Re: The percentages are too big to be ignored

First of all, the ability to track a definitive increase in autism as an effect of vaccination is hard to do. The first mention of autism was in 1911, and later documented and described in the 1940's. It wasn't until 1964 that it was agreed upon that autism is a biological condition, not a psychological disorder. In 1977 studies on twins showed a genetic correlation with autism. IN THE EARLY 1990's DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA WAS ESTABLISHED. (That's all from http://www.naar.org, the national autism research site) There are many possible reasons for the increase in autistic cases, first and foremost you have to think about better screening and more kids being diagnosed in the first place. If more kids are being tested, and more parents/healthcare providers are looking for it, of course there will be more cases. Also, 40 years ago, most kids had one stay at home parent for most of their lives. There wasn't as much daycare. There wasn't as much TV. When kids wanted to have fun they went outside and played with other kids. It's possible that the reason social dysfunction has increased is because social dynamics are different. I'm not talking any absolutes here, but many things have changed in 40 years.

In the case of asbestos, a direct relationship was established, as people exposed to asbestos (i.e. shipbuilders) had a much higher chance of developing lung cancer, and asbestos fibers in lung tissue causing cellular disturbances were present in those patients.

Autism is not like asbestos.

Noone knows exactly what the dysfunction is, most likely it's a combination of environment, genetics, brain chemistry, and who knows what else. Given the fact of this lack of knowledge about autism, anything and everything should be looked at, including vaccinations. However, everyone who just assumes that vaccinations are the sole reason for the increased prevalence of autism is dismissing lots and lots of other possibilities. It's much easier to point the finger at something that was "forced" upon you and your child than to think about the notion that the environment provided for the child was a contributing factor for development of autism, or even that the child was just born that way with neurological dysfunction or a predisposition to neurological problems. It's a multifactorial disorder and EVERYTHING should be evaluated. Tweet