Interesting article I found this morning. It's from the Autism Speaks website and states their views on the link (or lack thereof) between autism and vaccines. I'm glad to see such a prominent organization speaking out about this.
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Hooray! It's crazy to me this still needs to be addressed, but I'm glad they did. Wakefield's "research" has had a long-lasting, negative effect.
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I just found out that someone who is smart, educated, and who I have a ton of respect for as a person is an anti-vaxxer. Not delayed, not selective, just totally against them. I don't understand how this is even a big debate anymore, sort of like global warming. But I'm no scientist..tempted to share this though, lol.
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@2littlepumpkins: I've been trying to read a book about anti-vaxxers to understand their thinking. The author explains the psychology of biases, the history of the whole vaccine scare, etc. It has gotten dry, but I'm hoping to gain some kind of understanding b/c I have such a hard time with those who don't vaccinate.
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What's really unfortunate is that the myth of a link between vaccines and autism hurts the autism community as well - just think about all the money thrown at investigating this "issue" that could/should have been spent on REAL autism research. I hope this article helps - it's still hard for me to wrap my head around how much misinformation is still out there. I don't blame the misguided/misinformed parents, though - everyone's trying to do the best for their kids. Just sad.
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@2littlepumpkins: I'm glad this is published however I don't think all anti-vaxers are against it just because of autism. Our entire medical system and government approval process is pretty scary in places and at times.
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Starting this July in California all kids in public, private, and day care must be vaccinated. If you want to claim religious or personal reasons for not getting vaccinated you still can, you just have to go to court and present your case now.
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@Happygal: come back and share when you're done!
@T.H.O.U.: true! This person I was thinking of specifically started posting fb stuff about autism though. She was referencing this doctor: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-autism-doctor-eisenstein-may22-story.html
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My SIL is anti-vaccine, my nephew is 3 and hasn't had any since he was 6 months. Her only argument is that it makes him sick
. I'm like WTF and the measles won't!? For understanding she also has no idea who's running for president besides Trump.
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I'm genuinely curious as to whether or not anti-vaxxers think that nobody should be vaccinated or just their child!
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@Kemma: Me too.
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@Happygal: definitely come back and enlighten us. Because I seriously cannot wrap my mind around not vaccinating your children.
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This article is apparently a good summary of why most anti vaccination parents choose not to vaccinate: http://www.visionlaunch.com/many-people-choosing-not-vaccinate/ for those above who were wondering why one would make that choice. It's a 12 part series - scroll to the bottom to see the different headings. I've read some of it but not all of it so I can't speak to it personally BUT I have been told it's a comprehensive overview of why some people choose what they do. Just in case anyone was interested.
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@2littlepumpkins: @NavyRN2012: Will do! You guys are motivating me to get through it. The book starts with a gripping story that I read through the Kindle sample, so I was hooked. But he really delves into the the type of explanations that I learned in my research methods classes. I'm trying to read before I go to sleep, and I keep finding myself dozing off.....
@T.H.O.U.: I also have acquaintances who oppose them based on moral reasons, stating that fetal tissue was once used in creating the vaccinations.
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It is simply insane to me that this even needs to be stated anymore.
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@coopsmama: mostly likely they are not, but happy you shared it.
@NavyRN2012: in my opinion, this research and "proof" does not sway my thoughts on the possibilities of vaccines causing autism. Autism is such a broad spectrum it's simple to say that one vaccine will not cause autism. It's harder to find valid data that actually compares more valid data. Anyone can fund research and come up with the conclusion they want if you try hard enough. -
@jh524: it's very hard to prove a negative, and people can't get past the correlation: some kids get vaccinated when they begin showing the symptoms of the autism they already had. That doesn't mean that vaccines caused the autism, nor that autism is a worse fate than dying of measles, passing rubella to a pregnant woman whose child will have birth defects, giving elderly or ill people the flu, etc etc. It's really short-sighted to refuse to vaccinate yourself or your children, unless you live outside of physical contact with humanity.
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@jh524: isn't that what a meta-analysis is? Comparing valid data to more valid data. I think @MoonMoon: said it best- it's incredibly difficult to prove a negative.
And the only research proves false thus far in the vaccine debate was Wakefield's. -
@NavyRN2012, @MoonMoon: well in that case I wonder if this vaccine that lists autism as a possible severe reaction was involved in the research study.
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@NavyRN2012: So happy to see Autism Speaks speaking out about this to try and assuage fears!
@jh524: Not trying to disagree with you, but I read a similar article (perhaps the same? Was it the FDA?) to the screen shot you took, and it mentioned it was updated "as of December 2005," so it might contain old information?
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@jh524: As is stated in that same paragraph, these adverse reactions listed are voluntarily self-reported by people. I wouldn't call that "valid data" so much as anecdotes. It specifically says a causal relationship has not been established. Reporting an autism diagnosis after receiving a vaccine does not suggest or confirm the vaccine caused autism any more than reporting a diagnosis after a plane ride proves airplanes cause autism.
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@MrsSCB: interesting comparison I guess. I agree about the self reported part but it's also included because of the seriousness and frequency, like it states in the paragraph. And yes it states a casual relationship hasn't been established but it also says it couldn't reject a relationship.
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What I never understood about this anti-vaccine thought process is why the risk of no vaccinating is a better one to take? You hear about so many children dying because they weren't vaccinated... If someone believes their child has a risk of getting autism if vaccinated, isn't that still a better risk to take than the risk of the child dying from a disease? I just don't get it.
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@Shizaz: I agree. I would rather my son have autism and be alive then not have autism but die because he gets a preventable disease. In any case I feel like it's been proven again and again that vaccines don't cause autism.
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@Shizaz: the argument I've heard is that these diseases aren't serious 🙄
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The package insert HAS to state any reported "adverse events", not ones that have been proven to be linked to the vaccine. You could read in there "growing 2 heads" if the CDC received a report of that. It's a total circular argument to say that it must be true if it's listed in the package insert.
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@JoJoGirl: correct. The package insert is a CYA for the drug companies.
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I am not anti-vaccine, but my child had a vaccine reaction that resulted in him getting allergy testing and then eventually a medical exemption. As it relates to what @Mrs. Champagne: and @Jackiedavis87: said, my doctor and the allergist said the potential dangers of further vaccinating him outweighed the potential of him contracting the disease we were vaccinating against. Herd immunity FTW!
Sorry to derail the convo a little, I just hate when people make that argument because there are some people (us!) who have been advised my medical professionals not to vaccinate against certain diseases.
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@LBee: yes for sure!! I have a friend that her first two had reactions to mmr (they believe. An issue arrived shortly after they turned 1, which was shortly after the mmr). The docs advised against mmr for their third, and the issue never came up. She totally relies on herd immunity and I very much agree with that! FYI her first two are great now!
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@LBee: But no valid medical professional is going to advise against vaccines do to autism risk. I don't think there is anyone out there who doesn't understand that there are some people who truly cannot get vaccines due to allergies, suppressed immune systems, etc. That is why herd immunity is so important!
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Yes, what @JoJoGirl said. I'm sure they have to list things after a certain number of reports, and I'm sure reports of autism as a reaction skyrocketed after the Wakefield "study." Let's say a study came out saying bananas cause autism. There would be a ton of parents saying, "YES! My kid was diagnosed with autism after eating a banana!" That still proves nothing about causation. There was one study linking vaccines to autism that the author has since admitted he literally falsified. There have been many debunking that connection. But the damage is done, and for many it can't be fixed unfortunately. People will continue to link the two no matter how much evidence you provide to the contrary.
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@Mrs. Champagne: Glad to hear that. It really sucked and was such a reality check because he had multiple vaccines that day and we had to have the allergy testing to figure out which one caused it.
@Mrs.KMM: 100% agree. I had that in my post but thought that was sort of understood with my pro vaccine comment. The autism link has been thoroughly disproven in my opinion.
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@LBee: and this is exactly why herd immunity is so important. And I don't think anyone would question/judge a true allergy.
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@NavyRN2012: see I can totally understand not vaccinating if you have first-hand experience with a vaccine injury or adverse reaction but I wonder how many anti-vaxxer's are "on the bandwagon", so to speak?
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@LBee: You and cases like you are the reason why non vaccinated kids (that could be vaccinated) are so so dangerous. Not only are those children in danger but they are putting your kids and other kids like yours in danger also because we loose herd immunity with more and more kids not getting vaccinated.
Mr. Bee wrote this awesome post a while back illustrating herd immunity which I thought was very well presented and well written.
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@LBee: I think she was agreeing with you.
Allergies, valid in the medical community. Autism, not so much. I would never criticize someone for not vaccinating for a valid medical reason such as yours! And as someone else said that's why the rest of us vaccinating our children is so important.
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