AN OPEN LETTER TO BENJAMIN KRUSKAL FROM ANNE DACHEL

"Dear Dr. Ben ..." An open letter to Benjamin Kruskal from Anne Dachel

(You can read Dr. Ben's original blog post HERE.) The following is Anne Dachel's comment:

I was stunned by your comments announcing that the number of children diagnosed with autism in California continues to increase despite the removal of thimerosal from vaccines there.

You offer us no explanation for the still rising rate but you're obviously enjoying the moment since you write that it's "a small thing, but nice to see an explicit contradiction to the original indirect evidence that thimerosal was the culprit in autism."

First off, the medical community and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have long held that all the children with autism are merely the result of  "better diagnosing" by doctors, yet you're telling us that "the increase isn't due to a general increase in recognition and reporting of developmental delays."

So, there are really more children falling victim to autism and no one can tell us why?  And you're not alarmed?

Parents reading your comments would hardly share in your glee at the California rate.  They want answers and they're worried their child might be next.  Your words are typical of those in the medical profession.  We've seen endless speculation about the cause of autism and no matter how bad the numbers are, autism is never a health care crisis.  The cause of autism remains a mystery.  The only thing doctors can tell us for sure is that autism is not caused by vaccines.

The problem is there are far too many parents speaking out about how their child regressed into autism after vaccinations.  There are just too many autistic children overwhelming our schools who weren't there a generation ago.  Parents have had years and years of one epidemiological study after another all showing the same thing:
Vaccines don't cause autism.

This tobacco science evidence doesn't impress anyone.

Actually, there are plenty of holes in your claim.  Parents don't have the simplistic view that it's just the thimerosal in children's vaccines.  The flu shot with a horrendous level of mercury was given to pregnant women at all stages of pregnancy until 2006 in California.
That fact was omitted on your blog.  The link between the MMR and autism, the tripling of the vaccine schedule since 1983, the host of other toxins like aluminum, MSG, ether, formaldehyde and anti-freeze, the trace amounts of mercury still left in supposedly mercury-free vaccines -- all are all factors you don't address.

In truth, few people will be joining in your view that for any reason the rising California numbers "are nice to see."  No one is listening anymore to those who tell us nothing.
--

Anne McElroy Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.

Comments

[Elucidatus]

I love his picture!!!!! He looks like he's gonna cry!!!

[biomedmama7]

It is government-sanctioned, government-protected, and in some states government-enforced neurotoxin/carcinogen pushing.

[Cokie]

"This tobacco science evidence doesn't impress anyone."

The vaccine industry seems to be forgetting one very important distinction between the two - namely this - that in the case of the tobacco industry it was the consumer himself who was making the decision to smoke. The tobacco consumer was supposedly an adult, and knew that the health risks he was subjecting himself to were of his own volition. In the case of kids injured by vaccines, they are being subjected to this by the very cadre of personnel that are expected to be safeguarding their health. As such, the moral and ethical ramifications are of insurmountable magnitude. The vaccine industry and the pediatricians and their in-between agency, the CDC, needs to be very cognizant of this very important difference.

[Twyla]

It's heartless and abominable that anyone could say hearing that "autism reports are still increasing rapidly in California" is "A small thing, but nice to see" for any reason, even if it's because he thinks it's nice to see proof that he is (in his mind) right about something.

He is a liar when he says that it's been "more than five years after thimerosal is out of infant vaccines" in California.

Thanks so much, Ann, for your right-on-target rebuttal.

[How very Unthimerosal of them!]

"A small thing, but nice to see an explicit contradiction to the original indirect evidence that thimerosal was the culprit in autism."

It smacks of extreme shortsidedness that a super educated doctor such as Ben Kruskal (with a string of impressive letters after his name) is seemingly incapable of opening his closed mind to the ramifications of that statement. Well if it isn't the thimerosal ALONE (going by their logic that its completely out) then it MUST be the vaccines themselves, and what is the CDC and the AAP going to do about that now?

Not to mention the fact that NOBODY seems to be holding these agencies accountable for their failure to stop the disorder in the first place. Whose job is it to stop autism? How come that particular aspect NEVER even seems to come up anymore? Isn't the CDC supposed to find the reason for autism and then stop it? One would assume that shame from failure to do the job MIGHT be reason enough to resign!

[biomedmama7]

Dr. Ben should really have a sit-down with Rick Rollens.

Thimerosal containing vaccines that were on the shelves in CA when the legislation was passed in 2001 were not thrown out. They were used until their expiration dates. It wasn't just thimerosal-containing flu shots that were administered to pregnant women and children in California between 2001 and 2006.