Posted in reply to the post by Sonomamark:
Well, at Barry's invitation, I'm back on this topic. We seem to have moved over into a conversation on "concerned parenthood" (which I still think gets trumped by general societal good, which is why mandatory vaccination is the best way to go, preventing parents' hardwired protection instinct from getting in the way of the best overall policy), and on vaccines and autism.
First, briefly, on the screaming and reactions. Yep, there are sometimes reactions to vaccines. They're usually just uncomfortable: thus, screaming, which is what babies do when they're uncomfortable. Then the discomfort goes away. None of what has been posted here on screaming, fevers, etc., is any kind of reasonable argument, in my opinion, for exposing the whole society to deadly disease. Which would you prefer, concerned Mom: 14 hours of screaming, or your kid in an iron lung for life because polio came around? Take your time.
On the much-bandied supposed link to autism, I think it bears mentioning that the most credible studies which have attempted to correlate autism with vaccination have shown no statistical link. There's a lot of anecdotal talk out there, but it's all through a hat. In fact, some of the latest work on autism seems to show a relationship between TELEVISION and autism, which makes sense, given that the most typical symptoms of autism seem, at root, to reveal an overwhelmed mind shutting out the bombardment of external stimuli and withdrawing to an inner world. There are also genetic markers, and we're starting to find them--it's harder to tell because unlike other forms of genetic misspellings, there are few physical indicators related to autism, although I understand that somewhat pointed ears appear to be one.
Here are reports on four very thorough studies on the topic:
More Evidence to Clear Measles Mumps Rubella Vaccine as Risk Factor for Autism
Measles, Mumps & Rubella Vaccine Cleared as Risk Factor for Autism
Mayo Clinic Study Suggests No Link Between Immunizations and Autism
Study Identifies Regions of Two Chromosomes to Susceptibility to Autism
Now, I imagine that people who subscribe to the vaccine conspiracy theories will throw this data in the trashbin as a product of the "medical industrial complex". Which leaves a reasonable person in a quandary: you say you won't believe what appears to be pretty unimpeachable evidence, but then you don't provide evidence of anything like this kind of weight for your position. In essence, you ask us to
religiously subscribe to your position, based on
faith alone. No reasonable person will do this.
Cherry-picking facts to support a predetermined position is, quite frankly, what the Bush Administration has been doing. It doesn't lead to truth. A search for truth has to be open to the idea that the currently held theory is wrong--as is the proposed link between vaccinations and autism.
The problem here is that anecdotal evidence alone doesn't mean anything. The Internet tends to promote this kind of magical thinking, actually, because it allows people who have had coincidental experiences to hook up and begin developing theories that their experience is somehow causally related ("What? You had a car wreck after having Wheaties for breakfast TOO? My god. What else aren't they telling us?")
In my opinion the biggest single failure of modern American society generally--and especially at the poles of wacky left and zealot right--is a complete lack of critical thinking, a willingness to subscribe to preposterous ideas as being true, and a genuine
enthusiasm for unsubstantiated imaginings as being real. Invented relationships between vaccinations and autism are one of these. It's been studied--a lot. There's no indication that there is one.