floccinaucinihilipilification: The Blog

I saw Jenny McCarthy on Canada AM this morning. I was hoping that Canada AM would have interview with an actual scientist or medical doctor (perhaps Dr. Shapiro) to explain the scientific consensus that there is no link between autism and vaccinations. Vaccines are a safe and effective way to protect people from diseases. Leaving the general public with the impression that there could be a link between vaccinations and autism will lead to a lowered vaccination rate and an thus increased likelihood for outbreaks of dangerous diseases.

The anti-vaccinationists arguments are quite weak. One argument that Ms McCarthy put forward was the increasing number of children with Autism, however this statement is incorrect. There is an increase in the number of reported cases Autism Spectrum Disorder. The reason for this increase has an explanation. First the definition of Autism was widened to Autism Spectrum disorder, which inherently increased the number of individuals that are covered by the new definition. Second, as the awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder increases (especially among those who work with children) the number of individuals diagnosed with A.S.D has increased, but that does not mean there is an change in the total number of individuals with A.S.D. Many cases would have gone undiagnosed in the past, especially given the widened definition of A.S.D. which includes individuals with less severe symptoms.

For more information please see these articles:

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=95
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=194
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=9

These are taken from a blog site run by scientists and medical doctors. The articles generally include references to scientific literature to back up their statements.

I hope you take the time to read these links and consider the harm that CTV and Canada AM could be responsible for if you do not allow the scientific consensus to be presented.

Thanks for your time

Darin Ohashi