Letter to the Boston Globe
in response to Autism, Mercury & Politics, by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
To the Editors:
RFK Jr.'s "Autism, Mercury and Politics," parrots the arguments of a subset of parents determined to hold pharmaceutical companies at fault for their children's disabilities. If they can prove that their own children have suffered from vaccine reactions, and obtain fair compensation for real damage done, then more power to them. However, anti-thimerosal crusaders lose my sympathy when they attempt to convince the public that most autistic citizens are "poisoned" and in need of detoxification.
Kennedy's correlation of increases in autism diagnoses with changes in the vaccination schedule disregards sociological factors contributing to this phenomenon -- broadened diagnostic criteria and the success of stepped-up efforts to educate clinicians about autism. He accuses government agencies of "turning a blind eye" to studies supposedly incriminating thimerosal at the same time that he disparages studies that do not conform to his prejudices. His accusations of "ginning up" and "deceptive data gathering" border on libel against those professionals who conducted the studies he criticizes.
I also disagree with Kennedy's characterization of autism as an "illness." Autistic citizens experience illness, and certainly suffer from intolerance; however, autism is neither illness nor tort, but a distinctive pattern of development and cognition -- a part of the human condition.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Seidel
3 July 2005
References:
Is There an Epidemic of Autism?
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/107/2/411
Three reasons not to believe in an autism epidemic
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-06/bpl-trn062905.php
http://autismdiva.blogspot.com/2005/07/three-reasons-not-to-believe-in-autism.html
