March 02, 2008
McCain and thimerosal
Instead of looking at the science, he's decided to side with the panic-spreaders and pander to the emotions of the panic victims.
January 29, 2008
The cultural production of ignorance.
This Thursday’s episode of an ABC court drama perpetuates the groundless and harmful myth that vaccines contribute to autism. Why are the penalties so low for spreading these falsehoods? Why does junk science (in its actual rather than its corporate bumper-sticker formulation) continue to attract such a following?
March 06, 2006
Thimerosal-autism link claim, R.I.P.
Contrary to the implicit claim of the Geier and Geier paper, the rate of diagnosed autism among California children aged 3-5 has continued to rise.
November 20, 2002
Thimerosal update
The final version of the Homeland Security bill still has the provision to protect Eli Lilly from suits about the use of thimerosal in infant vaccines. A Democratic amendment to remove it (along with a couple of other howlers) failed 51-48. McCain was the only Republican who voted for the amendment, saying of the bill "I'm too old to vote...
November 14, 2002
Be angry. Be very angry.
Thimerosal is a solution of alcohol and ethyl mercury previously used as a preservative in some medicines, including some infant vaccines. It is possible, though not established, that its use in vaccines, combined with the increasing number of vaccinations infants receive, was the reason, or a reason, for the surge in autism cases during the 1990s. Apparently a simple calculation...
