The Seattle Times: Health: Thimerosal, autism not now linked
The Seattle Times: Health: Thimerosal, autism not now linked
I happened upon this article today as I was looking for something to write about. It prompted me to respond directly to it's author, which I will include for today's entry.
Dear Mr. King,
Exactly how much research went in to your two paragraphs declaring that they are now "not linked"? Was the single quote from a director at the CDC your only source of information? Did you bother to check out the IOM report that Dr. Gerberding is referrring to? Did you even read the 3 page brief? If you had, you would have realized that the study was done done to determine a link between thimerosal and autism. The study was done to determine a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. It's easy for the CDC to make a blanket statement such as this, while they pass off their own test data to HMO's and claim that the data is now private.
I would urge you to review the brief if you have not already at http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/4/132/0.pdf
"The evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship at the population level between MMR vaccine and autistic spectrum disorders," the committee concludes in its report. "A consistent body of epidemiological evidence shows no association at a population level between MMR and ASD,"
Read this passage carefully, and notice that "population level" is used twice. Don't you suppose, sir that if there was a causal relationship with the general population that the rates of autism might be 1 in 10 as opposed to 1 in 166?
And going directly against the title of your story:
"Though the MMR-autism question might appear to be resolved, science is always a work in progress; a conclusion is only as good as the methods of the analysis. The epidemiological studies, traditional public health tools used to examine the risk factors for a disease on a population level, were at a disadvantage here because there is little variation in expo-sure to MMR since children in most developed countries are vaccinated similarly. "
You do a grave disservice to your readers and the general public by attempting to create absolutes from ambiguities. I would hope that you would research this issue a little further and address it in your column again.
Thank-you.
Dwight Clark
President
JAX Management, Inc.
"Furthering the Cause of Autism Awareness"
The managing editor of seattletimes.com was sent a carbon copy. Please feel free to send your comments to them as well at: Warren King or Stanley Farrar
I happened upon this article today as I was looking for something to write about. It prompted me to respond directly to it's author, which I will include for today's entry.
Dear Mr. King,
Exactly how much research went in to your two paragraphs declaring that they are now "not linked"? Was the single quote from a director at the CDC your only source of information? Did you bother to check out the IOM report that Dr. Gerberding is referrring to? Did you even read the 3 page brief? If you had, you would have realized that the study was done done to determine a link between thimerosal and autism. The study was done to determine a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. It's easy for the CDC to make a blanket statement such as this, while they pass off their own test data to HMO's and claim that the data is now private.
I would urge you to review the brief if you have not already at http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/4/132/0.pdf
"The evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship at the population level between MMR vaccine and autistic spectrum disorders," the committee concludes in its report. "A consistent body of epidemiological evidence shows no association at a population level between MMR and ASD,"
Read this passage carefully, and notice that "population level" is used twice. Don't you suppose, sir that if there was a causal relationship with the general population that the rates of autism might be 1 in 10 as opposed to 1 in 166?
And going directly against the title of your story:
"Though the MMR-autism question might appear to be resolved, science is always a work in progress; a conclusion is only as good as the methods of the analysis. The epidemiological studies, traditional public health tools used to examine the risk factors for a disease on a population level, were at a disadvantage here because there is little variation in expo-sure to MMR since children in most developed countries are vaccinated similarly. "
You do a grave disservice to your readers and the general public by attempting to create absolutes from ambiguities. I would hope that you would research this issue a little further and address it in your column again.
Thank-you.
Dwight Clark
President
JAX Management, Inc.
"Furthering the Cause of Autism Awareness"
The managing editor of seattletimes.com was sent a carbon copy. Please feel free to send your comments to them as well at: Warren King or Stanley Farrar
posted by Dwight @ 1:44 PM
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