Many antivaxers have been just as dogmatic about thimerosal causing autism as foresam. Take for instance J.B. Handley, a San Francisco investment banker whose group “Generation Rescue” was at the forefront of the mercury militia. Handley (quoted in “Vaccine”) said: “What you know in your heart is that the explanation has to be simple, and it is. We have a generation of children suffering from mercury poisoning…There is no controversy.”
But now even Generation Rescue seems to be conceding in the face of steadily accumulating evidence that things aren’t quite so simple, and autism=mercury poisoning is no longer a tenable position. From the Generation Rescue website:
“We believe these neurological disorders (“NDs”) are environmental illnesses caused by an overload of heavy metals, live viruses, and bacteria…We believe the primary causes include the tripling of vaccines given to children in the last 15 years (mercury, aluminum and live viruses); maternal toxic load and prenatal vaccines; heavy metals like mercury in our air, water, and food; and the overuse of antibiotics.”
So while vaccination in general and mercury still get a workout as villains of the piece, we’re starting to see other things like “overuse of antibiotics”, “maternal toxic load” (whatever that is) and “live viruses” thrown into the mix.
Apparently it has not occurred to Handley and his crew that “live viruses” are exactly what many vaccines are protecting children from. In their view, viruses are harmless or even beneficial unless they are present in a deactivated state in vaccines.
I would hope that foresam and the many others who convince themselves of the “truth” by frequenting like-minded blogs and antivax websites will eventually change their dogmatic views on autism. Willingness to be open-minded and to take a hard look at the evidence is a difficult path, however.
This sounds a lot like antivax activist Barbara Fisher (quoted in “Vaccine”):
“How do we know that the human race was not supposed to have a bit of suffering from infectious disease at the beginning of life, in order to have an immune system that would be able to meet the challenge of viruses and bacteria along the line?”
Apart from not recognizing that the immune system is challenged by vaccination (without the accompaniment of potentially dangerous illness), it’s incredible to me that someone could so blithely wish “a bit of suffering” on children who could be protected from blindness, disability and even death by vaccination.