John McCain spreading fear about childhood vaccines

[erik2680]

At a town hall meeting Friday in Texas, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., declared that "there’s strong evidence" that thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that was once in many childhood vaccines, is responsible for the increased diagnoses of autism in the U.S. -- a position in stark contrast with the view of the medical establishment.

McCain was responding to a question from the mother of a boy with autism, who asked about a recent story that the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program had issued a judgment in favor of an unnamed child whose family claimed regressive encephalopathy and symptoms of autism were caused by thimerosal.

Political Punch

[That Guy]

first 4 links on google, 2 say yes, 2 say no... go figure.

What Causes Autism

Thimerosal : Vaccine Education Center - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Thimerosal Autism Symptoms Resource

No Link Found Between Autism And Thimerosal In Vaccines

[dmek25]

when did McCain get his medical degree? why make statements about something like that? because its something someone wanted to hear. just another politician trying to get a vote

[That Guy]

Originally Posted by dmek25

when did McCain get his medical degree? why make statements about something like that? because its something someone wanted to hear. just another politician trying to get a vote

not all politicians have economy degrees, law degrees, public safety degrees, strategic planning degrees, medical degrees, applied science degrees, etc...


they're all asked to give their opinions on a lot of subjects they'll never be experts in, it's part of the job.

[djnemo65]

Yeah, I always thought this issue was a lot more divided than the originally linked article let on. And given that opposition to thimesoral (sp?) was originally pushed by liberal consumer advocacy groups I think its good that McCain is willing to take it on.

[That Guy]

well i mean, if there's a chance it does harm, and there's a way to get the same effect without it, better to be safe i guess.

i haven't looked into it very far, so i really don't know (or have a valid opinion) whether there's a real link to autism or not.

[erik2680]

The truth is that their is no evidence that Ethyl mercury causes autism.

Yeah, I always thought this issue was a lot more divided than the originally linked article let on.

No in science

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by erik2680

The truth is that their is no evidence that Ethyl mercury causes autism.

No in science

Is this a topic that is particularly close to you? Either personally or professionally.

[70Chip]

This is yet another example of doctors and scientists being completely clueless. They don't understand the first thing about autism and so hysterical mothers and Don Imus are free to speculate wildly.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by 70Chip

This is yet another example of doctors and scientists being completely clueless. They don't understand the first thing about autism and so hysterical mothers and Don Imus are free to speculate wildly.

Care to elaborate?

[FRPLG]

From what I understand there is not only no reliable evidence that mecury causes autism there is also no unreliable evidence either. It is one of those strange theoretical ideas that somehow has taken hold and refuses to die. No one has one shred of evidence to support the claim. I do understand that the use of mecury is actually very needed to stabilize vaccines but I am by no means any type of expert. I suspect that if vaccines actually caused autism there'd be a good amount of evidence and uproar. I get really tired of this culture of belief that Big Business and the US Government have the wherewithall to perpetrate conspiracies against people when A) the US Government shows an incredible lack of ability to do anything well, especially keep secrets and B) It is completely counter to Big Business interests to produce a product that exposes them to risks they don't need. They're in business to make money and making products that cause autism is a pretty stupid way of doing it.

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

From what I understand there is not only no reliable evidence that mecury causes autism there is also no unreliable evidence either. It is one of those strange theoretical ideas that somehow has taken hold and refuses to die. No one has one shred of evidence to support the claim. I do understand that the use of mecury is actually very needed to stabilize vaccines but I am by no means any type of expert. I suspect that if vaccines actually caused autism there'd be a good amount of evidence and uproar. I get really tired of this culture of belief that Big Business and the US Government have the wherewithall to perpetrate conspiracies against people when A) the US Government shows an incredible lack of ability to do anything well, especially keep secrets and B) It is completely counter to Big Business interests to produce a product that exposes them to risks they don't need. They're in business to make money and making products that cause autism is a pretty stupid way of doing it.

Right.

Wait...don't I recall a couple of companies making a buck or two off a product that's been proven to cause cancer? Those little white sticks people put in their mouths? Ciga-something?

Listen, I don't think it's a conspiracy either, and for the record I'm a diehard capitalist, but let's be honest: while it's probably not the rule, there's no shortage of companies who have made a buck at the expense of people's health and welfare.

You'd think making products that everyone knows cause cancer would be "a stupid way of making money" but they're still doing it and making a pretty penny in the process.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

From what I understand there is not only no reliable evidence that mecury causes autism there is also no unreliable evidence either. It is one of those strange theoretical ideas that somehow has taken hold and refuses to die. No one has one shred of evidence to support the claim. I do understand that the use of mecury is actually very needed to stabilize vaccines but I am by no means any type of expert. I suspect that if vaccines actually caused autism there'd be a good amount of evidence and uproar. I get really tired of this culture of belief that Big Business and the US Government have the wherewithall to perpetrate conspiracies against people when A) the US Government shows an incredible lack of ability to do anything well, especially keep secrets and B) It is completely counter to Big Business interests to produce a product that exposes them to risks they don't need. They're in business to make money and making products that cause autism is a pretty stupid way of doing it.

Yea there has never been any companies that produce a product which cause harm. You have never read the stories about drug companies covering up info about side effects from drugs they produce. You have never heard about a co producing a product which has caused injuries and death and ignored the facts and kept on producing the product. It happens all the time.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Yea there has never been any companies that produce a product which cause harm. You have never read the stories about drug companies covering up info about side effects from drugs they produce. You have never heard about a co producing a product which has caused injuries and death and ignored the facts and kept on producing the product. It happens all the time.

That's my point... they all get caught. It isn't widespread and when it does happen they get caught. But some people would have us all believe that big business goes out of its way to make products that unecessarily expose them to risk simply to save a few peenies. I think those situations are the exceptions. In this case if the vaccines DO cause autism it would be beyond stupid to continue using mercury(which they are trying to phase out simply because of the bad pub anyways).

And msheig I'll grant you that cigarettes are bad, that everyone knows it and that tobacco companies have known it for ever if you grant that using the tobacco industry as a comparison is darn near impossible given it's history, huge influence on our economy and unique market. There is literally no other industry even remotely like it.

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

That's my point... they all get caught. It isn't widespread and when it does happen they get caught. But some people would have us all believe that big business goes out of its way to make products that unecessarily expose them to risk simply to save a few peenies. I think those situations are the exceptions. In this case if the vaccines DO cause autism it would be beyond stupid to continue using mercury(which they are trying to phase out simply because of the bad pub anyways).

And msheig I'll grant you that cigarettes are bad, that everyone knows it and that tobacco companies have known it for ever if you grant that using the tobacco industry as a comparison is darn near impossible given it's history, huge influence on our economy and unique market. There is literally no other industry even remotely like it.

The pharmaceutical industry seems pretty similar to me. They don't have the same brand loyalty as the tobacco industry does, but on a regular basis we see drugs getting recalled and one class action suit after another against the drug companies.

I don't think they're intentionally producing products that they know will harm people, but I think they tend to downplay the risks and will sometimes just release a product so people will buy it and deal with the consequences later.

It almost seems like a shotgun approach to drug distribution - yeah, a few might be bad but they're making so much money in the process that settling a few $100 million + lawsuits is a drop in the bucket.