Paul Offit, autism, vaccines & ethics

[Anonymous]

I was so annoyed to see Offit interviewed on the PBS show on autism this evening. Why is he allowed to practice medicine when he has complete and utter conflict on interest? He invented a vaccine which has made him millions and millions and wouldn't ya know it..he says vaccines are safe for EVERYONE. Shouldn't he step out of the arena if he himself has become wealthy from the same industry he supports? Why on earth isn't this considered an ethical violation??

For the record..I got my children all vaccines on time and I don't think vaccines triggered my son's autism. However, I still don't accept that vaccines don't contribute at all to the onset on autism in children with autoimmune issues.

[Anonymous]

I think it's different for all children. For example Jenny McCarthy's ability to pull her son off the spectrum, by having him detoxed and on a special diet minus the vaccines. The research that she supported regarding the "crap" that are in the vaccines and the increase in number since the 70s and 80s makes a lot of sense. I can say that

[Anonymous]

Offit writes about the scientific evidence and has done a great disservice debunking the conspiracy theories (that we now know were based on a fraud).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I was so annoyed to see Offit interviewed on the PBS show on autism this evening. Why is he allowed to practice medicine when he has complete and utter conflict on interest? He invented a vaccine which has made him millions and millions and wouldn't ya know it..he says vaccines are safe for EVERYONE. Shouldn't he step out of the arena if he himself has become wealthy from the same industry he supports? Why on earth isn't this considered an ethical violation??

For the record..I got my children all vaccines on time and I don't think vaccines triggered my son's autism. However, I still don't accept that vaccines don't contribute at all to the onset on autism in children with autoimmune issues.

Offit has science to back him up. To my knowledge (and I come from a family with huge autoimmune diseases) there is NO scientific evidence supporting your theory regarding vaccines & autoimmune issues. Out of my family five children have autoimmune diseases and only two of them have ASD. The two that are on the spectrum aren't even fully vaccinated because my sister bought into Jenny McCarthy's crap. Vaccines play zero role in autism. You can continue to buy into bad science if that's what you need because sadly medicine/science aren't really offering much in way of treatments for ASD. You lack scientific evidence for your belief though.

I will say that doctor don't know anything about autoimmune diseases. I have been increasingly disappointed by their ignorance, coupled with huge arrogance.

[Anonymous]

Dr. Proffit and ethics in the same title?...OY VEY!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's different for all children. For example Jenny McCarthy's ability to pull her son off the spectrum, by having him detoxed and on a special diet minus the vaccines. The research that she supported regarding the "crap" that are in the vaccines and the increase in number since the 70s and 80s makes a lot of sense. I can say that

I thought her child wasn't "off the spectrum," it's just that he's more high-functioning now than he was and less debilitated by sensory issues.

I try to stay away from criticizing other parents of kids on the spectrum, and I think the pretty face and high visibility which Jenny McCarthy have brought to autism are a godsend for awareness and fund-raising regardless of what you think of her and her beliefs. However, I also think it's correct that if a person can get "off the spectrum" then they were never on it to begin with.

[Anonymous]

20:56.. Have you been watching the PBS series on Autism? Some of the top researchers in the country are willing to admit that a small subset of the population may indeed be vulnerable to vaccines and it may contribute to the presentation of autism. It is hard to indentify this population so research can be done. Offit makes the global statement that vaccines are safe and we don't know for a fact that so many vaccines at once are indeed safe for the entire population. This is not a debate between whether or not to vaccinate. This is about how many vaccines we give children at once and whether or not we need every vaccine out there. Supposedly other countries do not give a smany as we do. I say if he indeed believes it is safe to even give chchildren thousands of vaccines at once he needs to put his money where his mouth is and sit down and be injected with thousands of vaccines at once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20:56.. Have you been watching the PBS series on Autism? Some of the top researchers in the country are willing to admit that a small subset of the population may indeed be vulnerable to vaccines and it may contribute to the presentation of autism. It is hard to indentify this population so research can be done. Offit makes the global statement that vaccines are safe and we don't know for a fact that so many vaccines at once are indeed safe for the entire population. This is not a debate between whether or not to vaccinate. This is about how many vaccines we give children at once and whether or not we need every vaccine out there. Supposedly other countries do not give a smany as we do. I say if he indeed believes it is safe to even give chchildren thousands of vaccines at once he needs to put his money where his mouth is and sit down and be injected with thousands of vaccines at once.

How many epidemiological studies is enough for you to believe there is NO link between vaccines and autism? Move on, this debate is over. Vaccines can cause probems but their benefits far outweigh the small risk.