A new decision by the U.S. government to compensate a family who claim their daughter’s autism resulted from typical childhood vaccinations has reopened a hypothesis most of us thought had closed.
In spite of many scientific studies to the contrary, many people continue to believe that thimerosal, a preservative used in vaccines, is a major culprit in the increased rates of autism. Although thimerosal was removed from vaccines in 1999, no corresponding decrease in the rates of autism has occurred. I’m not saying that thimerosal is a great idea–in my view the pharmaceuticals took way too much time to act–but without any evidence to support a connection, this hypothesis needs to be put to rest.
The case that rekindled the thimerosal–autism story involves a child who developed “autistic symptoms” after she received vaccines at age 18 months. This is the typical anecdotal story used to support the vaccine theory. Nobody blames other vaccines, also containing thimerosal, that are given in infancy or later childhood. Because most cases of autism are diagnosed as children fail to show normal language development around the age of two, the vaccines typically given at this age are often blamed. In many cases, if not all, this is probably just a correlation in time.
In the current court case, the child appears to have had a very rare mitochondrial disease. Experts insist that this alone could have led to her behavioral regressions, with or without the vaccines.
The implications of this case are huge. Although the Centers for Disease Control insist that the settlement will not change their policies, attorneys and clients are rushing to get a part of the government’s $2.5 billion fund for people harmed by vaccines. Others fear that families will avoid vaccines, putting their children at risk for avoidable diseases.
Until we find some answers regarding the causes of autism, parents are going to be vulnerable to all types of fads and fears. As a parent of a daughter with autism, I find the following sites most helpful:
Simon Baron-Cohen’s Autism Research Center
The M.I.N.D. Institute at UC Davis
Ivar Lovaas (who used to lift weights with Mr. F at UCLA)
It is highly likely that the symptoms of autism may result from a number of different, interacting factors. Antonio Persico of the University of Rome found different genetic variations in families with autism in the United States than in Italy. In the U.S., the variations included differences in genes that help rid the body of organophosphates, pesticides used widely in American, but not Italian, homes. There do not seem to be any easy answers.
7 Comments
bhidahl · March 9, 2008 at 10:51 pm
After reading about this story on WebMD, I understand why the little girl’s family got a settlement but I think it’s kind of ridiculous. The article stated that once mercury was removed from childhood vaccines, the autism rate did not decrease. This suggests then that the mercury was not the cause of autism. Just because there was a correlation in this rare case between vaccines and the girl developing autism does not mean the vaccine caused her autism. I know this is an under-researched subject, but we won’t find out the truth by jumping to hasty conclusions. The unfortunate side effect of this case is that parents may shy away from vaccinating their children for fear of their children contracting autism. In the long run this could do more detriment for the child than good.
rnadams · March 10, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I agree. I wonder if the reason some people cling to this idea is that it helps them to understand a cause or reason for their child’s autism. Being able to blame it on a drug allows them to channel their anger( if they have it) towards a specific thing. Even so, I’m still surprised the hypothesis continues to be debated. Shouldn’t it be obvious that autism appears around the same that vaccines are given because vaccines are given about the same time that an onset naturally occurs? Especially since autism rates haven’t dropped since 1999, I’d say there’s evidence enough to throw away that idea.
Laura Freberg · March 10, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Both of you are using very good critical thinking skills, which are unfortunately in short supply. This is one of the great things about sending our well-informed students out into the community–you can help others understand science and logical reasoning.
ccallag · March 12, 2008 at 10:44 am
I don’t think it’s completely accurate to say that the vaccine triggered autism. I think there are many different causes that can cause the problem to arise. I really don’t think it’s smart for parents to stop getting their children vaccinated because of the scare. If anything I believe the vaccinations do more good then harm in the big picture.
Swedish55 · March 12, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I don’t understand how lawyers end up winning these trials without scientific evidence. I understand that the parents of the family with the daughter with autism are upset, but a desperation to blame it on one individual factor, when no one knows exactly how it occurs, is just being selfish. I do understand how someone could want to blame the pharmaceutical companies, especially since they are a multi-billion dollar corporation and seem to be more interested in profit then the patient. Yet I still think that it is wrong to blame the one company. People need to realize that there isn’t always going to be an answer, and especially when you are dealing with autism, no one really knows how it occurs, and parents need to accept that, and spend time helping their child, instead of blaming companies and trying to get a settlement profit out of it.
biopsych · March 12, 2008 at 8:24 pm
More research needs to be done on the possible role of vaccines in Autism. Also, this research needs to be written in a way that the common person without medical training could understand it. Lack of knowledge breeds fear and misunderstanding. It is scary to think that some parents will not give their children vaccines due to a fear of getting Autism, when there does not appear to be significant scientific backing.
A_Jolly · April 20, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Two days ago I took my son to the doctor to get his scheduled 12 month vaccination shots. While I understand that people are sick of all the lawsuits and people looking to blame someone else for thier misfortunes and yadda yadda and I totally agree that there isn’t enough evidence to say that the vaccines are directly related to autism, I have to admit that I am glad that the court rules in her favor because I think that more research needs to be done. So I am glad that this is getting world wide attention. And I completly agree that indeed parents will avoid vaccinations until this matter is resolved. I did in fact contemplate taking my son for his shots. For a week prior I was an emotional wreck. I picked up the phone several times and almost canceled the appointment. It’s hard to understand unless you have a child yourself ( I know this because I am a new mom). You love your child so much that it is heartbreaking to have to subject your child to a potentially dangerous situation even when it is only a super small amount of doubt. If you look back historically we have made some huge mistakes. I just hope that this will not be one of them.
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