Re: Survey Confirms Parents' Fears, Confusion Over Autism

[Guest guest]

What is really sad is that Waxman presided over the Vaccine Safety hearing where Dan Burton spoke (most of the hearing) a few years ago, asking alot of pertinent questions, almost as if Burton prepared him for it. I thought I remembered him chastising Gerberding and some other idiots. I thought he was one who was nearing our side there for a while.RoxSubject: Survey Confirms Parents' Fears, Confusion Over AutismTo: EOHarm Date: Friday, October 3, 2008, 5:12 PM

Only %38 believe that there is no connection between vaccines and

autism! <- note my rare use of exclamation mark). This is why Offit,

Waxman, Peet et al have launched a media campaign this summer. It is

in reaction to the efforts we have been making over the last

half-dozen years.

- Lenny

Survey Confirms Parents' Fears, Confusion Over Autism

Poll results help explain growing number of measles infections

http://is.gd/ 3u3Q

The first national survey of attitudes toward autism reveals

that a small but significant percentage of people still believe the

disease is caused by childhood vaccines. The survey of 1000 randomly

selected adults was conducted for the Florida Institute of Technology.

Nearly one in four (24 percent) said that because vaccines may

cause autism it was safer not to have children vaccinated at all.

Another 19 percent were not sure. This at a time when the Centers for

Disease Control reports that autism affects one in 150 children born

in the United States.

Scientists say there is no evidence linking vaccines and autism,

but the lingering fear is leading to fewer parents having their

children vaccinated and a growing number of measles infections. The

New York Times reported in August that measles cases in the first

seven months of 2008 grew at the fastest rate in more than a decade

and cases in Britain, Switzerland, Israel and Italy are said to be

soaring.

The public's concern over vaccines stems from a controversial

1998 British study linking autism and the MMR vaccine, which at the

time contained the mercury-based preservative thimerosal. The study

was later retracted by most of its authors and thimerosal was removed

from all childhood vaccines in 2001, but responses to the

just-completed survey show the public is still confused.

Florida Institute of Technology commissioned the survey, which

asked specifically about the link between the preservative and autism.

Nineteen percent of the respondents agreed with the statement "Autism

is caused by a preservative once found in childhood vaccines." An

additional 43 percent were not sure, meaning fewer than half (38

percent) of the respondents believe no link exists between the vaccine

and autism.

Part of the confusion may stem from the fact that the cause of

autism is unknown, according to Florida Tech Assistant Professor of

Psychology Celeste Harvey. More than three in four respondents (76

percent) to the national survey agree with the statement: "At this

time, scientists don't know exactly what causes autism."

"Fear of the unknown, coupled with anxiety over the growing

incidence of the disease, may be leading people to draw their own

conclusions, " said Harvey.

The first national survey of the public's knowledge and

understanding of Autism was conducted for the School of Psychology at

Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Fla. The survey includes

responses from 1000 men and women, 21 years old or older, randomly

selected from throughout the nation. The poll has a plus or minus 3.1

percent confidence interval at a 95 percent level of confidence. The

telephone interviews were conducted between August 1 and August 29 by

GDA Education Research, Mount Pleasant, S.C.

In addition to asking whether a link exists between autism and

childhood vaccines, the survey explored people's knowledge of the

disease, their exposure to people with autism and their support for

early intervention programs. More results of the survey will be

released at the Institute's 2008 Autism Conference on Friday, Oct. 3,

in Melbourne. More information can be found at

http://research. fit.edu/autismco nference.