Since the early to mid 90's the diagnosis rate of Autism has gone up exponentially, meaning that more and more people are being diagnosed every day. At this very moment, 1 in 50 Australians are being diagnosed as Autistic. Since the early 80's we have been vaccinating our kids against various deadly diseases and have seen that the diseases are dying out, but vaccine rates are rising as well. Is there a correlation between rising Autism rates and vaccines? Well, yes there is, and it's due to a larger population and a broader definition of Autism. However, correlation has never meant causation, and thus I will be talking about the mindset of an anti-vaxxer by explaining how Autism is not caused by vaccinations whatsoever.
First, let's look at the anti-vaxxer argument shall we? The first argument is that the various different minerals and ingredients, such as mercury and thimerosal cause Autism or Autistic tendencies, or will straight up kill you. The only study that has ever shown this to be the case was done in 2006 in sub-par testing conditions and was thoroughly debunked by the scientific and medical community. In fact, the mercury from a tuna fish is 28 times more likely to kill you than a simple vaccination would. That's how infinitesimally small the amount of mercury is in a vaccine shot.
The second argument is "Well if my kid gets sick the other kids won't get sick because they're vaccinated, so stop worrying." No. This is a terrible mindset to have and a rather detrimental one at that. Sure, most of the kids who got inoculated won't get sick, but the kids whose vaccines might not work will get infected with a preventable disease, as vaccines, much like everything else, aren't 100 percent effective. One good example is the measles vaccine. It has a registered success rate of 95% - which is great but definitely not perfect. That unvaccinated kid may also go on to infect babies who haven't yet been vaccinated for the preventable disease, or adults with weak immune systems that haven't been vaccinated.
The last argument is that "Because every medicine has some potential side effects, I want to protect my kids" which is ironic because they are doing just the opposite. Yes, vaccines, like most medicines do have potential side effects. Some of them include; mild swelling, prolonged crying, temporary fussiness and in babies mild vomiting and diarrhoea after having their DTaP and rotavirus vaccines. It's very rare for kids and adults alike to have an allergic reaction to a vaccination and require immediate medical attention. The preventable disease or illness that's being vaccinated against is more dangerous than the potential side effects however, so inoculating kids is always recommended.
So in conclusion, you are 28 times more likely to die from the mercury in a tuna fish than the mercury content in a vaccine shot, unvaccinated kids can cause much more trouble than you would like to assume, and the side effects are nothing in contrast to the illness being vaccinated against. Having Aspergers Syndrome, a neurological disorder at the high functioning end of the Autistic Spectrum, I don't know who this offends more, medical professionals or those with Autism.
As always this is open to discussion. If you have an opinion and evidence, such as peer reviewed studies, to back up your assertion, leave a comment. If you're an anti-vaxxer, explain to me and the rest of the world exactly why you think vaccines are the purest form of evil.
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