Good news re: the alleged MMR vaccine/autism link

[matrixrefugee]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/health/8493753.stm <-- I heard about this on the news recently and it's something that has me breathing easier, though as one doctor in Boston pointed out in local news coverage, "People will still worry about this and worry comes from fear that is often mixed with a misunderstanding of the facts." Good that the fellow who came up with the loopy idea has retracted his "findings", though apparently he did so mostly because he's been called out for ethics violations in collecting control samples of blood used in the study. I hate to wish this on the man, that he's removed from the field, but I hope that he has the decency to turn in his medical license so that the board doesn't have to take it away from him.

I've noticed similarities between some forms of autism-like symptoms and the changeling of legend (ie. the European folk belief that faeries would steal babies in the night and leave faery children in their place), and since these legends go back to the Dark Ages (ie. between 400 and 700 C.E.), well before vaccination was developed, much less common-place, I started to personally discredit the connection. I know it's a parent's right to choose how to raise their kid and what measures to take to keep that child healthy, however, I think it's a bit irresponsible and alarmist not to take measures to protect them from life-threatening illnesses because there's (an alleged) risk that the child could develop autism. People like me might not be the easiest to deal with, and I find that the hardest person to live with is often myself for this very reason, but it bothers me that this condition which I live with is treated like something worse than death. And yet... when someone steps up and makes a case for people like me, this gives me hope that a balance can be found, that people will choose to treat the worst symptoms and try to leave the better aspects intact.

Comments

[matrixrefugee.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to think the American news media has this alarmist outlook (which, I'm told, is a by-product of the Cold War: people seem to thrive on having something to be scared about): we've had a number of otherwise upbeat news stories about kids with autism spectrum conditions which were undercut by this tacked-on-the-end bit about the "1 in 150" rate of autism cases. I personally question if it's really that high, or if someone is inflating the numbers by adding in the borderline cases.

[nightofcydonia.livejournal.com]

Don't forget the 'I can't deal with people and never go out, I must be autistic' brigade. Satistics count for naff all if you don't know the source. By the by, I like to think of myself as an adversion to the 'loner who think's they're an Aspie' stereotype. I do have some of the bahavioural signs, when I took the AQ test due to being really bored my result was 31, which is on the 'wrong' side of borderline, and a Special Needs Advisor once said I fitted the bill. However, I put all of the above down to me just being weird and having seriouly underdeveloped social skills due to being a pariah/target at school.
~Weaver