The Problem with Autism Speaks

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

People shouldn't be mad about research even if they don't like it. They should reserve their anger for when results are skewed to suit the needs of the research sponsor. If there were lots of research done on this issue and it became more clear that the vaccinations weren't the problem (which they probably are not), then it would put that issue to bed. I have a gripe with the number of vaccinations kids are asked to take and the phenomenal number of preservatives in them. Doing studies on priority of need of certain vaccines and how to clean them up to make them more tolerable would be research well worth hearing about. Because maybe I'm wrong, but I haven't read anything so far that makes me believe injecting an infant with all those chemicals is a good idea.

The vaccination schedule has actually been studied extensively. Infants may get more shots now, but the actual antigen load is less now than it was when they got the first shots back when vaccines where first introduced. The main problem with these arguments is that people don't know anything about immunology. Vaccines have been studied more than any other drug out there. They are safe for the vast majority of patients who don't have a contraindication such as an immunodeficiency or an allergy that precludes immunization. They have been proven conclusively not to cause autism, and just like every other injectable medication, like antibiotics, have preservatives to improve their shelf life. No one throws a fit when their child gets a penicillin shot. Same preservatives. The trusty Big Pharma argument commonly used is a ridiculous argument as well since vaccines make very little money for pharmaceutical companies with many getting out of the business. The production of MMR and other major vaccines is a public service.

The reason people get angry about the constant focus on vaccines is because previously eradicated diseases are on the rise, killing and maiming innocent people including babies that are too young to be vaccinated. It also takes the focus off of efforts to find the real causes of autism. But everyone is a doctor now days, and because they have webMD and eat organic, they know better than their pediatricians.

/soapbox

[MaryPoppins]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

The reason people get angry about the constant focus on vaccines is because previously eradicated diseases are on the rise, killing and maiming innocent people including babies that are too young to be vaccinated. It also takes the focus off of efforts to find the real causes of autism. But everyone is a doctor now days, and because they have webMD and eat organic, they know better than their pediatricians.

/soapbox

Yes, because science.

[DrPhil]

Thank you for the medical soapbox, AOII Angel.

An informed society is a healthy society. This has nothing to do with autism but I know people whose lives were saved because they educated themselves on health issues and were able to tell nurses and doctors what medications they were taking that would have a negative reaction to other medications the nurses insisted on giving them. One nurse, despite the fact that my family member and doctor had agreed that particular medications should not be mixed, tried hiding the medication under other pills assuming the patient was oblivious enough to just throw all the pills in her mouth---I was in the hospital room shocked a nurse would attempt that and glad when my family member called the nurse out.

However this doesn't mean everyone is a doctor or nurse. Being informed helps doctors and nurses do what they do effectively but doesn't replace what they do. Long gone are the days when people were not required to be educated and trained to be a medical doctor, and anyone with a needle and knife could work on your body.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Thank you for the medical soapbox, AOII Angel.

An informed society is a healthy society. This has nothing to do with autism but I know people whose lives were saved because they educated themselves on health issues and were able to tell nurses and doctors what medications they were taking that would have a negative reaction to other medications the nurses insisted on giving them. One nurse, despite the fact that my family member and doctor had agreed that particular medications should not be mixed, tried hiding the medication under other pills assuming the patient was oblivious enough to just throw all the pills in her mouth---I was in the hospital room shocked a nurse would attempt that and glad when my family member called the nurse out.

However this doesn't mean everyone is a doctor or nurse. Being informed helps doctors and nurses do what they do effectively but doesn't replace what they do. Long gone are the days when people were not required to be educated and trained to be a medical doctor, and anyone with a needle and knife could work on your body.

I completely agree with you. Being educated and informed is one thing. I tell my patients all the time to research their conditions, but the information you find on the Internet in no way replaces the medical knowledge of your physician. It is there to help guide patients for discussions with their doctors. Having family with you at the hospital is always advisable. Mistakes do happen, and patients and their families need to be their own advocates. As a physician, I have had a pharmacy give me wrong doses of 3 medications. If I didn't know better, I would have overdosed. (I called their district manager to complain as well as lodging a complaint with the state medical board.) When I am in the hospital, my husband or mother stays with me the whole time. If I don't like a medical opinion, I seek a second opinion from another expert in the field, because they know the science better than I do. Lastly, if I decide to do something against medical advise, I don't advertise it to others as THE thing to do. It's not responsible. I don't have outcomes data on MY choice. I decided that the risks were okay and that it wasn't worthwhile to continue with treatment. That doesn't mean that MY choice is right for others. If I swayed someone because of my position and they decided not to get treated ONLY because I didn't, and subsequently died, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. People don't consider their choices.