Measles Over Autism

“Most parents I know will take measles over autism,” said J. B. Handley, co-founder of Generation Rescue, a parent-led organization that contends that autism is a treatable condition caused by vaccines.

- From a NYT article showing a rise in Measles cases, including at least two deaths.

Um, no. Not me. Even assuming for a moment that the MMR vaccine causes autism. It doesn't. There's no credible evidence at all that it does, and the rate of diagnosis has increased even as the rate of vaccination has decreased. But even assuming it were a possibility - I'd rather have a live child with a disability than a dead child I could have saved.

Just like some of the so called "treatments" out there. I'd rather have a live child with a disability than a dead child with a cure.

Vaccines Don't Cause Autism, ABC!

So I watched the premier of a new show I thought might be good and end up being all pissed off instead. The show, Eli Stone, showed a jury awarding a huge cash payment to the mother of an autistic child over "mercurium" in a flu vaccine. They had a disclaimer at the end, but damage was already don.

Please, people. We don't need anymore damn "vaccines cause autism" scares. It's simply not true. The mercury used as a preservative leaves the body too quickly to do the heavy metal damage you'd see from eating fish or being exposed to environmental toxins. And most vaccines have phased it out due to bad press, anyway.

There are enough people scared of vaccines as it is. I'd rather have my kids avoid exposure to pertussis, TYVM. I've had it. It wasn't a harmless and comically loud cough. It was a struggle to breath with the occasional vomit. Yay.

And then when we get past the stupid vaccines and autism faux link, we find a kid who apparently neatly stacks thousands of toy blocks. His mom must own stock in the wooden toy block factory. Oh, and he never melts down and knocks them over. He just stacks the blocks. I know that if my son likes blocks? I'll buy him thousands of them instead of letting him play with 30-40.

It was just weird.

And the show? Was trying to be funny and really failing.

Eli Stone? You suck.