[Al B.]

What the hell are you talking about? The number of new cases is the axis on the right and the UK line is for NW London ONLY! Go read the Lancet article where the graph was originally printed before you start spouting non-factual nonsense.

You might also be interested to know that in California, DSM-IV criteria for autism yields an estimated incidence of autism of 105-263 cases in 1998, when in actuality there were 1,685 new cases reported.

Nah, on 2nd thought you're probably not interested.

[TomB]

Concerning the California study:

Follow-up analysis and complete study A follow-up analysis of the data published in 2001 showed that there is no association between autism rates in California and the proportions of young children in this state who have received Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine.

There are no recommended childhood vaccines or any other vaccines that are known to cause autism in children.

The complete study by authors Dales L, Hammer SJ, Smith, NJ. Entitled 2001 Time Trends in Autism and in MMR Immunization Coverage in California, published in JAMA 285, 1183-1185.

Facts of the study

* The study looked at the percent of children born in 1980-1994 and enrolled in California kindergartens who received the MMR vaccine, by age when the vaccine was received, and the number of autism cases enrolled in the California Department of Developmental Services regional service center system.

* The number of autism cases in California increased greatly, over 373%, compared to only a small 14% increase in MMR vaccine coverage in children for the same time period.

* If there were a relationship between MMR vaccination and autism, one would expect the shape of the MMR immunization level curve to be very similar to the shape of the autism case number curve. This is not the case, thus the analysis in this study does not support any link between MMR vaccination and autism.

View the proper graph here.

[discostu]

I don't read opinion pieces, I read peer reviewed research. I'm sorry if you can't read the graph. It's clear the rate of autism is climbing steadily before the MMR. It's clear that as with so many psychological symptoms the definition of autism is expanding. Observe this list of "symptoms" of Asperger Syndrome (one of autism's subspecies, only diagnosed since the 80s):
lack of empathy
naive, inappropriate, one sided interaction
little or no ability to form friendships
pedantic, repetitive speech
poor nonverbal communication
intense absorbtion in certain subjects
clumsy and ill coordinated movements and odd postures

Now go over to a WOD or crevo thread and tell me how many FReepers are autistic. When the definition keeps expanding you're bound to get an "epidemic". To blame that epidemic on medicine that didn't even start getting used until after the epidemic has begun is fool hardy. Let's lock down the definition of autism and see what happens to the rate of diagnosis before we cast aspersions on vaccines that have saved thousands, possibly millions, of lives.