Critical Thinking- Vaccines and Autism Concept Map (Ch. 1 cont.)(8/30/20)
What I learned and if my
perspective has changed
on the topic:
Learned:
1- I learned that when a medical
or scientific study comes out,
you should always check the
6 essential elements of scientific
inquiry. This will help determine
if the study is as reliable and
accurate as they make it seem.
2- I learned that
the MMR vaccine(s)
do not have any
correlation to autism.
This was identified
through multiple
other studies.
Perspective: My perspective on this
topic changed as a result of this
lecture and discussion from the
misleading studies, the false or
not accurate information that
influenced thousandths of people
to not get vaccinated and may
eventually cause an outbreak.
This also showed me the
complexities of autism,
highlighting how inaccurate
and dishonest the
1998 paper truly was.
The Lancet Article:
Publication Date/ Retraction Date:
PD: February 28, 1998
RD: 2010- Journal's retraction of article
Graph:
1) There was a
drastic decrease
after the paper
was published
in 1998.
2) After a majority
of the authors retracted
the paper's statements,
there was an increasement
in coverage of numbers.
Timeline:
1- 10 of the 13 authors
retract the paper's
statement. This is a vital
event because without this
there could have been many
more outbreaks of numerous
diseases, viruses, etc. This
also helped ease those who
read this study, and allow
them clarity of the "fake"
study and be able to
get vaccine(s).
2- (2010) The U.K's General
Medical Council strikes
Andrew Wakefield from
the medical register
(equivalent of stripping
a medical license). This
event is important to me
due to the dishonesty and
the distress and pain
Wakefield caused for the
test subjects, their families
and for everyone else who
read the paper. From his badly
chosen decisions, he should
have received the
punishment of losing his license.
Title of Article: Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervazive developmental disorder in children
Three Main Topics-
'Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia'- means there are nodules growing in the small intestine, which may cause or affect absorption, diarrhea and other systems.
'Non-specific Colitis'- means inflammation of the colon, which is part of the large intestine
'Pervasive Development Disorder'- means autism.
Question #1: Did they incorporate other environmental factors for the causes of the behavior and digestion issues?
Question #2: How long did the behavior or digestive issues last? Forever or temporary?
What data could be examined to determine if MMR vaccine causes Autism? By adding the data of "normal" healthy children to compare with developmental disorder individuals (This can lead to identifying if there is a specific factor causing autism from this vaccine). We could also add the data for children who had autism but did not get vaccinated to determine if the vaccine truly causes Autism.
Elements of Scientific Inquiry (Scientific Study):
A. Sample Size: 12 Children (small sample size)
with 11 males and 1 female, demonstrating
gender bias! The average age was 6 years
old, with the range between 3 to 10 years old.
B. Random Sample Subjects: Did not include a representative set of individuals who had Autism.
C. Duration of Study: Not Stated
D. Was there a control, if experimental: This was NOT an experimental, but however more observational. But, there were types of children missing from the study such as not completely healthy children that got the vaccine, children that are not considered "healthy" and children that did not get the vaccine.
E. Replication: None
F. Funding Sources: One of the primary authors, Wakefield, was paid money from attorneys involved in a lawsuit who represented the families involved in this study and were part of a lawsuit against MMR Vaccines, as well as trying to petition to find a different MMR Vaccine. This means BIAS!!
Vaccine & Autism:
Previous Knowledge
- Vaccines may
play a part into
causing Autism
- Autism is a
mental disorder,
that may include
social, emotional,
and communication
difficulties
Fears Associated with the myths:
One-
Fear of unfamiliar
ingredients in
vaccines
Thimerosal:
mercury-containing
preservative, which
was still used in
some multi-does
flu shots
(until mid-
2014)
Two-
Fear of
Autism (itself)
Anxiety fostered by
media stories,
highlighting
high-profile
anti-vaccine
advocates
against
statistically
based reports by
medical researchers.
Complexities of Autism:
Many genes are
related to autism
and are associated
with
formation/
function
of the brain.
- Including
roles
in neural
development
and structuring,
nerve signaling,
and speech/
language
processing.
A condition
that begins
during
fetal development
as a result
of both
genetic
&
environmental
influences.
- Parental age,
birth complications,
maternal nutrients
at conception,
exposure to
pollution during
early brain
development,
etc.