Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure
Posted by admin | Posted in Immunology | Posted on 18-08-2010
5
- ISBN13: 9780231146364
- Condition: New
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Product Description
A London researcher was the first to assert that the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine known as MMR caused autism in children. Following this “discovery,” a handful of parents declared that a mercury-containing preservative in several vaccines was responsible for the disease. If mercury caused autism, they reasoned, eliminating it from a child’s system should treat the disorder. Consequently, a number of untested alternative therapies arose, and, most tragically, in one such treatment, a doctor injected a five-year-old autistic boy with a chemical in an effort to cleanse him of mercury, which stopped his heart instead.
Children with autism have been placed on stringent diets, subjected to high-temperature saunas, bathed in magnetic clay, asked to swallow digestive enzymes and activated charcoal, and injected with various combinations of vitamins, minerals, and acids. Instead of helping, these therapies can hurt those who are most vulnerable, and particularly in the case of autism, they undermine childhood vaccination programs that have saved millions of lives. An overwhelming body of scientific evidence clearly shows that childhood vaccines are safe and does not cause autism. Yet widespread fear of vaccines on the part of parents persists.
In this book, Paul A. Offit, a national expert on vaccines, challenges the modern-day false prophets who have so egregiously misled the public and exposes the opportunism of the lawyers, journalists, celebrities, and politicians who support them. Offit recounts the history of autism research and the exploitation of this tragic condition by advocates and zealots. He considers the manipulation of science in the popular media and the courtroom, and he explores why society is susceptible to the bad science and risky therapies put forward by many antivaccination activists.
Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure
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Offitts Book is not fully researched. It was totally one sided and makes quotes from various doctors who are out of sync with the real world. These kids were “normal” then all the sudden they stop talking, become ill and mentally can’t connected with anyone and anything around them. Wouldn’t you think something happened all the sudden?! Offitt needs to spend a day in the life of a parent or doctor who deals with these small children who are sick and disconnected. Then he will see that they are not just children being stubborn or spoiled. Watch our for Karma!
Rating: 1 / 5
Paul Offit is at it again … defending vaccines because vaccines are his livelihood. He knows nothing about parenting or treating autism, yet the fact remains that hundreds of parents and physicians have recovered (notice I did not use the word ‘cure’) or greatly improved symptoms of autism in their children. I’m guessing that Paul Offit fails to mention that autism continues to rise despite the reduction of mercury in vaccines (notice I did not say ‘elimination’ of mercury) because the CDC strongly encourages pregnant women to get the flu shot … 90% of which still contain a whopping 25mcg of mercury. And by the way, study results are difficult to replicate simply because autism is an astoundingly complex disorder and it is very difficult to control for all variables. While I’m curious to see what Paul Proffit has to say, I’ll be borrowing this book from the library, rather than having him profit by another purchase of this book.
Rating: 1 / 5
Dr. Offit’s book appears to me to be biased. He references Dr. Verstraeten on page 93 without disclosing that Dr. Verstraeten published a letter saying “more study is needed.”
And in the Amazon linked video he says “A few years ago there was borne the notion that vaccines might cause autism and so the public heath community responded by doing a series of studies to try and answer the question – were you at greater risk of getting autism if you’d gotten vaccines than if you hadn’t. And the answer was clear, and consistent and reproducible – the risk was no greater than if you had gotten the vaccines or hadn’t. And so the science was pretty clear.”
In fact, review of data from the Verstraeten Zero Analysis published by SafeMinds and the books Evidence of Harm by David Kirby and Changing the Course of Autism by Bryan Jepson provides clear evidence of risk for brain injury and autism spectrum disorder from vaccines. So the science is not clear and we don’t know if vaccines are safe. I am not sure how he can make such a statement but I sure wouldn’t recommend buying the book.
Rating: 1 / 5
Another millionaire vaccine producer attacking anyone and anything that might jeopardize the sacred cash cow. The guy is going way out of his area of expertise to attack anyone and everyone attempting to fix a problem that he has been instrumental in making worse.-the autism epidemic. He’s feeling a little guilty I guess.
Rating: 1 / 5
What I would like to know is, how did the author, Paul Offit, become an expert in what causes autism and how best to treat it (or not), when he has neither ever parented nor treated a child with this disorder. The fact that he is himself a vaccine patent holder should be enough of a reason to skip this book due to the apparent conflict of interest.
I’m still confused about how he became an expert in the area of facilitated communication, as well.
Rating: 1 / 5