John Stone has managed to both miss my point and illustrate it.
My concern was to highlight the enormous amount of data and analysis
that has failed to incriminate the MMR vaccine, not to comment on an
individual study.
The truth is that there is no such thing as a perfect study and it is
in any case logically impossible to prove the absence (however rare or
unlikely) of a particular link or phenomenon. Just ask the purveyors of
Loch Ness Monster memorabilia.
When this problem is applied to a poorly understood disorder such as
autism and allied to the inherent hysteria of the British media, the
potential for confusion and misconception is almost boundless.
It is truly sad that autism continues to blight so many lives. It is
tragic that so many have been misled by a modicum of poor science and
massive hyperbole. It is unforgivable that so much time and effort has
been wasted trying to prove the unprovable while autism goes unexplained
and vaccination rates fall.
No vaccine is flawless. Do I worry about the proven side effects when
vaccinating my own children? Of course I do. However, the inescapable
truth is that the risk/benefit analysis is firmly in favour of vaccination
and will continue to be so.
Rapid Response:
Re: Re: Yet more evidence
John Stone has managed to both miss my point and illustrate it.
My concern was to highlight the enormous amount of data and analysis
that has failed to incriminate the MMR vaccine, not to comment on an
individual study.
The truth is that there is no such thing as a perfect study and it is
in any case logically impossible to prove the absence (however rare or
unlikely) of a particular link or phenomenon. Just ask the purveyors of
Loch Ness Monster memorabilia.
When this problem is applied to a poorly understood disorder such as
autism and allied to the inherent hysteria of the British media, the
potential for confusion and misconception is almost boundless.
It is truly sad that autism continues to blight so many lives. It is
tragic that so many have been misled by a modicum of poor science and
massive hyperbole. It is unforgivable that so much time and effort has
been wasted trying to prove the unprovable while autism goes unexplained
and vaccination rates fall.
No vaccine is flawless. Do I worry about the proven side effects when
vaccinating my own children? Of course I do. However, the inescapable
truth is that the risk/benefit analysis is firmly in favour of vaccination
and will continue to be so.
Competing interests:
Previously declared
Competing interests: No competing interests