Three separate judges in three separate cases have decided that routine childhood vaccinations are not responsible for children developing autism. The cases were tried in separate courts set up to consider possible vaccine liability. Those who brought the cases to court vowed to appeal, according to the Washington Post (Feb 13, 2009).
The Case Against Vaccines
Autism is a tragic brain condition, causing learning problems and behavioral problems in otherwise healthy children. Parents of affected children and others feel that environmental conditions increase the risk of autism, and they feel a responsibility to reduce the risks for future generations.
A major environmental condition, they feel, is receiving childhood vaccinations. They note that the rate of autism has increased as the rate of vaccinations has increased. All else being equal, they conclude that there is likely a cause-and-effect relationship.
Further, many studies have shown differences in how children with autism handle (metabolize) some substances, which might make them more susceptible to small impurities in vaccines. For example, a study from the University of Arkansas noted that children with autism have reduced ability to detoxify certain substances, and may be under regular oxidative stress. The investigators found the same kind of changes in parents of autistic children, which they suggest may represent a genetic trait, or that it might “simply reflect the chronic stress of coping with an autistic child.” (James SJ, others. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2008).
One impurity of concern (although intentionally included in some vaccines) is mercury in thimerosal, a preservative. There are animal studies that clearly show mercury can damage brain development.
The Case For Vaccines
The value of vaccinations to reduce common childhood diseases is undisputed. While most children recover from common diseases without any problems, some suffer devastating consequences such as encephalitis that causes brain damage, and even death. Without vaccination, children are at greater risk for these terrible outcomes.
Most pediatricians believe there is no evidence that vaccines cause autism. Many case control studies have failed to show any possible cause-and-effect evidence.
Case Control Studies
Here’s a simple example of a case control study. Suppose there are two schools, Green School and Blue School. Children in the fifth grade in each school are virtually identical: same average age, same gender mix, same home environments, same everything that could be measured. They are identical in every way except that children in the Green School had a special class in fourth grade to improve their algebra skills.
Scientists decided to study if the special class had any effect. If it did, then Green School fifth graders should score better in algebra. But they didn’t. The scores were the same in both schools. In this example, scientists would conclude the special class had no effect.
Many actual studies have been done looking at thousands of children. Scientists studied children with autism, and compared them to similar children without autism. No large studies have shown that children with autism were more likely to have been vaccinated. For example, investigators in Denmark studied 537,303 children. About 80% had received routine MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccinations. The risk of developing autism was the same among the vaccinated as the unvaccinated children. The conclusion: there is no cause-and-effect relationship between vaccination and autism.
More Information
Safe-Minds endorses a causal relationship between vaccination and autism.
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is one of the groups that says it has been clearly shown that there is no relationship, and children should be vaccinated.
 |
