I’d volunteer for your proposed study. So, I imagine, would most of not all the bloggers on this site. We are parents and, in some cases, autistics.

If you don’t understand why parents of children with autism would be critical of Generation Rescue, go ahead and ask. The post above is a great example—Generation Rescue created a fake study that is just plain dishonest and misleading.

If the above wasn’t clear—I have an autistic kid. Kev. who started and owns this blog, has an autistic kid.

Unless you are a parent or can walk a day in the shoes of a parent that raises an austistic child, I don’t think that your opinions carry much weight.

It is my understanding that Generation Rescue started to help find answers. What they are trying to do is get more research into what causes autism. Let’s see do you think that Merick will fund that one?

“The statistics speak for themselves. since 1983, the number of vaccines the CdC recommends we give to our kids has gone from 10 to 36, a whopping increase of 260%. And, with it, the prevalence of neurological disorders like autism and AdHd has grown exponentially as well. ”

That is clearly not an exponential increase! Not only that, but this paragraph has already ‘shown’ a causal link post hoc ergo propter hoc merely by putting both sets of “data” in the same paragraph!

“[T]housands of parents believe their child’s regression into autism was triggered, if not caused, by over-immunization with toxic ingredients and live viruses found in vaccines.”

The history of science (including medicine) is full of stories of what people believe versus what science/medical research has shown to be correct (or at least disproven the popular mythology). These parents believe the cause to be “over-immunization” because of, what, 3 articles published in the last 10 years in the popular press (including Kennedy’s Rolling Stone article)? The rise of the internet as a portal for information good and (mostly) bad has been substituted for good, solid research into peer-reviewed studies.

“[T]he Centers for disease Control and the American Academy of pediatrics [sic] dispute this but independent research and the first-hand accounts of parents tell a different story.”

Notice the conflation of true science and anecdote as equal sources of information and “proof!”

“Why are we giving our children so many more vaccines so early in life?”

Perhaps because as medical research has advanced it has uncovered many more beneficial vaccines? Presumably GR would pillory Edward Jenner, as the smallpox vaccine led to an infinite percent increase (from 0 to 1) in the number of vaccines given (although, admittedly, not just to children under 3, at least at first).

In short, GR’s methods remind one of intelligent design methodology, in which complexity simply cannot be the result of evolution, thus “disproving” evolution. Even in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary, and a diminishing pile of “evidence” in favor of their viewpoints, they soldier on, moving the goalposts.

I think the 36 comes from the list on this advert by Generation Rescue.
http://tinyurl.com/GR-propaganda-1

1) Influenza (prenatal)
2) HepB (Birth dose)
3) HepB (1 month)
4) DTaP (2 months)
5) Hib (2 months)
6) IPV (2 months)
7) PCV (2 months)
8) Rotavirus (2 months)
9) HepB (4 month)
10) DTaP (4 months)
11) Hib (4 months)
12) IPV (4 months)
13) PCV (4 months)
14) Rotavirus (4 months)
15) HepB (4 month)
16) DTaP (6 months)
17) Hib (6 months)
18) IPV (6 months)
19) PCV (6 months)
20) Rotavirus (6 months)
21) HepB (6 month)
22) Influenza (6 months)
23) Hib (12 months)
24) MMR (12 months)
25) Varicella (12 months)
26) PCV (12 months)
27) Hep A (12 months)
28) DTaP (15 months)
29) Hep A (18 months)
30) Influenza (18 months)
31) Influenza (30 months)
32) Influenza (42 months)
33) MMR (48 months)
34) DTaP (48 months)
35) IPV (48 months)
36) Influenza (54 months)

Note that six vaccines are influenza. Flu shot uptake is low, but that doesn’t matter in an advertising campaign.

Note that 3 more are after 3 years, so they are beyond the time when autism would manifest.

However, it cannot be denied that the US health care system is partially to blame, as is the fact that the US has a much more diverse population and a much broader range of cultural practices than most of the industrialized counties.

The much higher mortality rates amongst African Americans is definitely a cause of great concern. We need either an explanation or a solution. My guess is we need a solution.

However, it cannot be denied that the US health care system is partially to blame, as is the fact that the US has a much more diverse population and a much broader range of cultural practices than most of the industrialized counties. An extreme example of this is Iceland, which is perhaps the antithesis of ethnic and cultural diversity and – interestingly – has a significantly lower infant mortality than other industrialized nations – including those with “universal” health care.

Whatever you may think about the reasons for the (relatively) high US infant and under five mortality, the causes are obvious not simply vaccination schedules.

“Another voice” asked:

“Even after the clarification by Prometheus it would appear that the U.S. has both a higher infant and child mortality rates. Is that correct or have I confused myself?”

The US has a higher infant mortality and under five mortality than most “Western” industrialized nations. However, the under five mortality in most of these countries – including the US - is largely a reflection of infant mortality. If you look at the 1 – 5 year mortality (subtract the infant mortality from the under five mortality), you’ll find that the US (1.4 per thousand) is essentially (and statistically) equal to Canada (1.3 per thousand).

Now, there are a number of differences between the US and Canada, including (as GR has pointed out) the number of vaccinations children receive. For one, Canada has “universal” health care. In fact, Canada’s system seems to be working better than that in the UK. Yet the difference in the 1 – 5 mortality is not significant.

The reasons for both infant mortality and under five mortality are far more complex than differences in health care systems. They are certainly more complex than “too many, too soon”.

Prometheus

Why would doctors go on TV with these folks without being prepared? There are at least three people posting on this site that could have prepared Dr. Sears and Dr. Stork in probably less than thirty minutes.