good article on MMR vacinations and Autism
from
Spiked Online:
bq. In not a single child has it been established that MMR played a role in causing autism
bq. Being the parent of autistic child - as I am - qualifies you to speak authoritatively on the experience of being the parent of an autistic child. It does not give you any privileged insight into the aetiology, epidemiology or any other aspect of the condition. Yet Mrs Kessick and other parents are ready to make public statements on matters that are well beyond their sphere of competence in a way that is likely to undermine public confidence in immunisation policy. As I commented in the studio discussion, the fact that as parents, we have experienced the tragedy of autism in our families, does not give us a license to promote a scare that may have the consequence of visiting similar tragedies on other families.
The vaccine is given (for Mumps Measels and Rubella) right around the same age as symptoms for Autism will manifest so there is potential for someone to see a like between the two. The "controversy" arrose when one Doctor published one paper in 1998 outlining 12 case histories.
Posted by DaveH at December 12, 2003 12:34 PM