Anti-Vaxxers, Cop That!

For a totally delirious segment of society, facts don’t matter.

A 1997 study linked vaccines to autism, but when the study was investigated, scientists found there is no connection between vaccines and autism. It was bunk.

Still, there’s a massive movement of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. These insane people have scared other parents into not vaccinating their children, which has led to a new epidemic of diseases like the measles that had been eradicated decades ago.

It’s mind-boggling that we even have to debate this point. But I will, for the safety of my own baby.

Recently, SafeMinds, an anti-vaccination organisation in the US, raised $250,000 to help fund a study they hoped would prove that childhood vaccinations cause autism.

It didn’t.

In fact, it backfired in spectacular fashion.

For over a decade, SafeMinds funnelled money ($250,000 to be exact) into research done at the University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine, the University of Washington, and several premiere medical research institutions.

In the study, scientists used six groups of infant monkeys. Two of the groups were given vaccines with thimerosal which contains a form of mercury. It is also an antiseptic and anti-fungal agent. The next two groups were given today’s standard MMR vaccine, which does not contain thimerosal; while, the fifth and sixth group were given saline as a control.

The resultant paper released last week found no differences between the six groups.

Yes, this means vaccination does not cause autism or any cognitive development disorder.

It’s science. Fact. So don’t argue.

Ah, and the best bit “” just to add extra salt to their wounds “” the group willingly funded the version of the study that used vaccines that included mercury “” despite nearly every vaccine on the market contains zero mercury “” just to see what would happen.

The answer: Nothing. The vaccines with the mercury-based antifungal preservative caused no more harm than the ones without it absolutely none.

Well played researchers, well played.

But of course, the anti-vaxxers are now claiming that their own study was flawed.

Representatives from the group say the findings contradict both an earlier pilot study and interim progress reports the organisation received from the researchers.

“The epidemic of autism is expected to cost the country $1 trillion by 2025 if prevalence trends continue. In a recent study, over 40 percent of parents agree or strongly agree that vaccines played a part in the development of their children’s autism. The vaccine primate study in question consisted of multiple phases. The initial phase found a series of negative effects in infant reflexes and brain growth among those exposed to vaccines. The second, recent phase purported to find no effect. SafeMinds has concerns about changes in the study design protocol and analysis that may have led to these contradictory results. We are in the process of collecting and reviewing additional information regarding this study.”

Seriously, they are clutching at straws here, spreading fear-mongering lies about vaccines that they cannot prove “” even with $250,000.

The fact is vaccinations save lives.

It’s just sad that three dozen monkeys have had to die to prove a group of ill-informed lunatics wrong.