California study finds no link between vaccine ingredient, autism

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

Rates of autism have increased in California despite the removal of the preservative thimerosal from childhood vaccines seven years ago, a finding that researchers say disproves the theory that the mercury in thimerosal causes the mysterious neurological disorder.

The study, which analyzed autism rates in young children over a 12-year period, is the first to offer hard evidence that thimerosal plays no role in autism. Results of the study were released Monday in the Archives of General Psychiatry, a publication of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Whatever the explanation for this increase in children with autism, exposure to mercury in vaccines is not it," said Robert Schechter, a medical officer with the California Department of Health Services and lead author of the study. "Vaccines with thimerosal and without have been safe and appropriate to give to our children."

But even as researchers held up the study as absolute evidence that childhood vaccinations do not cause autism, some parents were quick to point out what they saw as flaws in the report. They stand by their claim that exposure to mercury - be it in a vaccine or from environmental sources - is a major cause of autism.

More:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/08/MNF7UAQI1.DTL&tsp=1

[cosmik debris]

1. scientology causes autism

That's why the rates are so high in California!

But don't worry, philb has a cure. Chelation Therapy!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x29425

[moggie]

2. Wow

Thanks for the reminder why I avoid the health forum. "Who cares" if a bunch of frauds are pushing bogus studies in order to scare parents away from effective health care and into the arms of quacks using dangerous and ineffective snake-oil? It's for the children!

I don't know how you lot are able to be so polite to these crazies.

[cosmik debris]

3. I go there to stroke my own ego.

I realize that I lack some education, and that my memory isn't as good as it was 40 years ago. But when I read the Health forum, I feel like a FUCKIN GENIUS!

Is that wrong?

[TZ]

4. Who says I am polite?

I have let loose on various idiots there telling them they need to learn biology, stop playing Dr. Google, are biased and ignorant.
I was surprised when someone told me my health smackdowns are pretty funny sometimes.
Those folk really do make my blood boil sometimes....:mad:

[chicagomd]

5. Your topic, let me fix it for you:

"Another study, this time in California, finds no link between a previously used vaccine preservative and autism".

Or how about:

"More money wasted to once again show vaccines have no link to autism."

Maybe:

"Researchers spend tax dollars to attempt to show a bunch of vaccine fear mongers that there is no link between an old vaccine preservative (that hasn't been used over half a decade) and autism, only to realize they all have their fingers in their ear and are screaming ...na...Kennedy...na...na...Wakefield is a martyr...na...na...na...Geier is God...na...na...na...but an ex-playboy model said so on Opra..."

OK, that last one might be over the top.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

6. :sigh: I know, I know.

On the one hand I agree with you - a lot of money wasted to prove (yet again) what we already know. On the other hand, I've found in my life that unless nonsense is bludgeoned to death with a very large club, it has a way of coming back again and again and again. Which is not to say that this will put off most of the vaccine loonies, but it is (as far as I can tell) the most definitive study yet that disproves the link.

[chicagomd]

7. Here is, in my estimation, the best regarding Thimerosal:

The paper reference:
A Hviid et al. Association between thimerosal-containing vaccine and autism. JAMA 2003 290: 1763-1766

An excellent review:
http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band118/b118-5.html

In summary from the website:
"What we have here is a superb study of what was, in effect, a real world before-after experiment. The study was huge, and comprehensive, covering almost 99% of children born in Denmark during a period during which a switch was made from use of a vaccine containing thiomersal to one that did not...What we have, though, is powerful evidence that autism and autistic spectrum disorders do not arise from use of thiomersal in vaccines"

This study had a cohort of almost half a million children, how much more study does one really need? The point is, obviously, no amount of research will satisfy organizations who are constantly campaigning against vaccinations.

Wakefield said it.
They believe it.
That settles it.

Scientific endeavor is useless without objectivity, which is what makes the anti-vaccine camp and Intelligent Design such frustrations. They already know the answer they want.