[Yega1979]

Anyone else catch Jenny McCarthy on Larry King live tonight? She was talking about her son, who got Autism after recieving his vaccinations as a baby. She really kicked *** tonight! She went over how autism rates skyrocketed the same year they started putting mercury in the vaccines, and how many more vaccines they are giving kids as opposed to in the 80's.

She says she talks to thousands of mothers who report that their children get a fever right after getting the vaccinations, then all of a sudden stop talking. I know there are some people out there who think it's all one big coincidence...I just hope you don't have children.

[maxiep]

It's time to check the weather forecast in Hell to see if it's frozen, because on this issue you and I agree.

My wife and I are expecting our first in June, and autism haunts our dreams. I have a dear friend who has two children with autism. Her husband is a physician and they are convinced it was brought on by mercury exposure in vaccinations. As I understand it, mercury is put in these vaccines to lengthen their shelf life. It's critical for everyone who is giving their child vaccines to request mercury-free shots.

[Masbee]

Originally Posted by Yega1979

Anyone else catch Jenny McCarthy on Larry King live tonight? She was talking about her son, who got Autism after recieving his vaccinations as a baby. She really kicked *** tonight! She went over how autism rates skyrocketed the same year they started putting mercury in the vaccines, and how many more vaccines they are giving kids as opposed to in the 80's.

She says she talks to thousands of mothers who report that their children get a fever right after getting the vaccinations, then all of a sudden stop talking. I know there are some people out there who think it's all one big coincidence...I just hope you don't have children.

Her child got Autism after breastfeeding.

I propose the theory that Jenny McCarthy's breast milk is the culprit.

[Dan]

I heard somewhere, although I don't remember where, that the NW has a higher rate of Autism than anywhere else in the country.

[Jayps15]

As someone with Asperger's I'd like to chime in.

There is absolutely no credible scientific evidence that thermisol containing vaccines cause autism, or are responsible for the rise in autism diagnosis. There have been numerous studies performed all over the world on this, and it's just so frustrating that despite all the evidence to the contrary people continue to question this, causing more money that could be used to actually benefit the autistic community to be spend on research to confirm all the previous studies.

Jenny McCarthy has also claimed that her son has 'recovered' from his autistic symptoms with a special diet and therapy. She is a mother, she's trying to put her son's condition in a neat logical box, and saying 'XXX' caused it is a hell of a lot easier for her than admitting that she just doesn't know. I can't blame her for having to rely on that, but going out and spewing this misinformation so vehemently isn't helping anything but her own peace of mind.

Get your kids vaccinated, mercury isn't good for you or your kids so of course you should get the vaccines without it if you can, but it doesn't cause autism.

[Jayps15]

To elaborate even more. Postmortem dissections of the neuroanatomy of some autistics suggests that the roots of autism begin to take hold within the first few weeks of prenatal life, and there's a high genetic predisposition for autism in the offspring of people on the autistic spectrum.

I personally think there are two sets to autism, one being a highly genetic form that will develop in any environment, and the other being 'triggered' by the environment sort of like a sleeper. The later triggering, or sometimes to referred to as regressive autism, could be triggered by any number of things in the environment. It could be something introduced into the body like a vaccine, but there's just as much a chance that the vaccine itself could be the trigger as the thermisol, it could be any number of things that people are exposed to. The regressive autistic could have a broad susceptibility to environmental agents which are commonly found in our environments and therefore nearly impossible to avoid.

To center the discussion on one possible trigger, when there are potentially millions, isn't a benefit for the autistic community. It gives the spectrum a bad image, not helped by the general publics already poor image of the condition. It makes it seem like all autistics are victims of circumstance, poor guys are only the way they are by chance, if only their parents had done 'XXX' they'd be 'better'. But many autistics, including myself, are happy and content the way we are and don't want to be 'cured' or 'normal'. To me it's not unlike the 'curing' of homosexuality, where something different is seen as wrong and must be changed.

The recent supreme court case has only added fuel to this fire, but is being taken out of context by so many in the media and by the conspiracy folks. That child had a preexisting mitochondrial disorder, that was aggravated by a severe post vaccine inflammation (not the mercury in the vaccines), she suffered brain damage and soon demonstrated features of autistic disorder. The officials at the Department of Health and Human Services concluded that the vaccines had "significantly aggravated an underlying mitochondrial disorder, which predisposed her to deficits in energy metabolism", causing brain damage with "features of autism spectrum disorder". Leading to the settlement for the family. Severe inflammations like the one the little girl suffered from are uncommon, but are a well known risk of vaccines, and they can damage the brain in many different ways, some of which produce symptoms similar to those seen in autism. The mitochondrial disorder might have prevented the child from dealing with her inflammation, but it is also possible that the child's mitochondrial problems caused the inflammation and that the vaccines she received were irrelevant.

[crandc]

Originally Posted by Jayps15

As someone with Asperger's I'd like to chime in.

There is absolutely no credible scientific evidence that thermisol containing vaccines cause autism, or are responsible for the rise in autism diagnosis. There have been numerous studies performed all over the world on this, and it's just so frustrating that despite all the evidence to the contrary people continue to question this, causing more money that could be used to actually benefit the autistic community to be spend on research to confirm all the previous studies.

Jenny McCarthy has also claimed that her son has 'recovered' from his autistic symptoms with a special diet and therapy. She is a mother, she's trying to put her son's condition in a neat logical box, and saying 'XXX' caused it is a hell of a lot easier for her than admitting that she just doesn't know. I can't blame her for having to rely on that, but going out and spewing this misinformation so vehemently isn't helping anything but her own peace of mind.

Get your kids vaccinated, mercury isn't good for you or your kids so of course you should get the vaccines without it if you can, but it doesn't cause autism.

Absolutely correct. I would add just one thing: mercury preservative in vaccines was phased out some years ago. So if mercury were the culprit, one would expect to find a drop off in autism as the newest generation of children receive mercury-free vaccines. In fact that has not happened. In and of itself that would disprove any claims of a link.

Do anti-vaccine parents really want to return to the days when 3 of 4 children died of measles and polio? Or were crippled, blinded? There are not epidemics in the US because a big majority are vaccinated, but in other countries epidemics of childhood diseases still happen. Is that what you want?

Autism is a very complex ailment. A lot of parents hope that there is a "normal child" within and grasp at straws, understandable, but hardly scientific evidence. Autism is also frequently mis-diagnosed.

Larry King has been seriously criticised for his absolutely uncritical attitude. He gives substantial air time to everyone from phony psychics (they are all phony) to quack remedies and never ever raises any objection or points out any facts that contradict what they say. I am sure Ms. McCarthy cares very much for her child but an actress who made her name by playing morons with boobs and no brains is just not the best source of medical information.

[MARIS61]

Originally Posted by crandc

Absolutely correct. I would add just one thing: mercury preservative in vaccines was phased out some years ago. So if mercury were the culprit, one would expect to find a drop off in autism as the newest generation of children receive mercury-free vaccines. In fact that has not happened. In and of itself that would disprove any claims of a link.

Not in the slightest.

Vaccines represent a tiny % of the Mercury we consume throughout our lives. Most of it is through our polluted drinking water, the polluted air we breathe, and in the fish, fauna, and fowl we eat.

A vaccine or 2 is a drop in the bucket.

To argue that Mercury isn't dangerously harmful to add to your diet is like claiming the Earth is flat. We know better.

[maxiep]

This study could help explain why autism hasn't declined significantly.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/condi...rss_topstories

20-30 years ago, most of these babies wouldn't have survived.

[Schilly]

Just want to chime in here. my 7 year old son has aspergers syndrome. I have heard of the mercury poisoning thing from the mercury which was in fact used only as a preservative for the vaccines. Initially we were in the same boat... Wow we only noticed the outward symptoms after his vaccines when he was 2 etc..etc... The problem is that it is natural human nature to try and place blame for something that affects them and has no explanation. People want to blame soemthing. Heck recently I heard a theory that watching Cable TV was the result. Sattelites OK, Boradcast...OK Cable TV specifically, umm yeah sure.

Jenny may have no scientific basis or proof which is fine, regardless of that she has become an advocate for research and trying to find help. More power to here for using her celebrity status for a real cause that is affecting real people.

[crandc]

Originally Posted by MARIS61

Not in the slightest.

Vaccines represent a tiny % of the Mercury we consume throughout our lives. Most of it is through our polluted drinking water, the polluted air we breathe, and in the fish, fauna, and fowl we eat.

A vaccine or 2 is a drop in the bucket.

To argue that Mercury isn't dangerously harmful to add to your diet is like claiming the Earth is flat. We know better.

Maris, I did not say Mercury is not harmful in the diet. I don't know of anyone who does say this. The argument was made very specifically that the mercury based preservative in vaccines caused autism. Not eating tuna. The crusade is not against the release of mercury into the environment (which I readily agree is a bad thing) but against vaccines. The advice given is don't vaccinate your children.

[Schilly]

The number of Vaccines kids get these days is ridiculous though. I understand stopping the spread of terrible diseases like Small Pox and things like that, but now they get Chicken Pox vaccines, they recommend yearly Flu vaccines, it's excessive.

[cpt.napalm]

Originally Posted by Schilly

The number of Vaccines kids get these days is ridiculous though. I understand stopping the spread of terrible diseases like Small Pox and things like that, but now they get Chicken Pox vaccines, they recommend yearly Flu vaccines, it's excessive.

I agree having been in the Air Force and recieving every vaccine under the sun I think it is an awful trend. The body will have no way to naturally train its defenses. I have to say the small pox vaccination by far is the worst. Anthrax vaccines make you feel ike you have been hit by a truck and that is a 6 shot series.