Sep
NPR “Science Friday” Features a Debate on Autism and Vaccines - Where Do You Stand?
Monday September 1, 2008 (from autism.about.com)
Last Friday, Dr. Paul Offit was a guest on NPR’s Science Friday. Offit is the Chief of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the author of a new book (which I will soon be reviewing) entitled Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine and the Search for a Cure. Knowing the autism community as I do, I’d guess that that title was carefully crafted to get the biggest rise possible out of those who disagree with Offit’s perspective; so far, it’s working pretty well.
Offit is a strong proponent of vaccines. He works in the field, and has actually developed a vaccine himself. He has also become a national (and possibly international) spokesman for the vaccine development, testing, and approval processes in the United States. As such, he’s become a lightning rod for the “do vaccines cause autism” debate.
NPR’s Science Friday show is a call-in, and Offit was a guest for only about ten minutes of the show. As a result, he had time to field questions from only one caller, a mom named Chantal.
Chantal was, I thought, a fairly articulate spokesman for the opposing side of the vaccine/autism debate. Here, paraphrased, is what she had to say:
* Drug companies and federal agencies that test vaccines have a vested financial interest in finding that the vaccines are safe. Thus, their claims that vaccines are carefully tested and found to be safe are not to be believed.
* Despite Offit’s claims to the contrary (he stated that hundreds of such tests are conducted as required by law), NO proper tests are conducted to discover whether multiple vaccines can be safely and effectively used at the same time.
* Statements by doctors like Offit that the quantity of questionable material found in vaccines (mercury, aluminum, bacteria, etc.) are miniscule compared to ordinary daily exposure are irrelevant. (Chantal didn’t actually say this, but skipped past Offit’s statements to this effect. I’ve also heard the argument that daily exposure is much less likely to be harmful than is injection into an infant, though I can’t speak to the science behind this argument.)
Finally, Flatow asked Chantal whether ANY research would convince her that there is no link between vaccines and autism. Her reply, from what I could understand, was that only an absolutely unbiased study would convince her. At this point, though, it’s tough to know where an “unbiased” study would receive its funding, since virtually all studies are funded either by the federal government, drug companies, or funding agencies like Autism Speaks - all of which could reasonably be seen to have some kind of vested interest in the outcome.
At the very end of the segment, Dr. Offit made the statement that he thought Chantal did NOT speak for the majority of parents. Most parents, he feels, can be convinced of the safety of vaccines through scientific arguments like those he presents in his book.
So - is Offit correct? Do you feel that a book which lays out the science behind vaccine research and testing would allay your concerns about autism and vaccines (assuming you have any)? Vote in the poll - and express your thoughts on this complicated issue!
