Vaccines that contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal cannot cause autism on their own, a special U.S. court ruled on Friday, dealing one more blow to parents seeking to blame vaccines for their children's illness.
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As the anti-vaccine mercury militia's limited credibility shrinks even further, actual scientists are investigating real
More grants out the door today, but check out ABC correspondent Jake Tapper's post on John McCain's views on thimerosal and autism:
In a Financial Times discussion in new and old media Trevor Butterworth says:
Lest those who support the vaccine-autism link accuse me of ignoring this by not jumping on it immediately, I want to briefly point out a new study suggesting autism rates dec
Another step for rational, science-based thought.
Appeals are in the works.
While I am smugly pleased, courts are no place to decide science. Creationists use courts to change the teaching of evolution because they can't change the science. Similarly, I don't place too much importance in this other than P.R. Which is mighty important for lay people.
It's not really the verdict that's important for P.R.; a lot of important findings came out during the trial. It's an excellent uh, teaching opportunity?
The "on their own" may be misleading though: absolutely never, though not philosophically correct, is probably correct. I guess the honest answer is "mercury is not established to have cause autism in any case investigated to date".