Autism and Childhood Vaccines: Vaccine Court is in Session

The devastating realization that your child is not developing normally would shake any one of us to the core, but this month the needs of the few to fixate blame in the absence of a clear path from cause to effect has reached the legal system and may have a negative outcome for the needs of the many.
The battle over Autism and its cause is being is being sorted out in a specialized "vaccine court" in an effort to finally link compulsory childhood immunization to the devastating spectrum of social and emotional disorders that seems to be on the rise.

Thimerosal in Vaccines

The primary culprit here is a preservative called Thimerosal, which contains mercury. Mercury is being cited as the cause for the myriad manifestations associated with Autism. One of the most notable facts surrounding this belief is that Thimerosal was phased out of many vaccines beginning in 1999. For some vaccines the transition wasn't completed until 2002. With a long shelf life, the administration of many vaccines containing Thimerosal continued, however, due to a shelf life of over 2 years. Thimerosal is still found in non-routine vaccines.

Yet, in spite of the scientific findings the belief persists, which is why the matter has now moved to the courts and away from scientists. The ruling of the court will not be based on the findings of scientists, but something called plausibility, or the appearance of truth or reason, which is the way belief, and superstition develops. The reasons seem to make sense. A well crafted and highly emotional argument can rule the day without being based in anything resembling scientific fact.

Correlation is not Cause

This is an unfortunate turn of events as it gives weight to correlation, or the relationship between two things. One could say there's a correlation between fluoride in water and Autism, among other things that happen to exist in the same time span or circumstances surrounding the development of Autism Spectrum. It seems ridiculous, but it's an angle and it is plausible. The court's decision will have far reaching impact, with the first being your child sitting next to a classmate who could be actively incubating polio, measles, or any of the other childhood diseases that immunizations protect against, but that his parents in their fear and confusion decided to skip while holding up the "might cause autism" poster.

With a rise in diagnosis predicted, there could very well be a correlation between delaying having children until later in life, living in a metropolitan area, an organic diet, or any number of things that are present in this day and age along with Autism. Wouldn't it be preferable to name one of those things as plausible instead of vaccines that prevent diseases that used to cut a swathe through childhoods everywhere? If Mercury in vaccines was truly the cause, why are there new cases of Autism being diagnosed now, when Thimerosal is no longer the standard preservative used in vaccines?

The problem with focusing on Mercury is it reduces the attention paid to the other substances that could be factors. Another problem is the wide variety of social and neurological disorders that are falling under the Autism umbrella. This could be due to better testing of infants and their responses, but it could also be the aversion to the retardation label. If medicine can create a label for what seems to be undeserved tragedy there is hope that those who named it can also fix it.

Alternative Treatments, Big Bucks

There isn't a day that goes by where a parent stops looking for ways to reverse the ravages that have befallen his or her household, hopes, and career. To this end a huge industry has blossomed with promises to fix the problems and create a normal child. One of the most interesting treatments is chelation, or the removal of heavy metals from the blood stream.

Chelating substances like EDTA, are given to the child in an effort to remove mercury. The treatment was originated during WWII to remove high levels of arsenic and other metals that poisoned soldiers when they were exposed to gases used in warfare. It was used again to remove lead from children who had grown up with lead paint in their homes. Both of these circumstances are a far cry from from the levels one might find in Thimerosal and even further when the Thimerosal is diluted in the vaccine it is meant to preserve. The treatment can be life threatening as it disturbs the balance of necessary metals, like iron and copper, that are normal components of the blood stream.

Books on special diets, doctors specializing in "cutting edge" techniques (meaning if it doesn't kill you it makes their bank account stronger), and other alternatives lead parents from one fix to another. The parents feel better because they are at least trying to do set things right and feeling in control has bears a great deal of merit, just ask the alternative practitioners. Plausibility will open the doors for these therapies to flourish.

The Brave New World

Should plausibility win over careful scientific consideration, each an every one of us will have to reevaluate who our children spend time around at school and at play. There is no argument that the proliferation of Autism is frightening, but there is something even more frightening that might develop with it. Another layer of belief will win over common sense and scientific consideration.