Autism MMR - new evidence

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Well apparently I had the MMR at about 13 months old, and literally ever since I had the injection my personality changed from the very day, from placid to miserable.

Explain that!

As has been explained on WP in numerous threads, the onset of autism (or when it starts to be noticeable) happens around the time that MMR is given. People looking for a "reason" see the 2 happening near the same time, and confuse correlation with causation. Many studies have looked for a link, and none have found them.

This doesn't mean vaccines are always safe. I actually suffered a real (as opposed to the imaginary MMR issues) problem directly related to a vaccine I received. Unfortunately, I am at just the right age to have received a very early version of the Measels vaccine called the Killed Measels Virus vaccine. This is known to have caused "Atypical Measels Syndrome". I got very sick, in the hospital for a week with pneumonia, spiked a fever over 105, was pretty close to dying thanks to a doctor who wouldn't see me (was later admitted by my pediatrician). It is also known for sometimes causing brain damage, and my parents claim that I was a bit altered by the experience, though I have no tests to show that.

That said, I am totally in favor of vaccination. Cost/benefit is clearly on the side of vaccinating. There is lots of evidence showing this.

Wakefields is a quack and a charlatan and should be run out of town on a rail. This supposed research is tabloid trash scaring parents away from an important vaccine that benefits both the vaccinated individual as well as the overall society. I have about as much interest in Wakefields' feeble attempts to redeem his hoax through more attention whoring as I have interest in hearing about plus-sized Dr. Phil's weight loss tips.

I just do not understand these circular arguments over these studies. At no point did any of them insinuate that all autism is caused by vaccines. The studies simply found artificially created live strain measles virus as used in the vaccine in the guts of a disturbing number of autistic children whose familiy reported a dramatic change AFTER immunization.

Does this mean ALL children are affected by the vaccine? - no. That wasn't even vaguely implied.
Did ANYONE recommend NOT vaccinating children? - no. People made ill informed choices on data that had been convoluted by the media.
Does this mean ALL autism/asperger's is 'created' by vaccines. - no. Autism existed long before vaccines.

All this study suggests is that there may be a link between sudden onset autism and the MMR vaccine - it is a possible side effect caused by system wide inflammation in reaction to the contraction of measles in the gut. The findings of these three studies should be further investigated if they could help some children. The US Department of Health and Human Services doesn't maintain the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program without reason. Several families who could prove their childs autism resulted from the MMR vaccine have already been compensated under this program. It is happening. Someone needs to look for a way to prevent injury while still protecting us at the same time.

No studies replicated the results that vaccinations caused autism or autistic-like symptoms. Finding bacteria doesn't demonstrate anything - but it is notable that a lot of people who are on the autistic spectrum have digestive problems, and this could in some way be related without the need to claim that correlation equals causation. Also, as far as I know, the studies you're referencing had no controls.

Not proving a claim as false is not the same as proving the claim is true. What can be demonstrated in a court does not necessarily equate to what can be demonstrated in a laboratory.

No one is claiming vaccines cause autism. I believe the Utah and Wake Forest studies did have control groups. All they showed was that the children in the study had live measles virus vaccine from the MMR strain in their gut and that that infection caused encephalitis. The studies did not claim the vaccines caused autism - that leap of logic was made by the media. One of the more successful injury cases was argued using this science. Autism was not even in her medical reports even though the girl displayed all the classic signs. Cases of children 'cured' of autism have been cases where system wide imflammation had been reduced or eliminated.

There is no cure for autism. I firmly believe it is a normal genetic variation. What the studies show - if anything - is that inflammation can cause autistic like symptoms in some children and that it may be possible to cure them of the inflammation and underlying disease and return function to them. Determining the genetic variance that leaves some children susceptable to this particular vaccine injury would be extremely helpful. I'm promoting vaccine safety for children. I'm not a 'cure autism' advocate.

Vaccines do not cause autism. I'm agreeing with you.