NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.dukehealth.org/HealthLibrary/AdviceFromDoctors/YourChildsHealth/mmr_vaccine_and_autism

I've never personally believed that MMR and autism were related, and apparently aside from Wakefield's bullshit "study", there isn't any evidence that they're related.

However, it's very popular among yuppies here (and among the Hollywood types) to say that the MMR jab causes (and is the main cause) of autism.

Unlike the UK, we've been using the MMR since 1971, and there wasn't a sudden upswing in autism prior to the UK using the MMR in 1988.

So, have you gotten the jab? Would you get it for your kids?

I had it, my kids will have it.

I don't plan on having kids. I also don't plan on getting a tinfoil hat, so I find their "vaccine = autism!" claim to be preposterous.

There's also the fact that autism is NOT necessarily a bad thing. All it means is that people have less social smarts and more brain smarts.

did.

plus a slew of other vaccinations that have been developed since i was a kid.

there seems to be a theory that the tiny amount of mercury that USED to be in vaccines is causing autism now. it doesnt make any sense but i keep hearing it be blamed even by people who then mention that its not used any more.

I don't have spawn yet though thanks for reminding me that I need to buy johnnies. I don't know if I've had the jab come to think of it though I'd guess at probably

we've been using the MMR since 1971, and there wasn't a sudden upswing in autism prior to the UK using the MMR in 1988.

on the contrary I think there was only its more to do with computers and such these days :wink:

Until it is legitimately proven through proper study, the value of the current study should be taken with a grain of salt.

They did a survey a few years back, they paid people who had had the MMR jab (Inc me) £20 to take a blood test to see if there was any connection.

Well, I'm not autistic, neither are my friends, or any of the ~300 people in the school that took the test. I'm pretty sure that this nationwide test conclusively showed that there was no link.

Until it is legitimately proven through proper study, the value of the current study should be taken with a grain of salt.

Only one study showed a connection, and that was the first one, which has been proven to be crap and the scientist in question reprimanded for misconduct.

The other studies show no connection.

There's also the fact that autism is NOT necessarily a bad thing. All it means is that people have less social smarts and more brain smarts.
It depends on which end of the spectrum you're talking about. There are forms of autism that are not "just less social smarts", there are very severe forms that aren't neutral.

I had the MMR 6 times now, because every time I get a job where I need one or I get pregnant my blood shows no antibodies.......for some reason it doesn't work on me.

My kids have both had the MMR. I'm not entirely sure we should vaccinate against everything we do, because the odds of dying from some of these vaccines are often higher than the odds of actually dying from the disease.

Why do people always look for complex causes before exhausting all simple explanations? Isn't it far more likely, considering that we now have a better, but still incomplete understanding of autism and autism spectrum disorders, that psychologists are just better at diagnosing autism now? Not to long ago, people that we now call autistic would be simply labeled "slow" or "mentally retarded." Not to long ago, autism was considered a rare disease. Isn't it more likely that, as we find out more about autism, we begin to realize that perhaps it wasn't as uncommon as previously thought?

Why do people always look for complex causes before exhausting all simple explanations? Isn't it far more likely, considering that we now have a better, but still incomplete understanding of autism and autism spectrum disorders, that psychologists are just better at diagnosing autism now? Not to long ago, people that we now call autistic would be simply labeled "slow" or "mentally retarded." Not to long ago, autism was considered a rare disease. Isn't it more likely that, as we find out more about autism, we begin to realize that perhaps it wasn't as uncommon as previously thought?
I agree, Autism is over-diagnosed. And everything is a syndrome.

Anyway, aye, kids will have the MMR jab, don't want them getting measles as teenagers or adults, where they can get into serious problems.

Yep...my kids will get it. Given how contagious all three are, I'd rather not be part of the cause of a massive outbreak.

I agree, Autism is over-diagnosed. And everything is a syndrome.

Anyway, aye, kids will have the MMR jab, don't want them getting measles as teenagers or adults, where they can get into serious problems.

Well, I'm not a psychologist, so I really don't have the expertise to say whether or not a particular syndrome is over-diagnosed. (though the stereotypical self-diagnosed conditions in internet lore are OCD, bipolar, ADD, and Asperger's) What I was saying is that, 50 years ago, when we knew almost nothing about autism, a child who was severely autistic would be more likely to be diagnosed with retardation than with autism. Our ability to more easily recognize autism today compared to our ability to do so as little as a decade ago is probably a major contributor. As for ASD's being over-diagnosed, that is something you'd have to take up with one of the actual psychologists on this board, as opposed to a physics guy who only took psych 101.

I never had the vaccination, as when I was born the expert opinion was that immunity from actually having an outbreak of measles, mumps and rubella at a young age was preferable and more effective to the vaccinations.

As a result, I had the measles when I was 4 and rubella when I was 6. Never had mumps, though.

I think I'd rather let my kids have the shots, though.

I don't have kids, but there's much more evidence to say that vaccines prevent illness than there is to say that they cause autism, so, yeah, i'd give them the shots.

I never had the vaccination, as when I was born the expert opinion was that immunity from actually having an outbreak of measles, mumps and rubella at a young age was preferable and more effective to the vaccinations.

As a result, I had the measles when I was 4 and rubella when I was 6. Never had mumps, though.

I think I'd rather let my kids have the shots, though.

I had the shot and had all three anyway. :$

Preventing disease is good :)

I don't plan on having kids. I also don't plan on getting a tinfoil hat, so I find their "vaccine = autism!" claim to be preposterous.

There's also the fact that autism is NOT necessarily a bad thing. All it means is that people have less social smarts and more brain smarts.

No, it is a bad thing. I know, and dislike, several people with autism. Damned annoying buggers, they are.

That being said, I remember hearing that the vaccines cause autism theory had been debunked.

Interesting how the OP said a lot of hollywood types. I find it amusing that a lot of people put store in what some actor has to say about various issues which they most likely overheard at some gathering but really don't know anything about, or those which are hired and told lies to in order to help the cause of those people who know very little themselves.

If you're setting your principles based on what Pink said, then you should look at yourself.

I might start to believe this once some proper studies start coming out showing this.

No, it is a bad thing. I know, a dislike, several people with autism. Damned annoying buggers, they are.

Are they only annoying because they aren't quite the same as you? Or don't fit in with the exact norms that you want them to?

There's also the fact that autism is NOT necessarily a bad thing. All it means is that people have less social smarts and more brain smarts.

It is true that they would have a higher IQ than other people, however, many do not have the capabilities to be able to translate that into learning or good use. It is a bad thing because they don't have the 'social smarts' and so aren't able to interact with society as well and thus their life can suffer because of it. Many people do not want to know them or give them to much of a chance because they are 'different' and so it affects them on many levels.

Are they only annoying because they aren't quite the same as you? Or don't fit in with the exact norms that you want them to?

Because they have no clue how to act in public. No manners, no common sense, nothing.

They act like children.

They do and say the most inappropriate things. They are unobservant of what's going on around them.

One of them things race jokes are funny, and starts saying them loudly around people of the race the joke is about. I've had to go over and apologize to people about this before. This guy is totally oblivious to what he says and does, and what is around him.

So, have you gotten the jab? Would you get it for your kids?
Not yet, even though I'm high risk. :$

And, yes, that bs "study". Perhaps the increase in the incidence of autism is due to the increased awareness and therefore more diagnoses made. Back then, people with autism would undoubtedly be committed to mental asylums or abandoned, given the lack of knowledge during those times. As late as the sixties, autism was said to be caused by neglect, as many of the first children diagnosed with autism are children of doctors and lawyers (very busy people). Again, the hypothesis debunked... but I wonder why the MMR vaccine theory still has a lot of credence among ordinary people. Hmph.

Because they have no clue how to act in public. No manners, no common sense, nothing.
Ain't generalizations nice? :rolleyes:

Not yet, even though I'm high risk. :$

And, yes, that bs "study". Perhaps the increase in the incidence of autism is due to the increased awareness and therefore more diagnoses made. Back then, people with autism would undoubtedly be committed to mental asylums or abandoned, given the lack of knowledge during those times. As late as the sixties, autism was said to be caused by neglect, as many of the first children diagnosed with autism are children of doctors and lawyers (very busy people). Again, the hypothesis debunked... but I wonder why the MMR vaccine theory still has a lot of credence among ordinary people. Hmph.

The original study got a lot of media time, it sold papers.

The debunking, not so much.

Ain't generalizations nice? :rolleyes:

I'm talking about ones I know personally.

I don't plan on having kids. I also don't plan on getting a tinfoil hat, so I find their "vaccine = autism!" claim to be preposterous.

There's also the fact that autism is NOT necessarily a bad thing. All it means is that people have less social smarts and more brain smarts.

That's more Asperger's than merely Autism. And Autism can definitely be bad. It can make people's lives very difficult. Also, while I don't think great social skills are 100% necessary, we have to remember that we are humans and that we do require social interaction and communal settings/efforts, and if more and more people are ending up unable to really work with others and/or communicate effectively with others, that could surely cause a problem.

That being said, as far as I know, I have never met someone with Autism. Though, I think it's quite possible that my nephew has it (or something similar). We'll have to wait and see, I suppose, because he's only 27 months old right now.

Psht, who needs vaccines? Kids these days are wimps. Back in my day, we had to fight off the plague with a stick!

Because they have no clue how to act in public. No manners, no common sense, nothing.

They act like children.

They do and say the most inappropriate things. They are unobservant of what's going on around them.

Yes indeed some are like that, however, these things can be overcome to an extent.

One of them things race jokes are funny, and starts saying them loudly around people of the race the joke is about. I've had to go over and apologize to people about this before. This guy is totally oblivious to what he says and does, and what is around him.

How can you be sure he is obvious to what he is saying and doing? He knows he gets a reaction from it but does he know why he gets the reaction for it?

I'll do whatever the doctor, in their professional opinion, says I should do. It's looking like that's: "Give em the jab." I'm not educated in medicine and I'm not going to pretend like I am unless there seems to be something seriously askew.

http://www.dukehealth.org/HealthLibrary/AdviceFromDoctors/YourChildsHealth/mmr_vaccine_and_autism

I've never personally believed that MMR and autism were related, and apparently aside from Wakefield's bullshit "study", there isn't any evidence that they're related.

However, it's very popular among yuppies here (and among the Hollywood types) to say that the MMR jab causes (and is the main cause) of autism.

Unlike the UK, we've been using the MMR since 1971, and there wasn't a sudden upswing in autism prior to the UK using the MMR in 1988.

So, have you gotten the jab? Would you get it for your kids?

Yep all done, there is NO risk of aultisum with the MMR.

Without a doubt I would vaccinate my children.

So, have you gotten the jab? Would you get it for your kids?

Most couples need to get jabs to get kids. :p