Vaccines, Autism and Common Sense

For years now parents of children with autism have been pleading with the medical community to reconsider its approach to the childhood immunization program. That community has steadfastly refused even to be careful. Pregnant women who wouldn’t dream of having a glass of wine or eating certain kinds of fish are routinely given flu vaccines, often containing mercury preservatives. Tiny babies are vaccinated before they even go home from the nursery ward. Multiple simultaneous vaccinations are the norm. The Center for Disease Control recommends a total of sixteen between ages 6 and 18 months Doctors insist there is no evidence they do any harm but there is ample evidence there for anyone who cares to look. Starting about twenty years ago the number of recommended vaccines increased dramatically right along with a corresponding increase in reported incidence of autism. Many, maybe most, children with autism also have immune system issues. It’s not proof positive. Nobody really knows whether there is a causal relationship but if this were a murder case a smart prosecutor could probably get the death penalty on less evidence. Silicon breast implants were banned on less. Why can’t we at least take a serious look at the vaccines, and be a little more measured in our use of them until we know more about any possible link with autism? Last week the news was of federal officials conceding for the first time that vaccines may indeed have contributed to one little girl’s autism. Courts have ordered compensation in a few past cases but this is apparently the first time responsible officials have acknowledged even a possible link. A spokesperson for the CDC says it’s an isolated case with no implications for the vast majority of children. My youngest grandchild has autism and I can tell you his parents are not reassured. We think we probably have some sort of family genetic vulnerability that one or more of Weston’s vaccinations may have triggered or aggravated, not unlike circumstances in the case now in the news. It would sure be nice to know. Every year or so the CDC raises its estimate of the number of children affected. It’s now at about 1 in 150. That’s a lot of autism. Most of us don’t advocate a halt to immunizations. We just want the medical and scientific communities to take our concerns seriously, and to take a few common sense precautions. Something is causing this and we’d like to know what it is. We know the vaccines are important for public health but doctors are taking a cavalier attitude toward an obvious risk. There are several things they could do that would make me feel better starting with a serious investigation. Don’t tell me all the studies point to no link. I’ve looked. There haven’t been any serious studies. Most of the research goes into genetics and ignores any possible environmental factor, especially vaccines. We could also be a little more sparing in our use of vaccines. Space them out. Sixteen in one year is too many. More than one at a time is too many. Give their little immune systems a chance to recover. Don’t immunize children who aren’t at risk for the targeted disease. There is no reason to vaccinate every child for diseases they are very unlikely to be exposed to. And for heavens sake stop injecting these little bodies with mercury. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. We’ve known for years now that we have a problem, and that much of the available evidence points to the vaccines. It’s gotten a lot of publicity but the response from the people responsible has been mostly foot dragging and denial. Maybe we ought to put somebody else in charge.