The Shot Feared Round The World

As a daily reader of many science-related blogs and listener to science-related podcasts, I've been aware for some time of the scares around the use of infant vaccines and alleged links to autism in toddlers. It's been clearly shown that exposure to Thimerosal, the mercury-based compound used in vaccinations during childhood, is not a primary cause of autism. In fact, as noted in this New York Times article:

"Since 2001, no vaccine routinely administered to children in the United States had more than half a microgram of mercury, about the amount found in an infant’s daily supply of breast milk".

Yet, on shows such as Oprah and Ellen, people such as Jenny McCarthy, whose own child is autistic, continue to put forth assumptions, half-baked theories, and poorly executed study results in order to further promote their own beliefs that there is a link, even though scientific studies continue to show that not to be the case.

So, what's a major television network to do when such a hotly debated topic comes to light? Why, make it into a TV show plot, of course. And not one in favor of educating the public, but one skewed toward the drama of fear, portraying the case as an innocent victim waging a legal fight against an evil industry.

Yes, the upcoming premiere of "Eli Stone" will be a drama in which a set of parents sue and win a settlement against the drug company for this very reason. In an open letter to ABC, the American Academy of Pediatrics makes what I consider to be the accurate assessment that...

“If parents watch this program and choose to deny their children immunizations, ABC will share in the responsibility for the suffering and deaths that occur as a result. The consequences of a decline in immunization rates could be devastating to the health of our nation’s children.”

Another very well stated examination of this upcoming show is posted on NeuroLogica Blog, and again, this New York Times article is a great read, and it's attached to the bottom of this post for posterity.

Man, watching this happen is almost like reliving the resistance to the concept of global warming being real that was prevalent a few years back.

I see this as yet another case of people rushing to judgment and making assumptions to such extremes that, even when presented with ample and abundant evidence to the contrary, they'll refute that proof on whatever rationalization they can grab ahold of, in order to stick firmly to their own conclusions. And we're not talking about minor a study here or there that modestly challenges the possibilities of the claim being off target, we're talking about a vast scientific and medical community consensus, backed with tested and retested metrics and data, broadly covering the spectrum of cases and possibilities, bringing conclusive evidence to the table.

After taking the time to do my own due diligence, and having seen this issue building for some time, I wrote to ABC today. You should too if you wish to voice your own opinion after doing some reading and research of your own.

"I'm sure you're aware of the controversy around airing a show depicting vaccines as contributing to autism, and the clear evidence to the contrary.

Airing this show and putting such fears into the minds of parents, regardless of any pre or post show disclaimers, is completely irresponsible and risks setting forth idea that might cause a parent to ultimately jeopardize their child's lives by NOT getting vaccinated.

Show some conscious, some restrain, and some ethics, and do NOT AIR this show."

It's official. I'm writing letters of objection to major corporations. I've become my parents.

But if being vocal means I might influence change, that's reason enough. I've since read that they're now going to air some sort of disclaimer before the show. Not enough, I say, given that people that miss that 10 seconds or those that will just discount it will still be walking away with concerns they would not have had, and don't need to have.

Oh, and as to the 'creative license' used in this 'fictional drama'; quoting from the script:

“Is there proof that mercuritol causes autism?,” Eli Stone says to the jury in summing up his lawsuit against the vaccine maker. “Yes,” he says. “Is that proof direct or incontrovertible proof? No. But ask yourself if you’ve ever believed in anything or anyone without absolute proof.”

Uh, what ever happened to the concept of "innocent until proven guilty"? Or the idea of a guilty verdict needing to be "beyond a shadow of a doubt"?

I guess those principles don't make for good ratings, eh ABC?