« Previous Entry |
Back to Blissful Knowledge
| Next Entry »
June 27, 2005
MORE THIMEROSAL/KIRBY/RFK COMMENTARY
Check out the latest post from Orac for more well-done fillet of RFK, Jr. Follow the links to some devastating reviews of David Kirby's book, especially this one. (Click here for a response by Kirby to some of the criticisms.)
UPDATE: Flattery will get you everywhere, Derek Lowe (except for getting your experiments to work better - you need to appeal to a higher authority for that).
Reading about Lowe's struggles with drug development reminded me of another point that needs to be made with respect to this thimerosal/autism theme. The RFK/David Kirby crowd assumes that the vaccine industry is synonymous with "Big Pharma," possessing limitless power to bend scientists and government regulators to its heartless, rapacious will. But the truth is a little more complicated. Big pharmaceutical companies certainly are part of the vaccine industry, but as we found out in last winter's flu-vaccine debacle, there isn't enough money in the U.S. vaccine industry for "Big Pharma" to produce adequate stocks of many vaccines. In that respect, the problem isn't too much involvement on the part of "Big Pharma" or the vaccine industry being a big-money enterprise - in each case, there's too little of the supposed evil. (Dare I say that the assumption of the pro-thimerosal-link crowd is analogous to a trial lawyer's point of view, in looking for a "deep pocket" that may only have been tangentially involved in the supposed harm?)
Posted by Dr. Manhattan at 8:53 PM | Permalink
Comments
On the other hand, it could also be said that the reason that the vaccine supply is down is because thimerasol was banned. And 'big pharm' is like the 'opec' of oil. When you're the only game in town, it becomes a seller's market. And whoever HAS the market, can DRIVE the market anyway they see fit.
Posted by: Masculiste | June 30, 2005 10:17 AM
I don't know that it's the deep pockets theory for all, although there is an obvious question as to how these autistics are going to be able to live and where and with what, when all their family is gone... (as in my son's case, with no siblings...) If the government or Big Pharma had something to do with it, then they need to have something to do with taking responsibility for them.
I personally would like them to be straight with the public so more parents will have their children tested. Kids are not getting services in the schools because they don't have official Dxes. Doctors aren't even educated on the subject. I had one ped tell me my son was retarded - and this guy never even gave him one test.
Another thought is that it is not necessarily Autism itself that the vaccines are causing. Maybe it's just vaccine-injury that presents itself with autistic traits. That's why we need to find out whether or not there's a link.
BTW they are not putting the thimerosal into the DPT vaccines that are being produced now, but that doesn't mean the doctors aren't using the old ones they still have on the shelves...not as long as those expiration dates are still good...
Posted by: Moi ;) | July 23, 2005 8:49 AM
It's a little late for me, so forgive me for being a little befuddled.
i cannot tell whether you are:
a) wary of thimerosol in vaccines or
b) feel that the vaccine/autism link is unsubstantial
This is a "pet issue" with me.
I'm sorry to hear about your son, may we be zoche to greet Moshiach immediately to end all this meshugas.
Posted by: Fancy Schmancy Anxiety Maven | August 23, 2005 9:47 PM