Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Politics Quackery

The Autism Omnibus, Day 1: Autism Diva has the testimony

The first day’s testimony for the Autism Omnibus has been posted, and Autism Diva has the scoop.

I haven’t had a chance to peruse the PDF file of the testimony, but what the Diva reports is plenty damning. Maybe I was wrong to be so pessimistic in my earlier post. Dr. H. Vasken Aposhian’s testimony is even lamer than my post suggested. On the other hand, the emotionalism in this trial still worries me, as does the uncritical press coverage concentrating on the plaintiffs’ “feelings” and only mentioning in a single sentence or two, down near the end of the article or report, that–oh, by the way–there is no science to support a link between vaccines and autism and the scientific consensus is that there is no link.

As bad is Dr. Arthur Krigsman, a Wakefield accolyte who also thinks that the MMR vaccine causes autism and “autistic enterocolitis.” The Diva nails it:

Today they have Dr. Krigsman on the stand. He says that Michelle Cedillo got damaged intestines from measles in the MMR vaccines, apparently. He spent a long time describing how he knew that her intestines are damaged (she has ulcers and nodular hyperplasia, inflammatory bowel disease, maybe Crohn’s disease). He said when he put her on some prescription drugs to suppress her immune system, she stopped suffering from apparent bowel pain, diarrhea and that her arthritis got better. But if Michelle Cedillo has live measles virus in her gut that are causing the lymphoid hyperplasia, wouldn’t it be a really bad idea to suppress her immune system with powerful immune suppressants? Didn’t she get the measles in her intestines because the thimerosal in her other vaccination suppressed her immune system?

Does that make sense at all?

Nope. Immune suppression is usually reserved for diseases with an autoimmune component, like inflammatory bowel diseases. But then no one ever said that the antivax contingent cared much for keeping their own stories straight. Any story will do, as long as it blames vaccines for autism.

By Orac

Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.

That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)

DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.

To contact Orac: [email protected]

Comments are closed.

Discover more from RESPECTFUL INSOLENCE

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading