuation of thimerosal-containing vaccines in Denmark in 1992 was followed by an increase in the incidence of autism. Our ecological data do not support a correlation between thimerosal-containing vaccines and the incidence of autism.
ChiroWatch.com
ChiroWatch.com coverage
We focus on the chiropractic community and its struggle to rid itself of unscientific practitioners. Some of their brothers and sisters continue the assault on science by coming up here to Canada to brainwash their brethren. They make thousands of dollars daily at their seminars, through sales of their books, tapes, and computer programs. It's not illegal for them to do business in Canada as far as we know, but Ontario chiropractors are not allowed to even talk about immunizations with their patients. In Canada, the battle has been won in Ontario, but in other Provinces and in the U.S. and other countries around the world chiropractors are out of control.
Quackwatch
Misconceptions about Immunization
Vaccines cause autism
Thimerosal Causes Autism: Chelation Therapy Can Cure It
Neurodiversity.com
Vaccines & Autism
Thimerosal
Vaccination Critics & Opponents
MMR
Vaccines
Conspiracism
Immunization Action Coalition
Thimerosal Information
Autism information
Does MMR vaccine cause autism? - .pdf file
Vaccine information
Naturopaths against immunization Lisa Doran won't let her daughter get immunization
Confessions of a Quackbuster Blog
MMR vaccine and Autism
The Politics of Autism Lawsuits and emotion vs. science and childhood vaccines
Autism and Vaccines Activists wage a nasty campaign to silence scientists
Autism Biomedical Information Network
Commentary on thimerosal and autism in Denmark
American Academy of Pediatrics Rebuttal of Article Alleging that Thimerosal Causes Autism (PDF format)
CDC - Vaccines and Autism Theory
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