Autism and vaccines: Is there a link?

cnn.com ^ | Tuesday, December 10, 2002 Posted: 3:22 PM EST

[krodriguesdc]

Rep. Dan Burton, R-Indiana, who chairs the committee, also has a personal stake in the inquiry: He's the grandfather of a 5-year-old who was diagnosed with autism three years ago. Burton joined CNN's Leon Harris and childhood immunization expert Dr. Sharon Humiston, also the mother of an autistic child, to discuss the issue.

[Conservababe]

Ever since fish has become the trendy food...I wonder how high the level of mecury is in persons who eat fish regularly.

[krodriguesdc]

well - I'd say that fish and vaccines are two different animals...

[dasboot]

I recall some scientist pulled a fifteen-thousand year-old fish out of a glacier or a cave somewhere and tested the flesh for mercury. I also recall that he found the same high mercury levels in the prehistoric fish. Sorry I can't remember the source. Longtimeago.

[elbucko]

Scientists can't say things in a way that a politician can say them, because scientists can only prove things that are so.

Does this same standard of veracity apply to scientists in regards to global warming?

[Saundra Duffy]

Bump for understanding.

[Saundra Duffy]

Well, if this causes higher rate of autism, WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT AND RECTIFY IT but there must be other factors, too. What an illusive condition - hard on families.

[afraidfortherepublic]

ping

Do you have a list of FReepers interested in the causes of autism? The names escape me at this moment....

[dead]

No, I only know of you and Incorrigible.

(It's a high quality, low quantity list.)

[krodriguesdc]

what are thje rates of autism in China and other countries who do not use our vaccines - I wonder what the comparison would indicate?

[backhoe]

Locator ^

[discostu]

So we have an elected oficial, a talking head and a scientist... this is the setup for a joke right? Well the joke's on you since the scientist is unequivocal and points out some very useful facts that once again prove the autism-vaccine link is fiction.

[discostu]

Paging the usual suspect (I just can't remember the whole list).

[krodriguesdc]

let's just let the Rep Burton do his job and let the evidence fall where it may...

[discostu]

Sounds good to me, we'll need a running score: so far 1 scientist (w/ vested interest) says: way no way, no evidence.
That score again:
Yes - 0
No - 1
Maybe - 0

[krodriguesdc]

are you knowledgable about autism rates in countries that do not use our vaccines?

[discostu]

Off the top of my head I'd say that like most other problems that require lots of medical attention in places where there isn't a lot to give it's probably very low. Not necessarily because very few get it, but because very few parents have any ability to deal with it. So called "mercy killings" go WAY back in the third world and other impovershed places. Worth investigating though, just have to keep the mercy killing thing in mind.

[discostu]

Here's some quickies on China, estimates seem to vary rather dramatically.
http://www.hkmh.org/autism_eng.htm
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200204/26/eng20020426_94782.shtml
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/autism.htm
http://www.ont-autism.uoguelph.ca/autnewsfeb23.shtml
http://www.hku.hk/chinaed/chinaed_news/chinaednews_index_specialed.html

[TomB]

Gee, the other thread has been deleted, what, an hour? LOL

[discostu]

Actually I checked timestamps, this one got made before that one got killed. So far not too bad over here.