Some of the first claims against vaccines were made by a doctor in England who cited a mere eight children whom he believed owed their ailment of autism to MMR vaccination.  He published his findings, but the study was so poorly constructed, flawed and biased that it fell quickly to heavy scrutiny and was dismissed by the medical community.  However, it was still published and created a large amount of fear in the public.  Fear that is still felt today, even with YEARS of study repeatedly showing no association of MMR vaccination to autism.  And for some reason, when MMR was shown and accepted again as safe, attenion changed to Thimerosal, in what I personally can only deduce MUST have had some political motive somewhere.  Since then, three years of study, and even after good faith removal of thimerosal from most vaccines, autism rates continue at the same trajectory...  up.  How can Thimerosal be the cause then?  Well, it simply isn't.  When Oprah's well-intended show was aired, it served again as the sounding board for an emotional mother of a single child with autism, who stated, "I know in my heart vaccines caused my child's autism."  Oprah herself and her guest pediatrician/specialist in autistic spectrum disorders, both echo'd what we know is true.  Vaccines, after continued scrutiny and study have proven to be safe over and again.  Yet, in the week following, I needed to counsel at least a dozen scared mothers. 

Thought #1:  There is no association between vaccinations, thimerosal and autism.  I might as well say, "Vaccines cause car accidents."  And be sure to include in my statement personal/emotional verbage, e.g., "In my experience" or even better "I know in my heart."  Such statements have no bearing on truth and fact.  Scrutinize what you hear.  Insist on good data and be suspicious when someone tries to scare you into believing something.

Thought #2:  I wish the sources of such grief would just move on.  Studies only continue to pour in that demonstrate safety.  Humanity has been around a long time.  Autism has been on the rise before vaccines were even around, and think about this (not trying to start a witchhunt here, but...):  How many factors humanities' environment, diet, lifestyle has changed in the last 20-40 years?  I'm not saying there is one cause, nor am I trying to induce panic, but merely pose my own question -- Why must they pick on vaccines all the time?

Thought #3:  Vaccines ARE safe AND effective.  Vaccines are important!  Spoiled and complacent America has become.  Vaccines work.  They save lives and improve the quality of those lives.  To griefers who insist (despite logic and reason) that vaccines are bad, I want them to travel back in time 40-50 years and note how many thousands of lives were lost to these now, almost unheard of and preventable diseases.  There are nice articles published in reputable journals that discuss the dramatic before and after benefits of each vaccine.  Heck, in that train of thought, vaccines MAY cause car accidents, because there are conservatively tens of thousands more people on the road, increasing congestion and ergo risk per man-hour behind the wheel of getting into an accident!

Thought #4:  I shouldn't take these things personally, but these claims are offensive to doctors like myself who are devoting our careers to the safety, health and welfare of children in all walks of life.  To believe that we would knowingly harm our patients is just rediculous.  And to further how strongly I know vaccines are safe and good, my son gets all his vaccines on time.

Thought #5:  Few things we put in our body are studied as rigorously as vaccines, and that is fact.  No food, few drugs, no additives, preservatives or supplements could compare to the testing and ongoing research that vaccines undergo.  This notion should be reassuring.  Case in point is the discontinuation of the vaccine Rotashield, later replaced with the improved Rotateq now being used with great safety and success.

Thought #6:  Let's be alert for the signs of autism in our youth and get them to therapy right away.  It improves their outcomes and increases successes as they get older.  At this point, nobody knows what the cause is, but rest-assured, it is a hot topic of ongoing research and study. 

Thought #7:  If you have fears, reservations or questions about your child's vaccinations, please...  bring them to your doctor for discussion rather than acting on fear.  Know the facts before making up your mind.  Visit reputable sites like nih.org or cdc.gov and look for parent facts about vaccines.  Be careful of your non-medical sources.  As parents we think with our hearts first and heads second.  So with that in mind, avoid sites that use scare-tactics and disturbing language/images.  They almost always lack foundation, evidence, substance, fact and truth, and attempt to influence readers with fear.  Fear is a powerful motivator, but please don't fall victim to it.  Your child's health is potentially at stake.