Study Linking Vaccine, Autism Shouldn't Have Been Published ("fatal conflict of interest.")

http://www.foxnews.com/ ^ | Saturday, February 21, 2004 | http://www.foxnews.com/

[RickofEssex]

LONDON

[facedown]

Bump; ping.

[Servant of the 9]

Well, well, well.

The Trial Lawyers strike again.

So9

[CharlotteVRWC]

Unfortunately, this is a very difficult topic...There has been such an increase in autism (and varying 'degrees' of autism) over the years, that the 'trigger' needs to be found (whether it is vaccines, environmental, or genetic)... There has been a HUGE increase in California over recent years.

My nephew has been diagnosed with it, and several people I know are also dealing with the problem. In my nephew's case, it is severe delayed speech. He is 5 years old, can say words, but not sentences. He is very smart, can use the computer for games and things. He is very loveable, and isn't totatally 'withdrawn' as you think of an autistic person. We pray that he will be able to lead a normal life.

[JoeFromSidney]

The proper issue is not whether the research was paid for by an interested party, but whether the research was done correctly and the results reported truthfully. That's what peer review is supposed to sort out.

[JoeFromSidney]

The proper issue is not whether the research was paid for by an interested party, but whether the research was done correctly and the results reported truthfully. That's what peer review is supposed to sort out.

[CaptainLou]

.Unfortunately, this is a very difficult topic...There has been such an increase in autism (and varying 'degrees' of autism) over the years, that the 'trigger' needs to be found (whether it is vaccines, environmental, or genetic)... There has been a HUGE increase in California over recent years.

There is still a lot of debate in the medical community as to whether there is an increase in autism itself, or whether we have just gotten better at identifying it, thus the rising rates of diagnosis.

[Cicero]

This is a difficult topic. But frankly if I were a medical researcher and a team of lawyers came around to my office and offered to pay for research, I would have to be pretty stupid not to guess what they had in mind.

[CharlotteVRWC]

"There is still a lot of debate in the medical community as to whether there is an increase in autism itself, or whether we have just gotten better at identifying it, thus the rising rates of diagnosis."

Yes, that has been part of the debate....in my case, I personally know of 3 people dealing with an autistic child. Prior to 5 years ago, I didn't know any. It sure 'seems' like there has been an increase over the last 5 years or so. Also, I think it is Congressman Dan Burton that has an autistic grandchild and has been trying to get more information on the topic brought forward. Vaccines made now have decreased levels or in some cases eliminated the thimersol (mercury derrivative), that was in previous vaccines. There has been some debate that some children were more 'genetically' susceptible to the thimersol.

Anyway, still an unfortunate condition no matter the cause, and sad to deal with when it affects your family.

[expatpat]

Unfortunately, humans being who they are, are susceptible to finding results they hope to find, and a clear conflict of interest like this is cause for skepticism.

[CaptainLou]

Anyway, still an unfortunate condition no matter the cause, and sad to deal with when it affects your family.

Agreed, one of my close friends has a severely autistic child, it is a very trying situation for all.

[Farnham]

Just curious.

Has anyone ever done a study about the average age of autistic children (at birth) ? I know it affects a lot of other risk factors, and I know a lot of mothers that are having their first child in their late 30's or even early 40's.

I personally only know 2 autistic people (1 cousin, now in late 50's, and one son of a friend.) Both were first born of early 20's mothers, but that qualifies as anecdotal evidence, not scientific.

[JoeFromSidney]

Skepticism, yes. Outright rejection without examining the data, no.

[CharlotteVRWC]

"Has anyone ever done a study about the average age of autistic children (at birth) ? I know it affects a lot of other risk factors, and I know a lot of mothers that are having their first child in their late 30's or even early 40's."

I don't know....my sister was in her 20's when her son (later diagnosed autistic) was born.

[Criminal Number 18F]

I can see how junk science like this gets into newspapers -- scientifically speaking, the average reporter has a second-grade education -- but how in the hell does it get into a mainstream, peer-reviewed medical journal?

Anyone got the answer?

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Sabertooth]

Flashback!

[conservative cat]

Has anyone ever done a study about the average age of autistic children (at birth) ? I know it affects a lot of other risk factors, and I know a lot of mothers that are having their first child in their late 30's or even early 40's.

My nine year old is autistic. I was 20 when he was born.

[Criminal Number 18F]

Joe, you make good points -- scientists' fiscal arrangements should be separable from the quality of their science. However, the article says:

The paper has since been discredited on scientific grounds, but some parents have clung to the findings and health officials say that vaccinations have fallen dangerously low since its publication.

Sounds like their science also was deficient. Although I'd like to see what grounds... just checked a couple of science sites hastily and didn't see it.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[pollywog]

My granddaughter is high functiong autistic, my 19 year old grand nephew is severely autistic, non verbal, and we have a 25 year old severely autistic/deaf son.(adopted). We have MANY friends with autistic children. It is running rampant.

[Clinton Is Scum]

Even if MMR does not cause autism, there are other well-established side effects: convulsions (1 in 1,000), Meningitis / encephalitis (1 in 1 million), conditions affecting clotting of the blood (1 in 24,000), and severe allergic response (1 in 100,000). These estimates are from a pro-vaccination UK web site: http://www.medinfo.co.uk/immunisations/mmr.html.

There is also a risk that the vaccine will be improperly stored or improperly administered. There are cases of infants being given the adult dose or being given the wrong vaccine. As long as humans are fallible, these risks will never be eliminated.

The benefits of the MMR vaccine to an individual in the U.S. are lower than the risks because mumps, measles and rubella are extremely uncommon (only a few hundred cases per year). Moreover, although these can be serious diseases they are rarely fatal. Yes, I know, the reason the incidence rates are so low is because of the vaccine. But that doesn't change the bottom line reality: an unvaccinated child in the U.S. is extremely unlikely to get any of these three diseases.

The same agument applies for the Hepatitis B vaccine.