Anna's Soapbox

So this being a soapbox and all, it's time for me to rant: When I read about the Bush administration sealing autism records and shielding Eli Lilly from lawsuits related to possible vaccination-related autism, I felt both outraged and scared. Outraged that they can get away with this, and scared because they must know something is up if they're going to all this trouble. I've had my doubts about whether vaccinations (via the mercury-containing thimerosal used to preserve the vaccines) had anything to do with autism, but now that I'm reading more about it, and especially now that I see people in power going to all this trouble, those doubts are fading fast.

I am slightly heartened to see mainstream media paying this some attention -- CBS, for example, in "To Vaccinate or Not," discussed the issue without dismissing non-vaccinators as irresponsible fringe dwellers. This issue might fade out, like most do, from public discussion... we can only hope the medical community is actually taking it seriously, discussing and studying it (using non-drug-company funds). In the meantime, having just gotten Lazarus his 6-month shots and then tended to a pretty sick baby for five days, I'm seriously reconsidering whether to continue with the vaccinations. Pharmaceutical drugs are big business, and thorough research cuts into profits. Sealing autism records? Shielding drug co's from future litigation? Sure smells like an attempt to bury evidence of problems whose source some researchers, not to mention families of the affected children, have suspected for a long, long time. We're not even guinea pigs -- no one in power wants anyone to see the results of this ongoing "experiment." And if vaccinations aren't the only culprit, we won't know that, either, because we don't have access to all the information and therefore can't make truly informed decisions.

This is why I care:

It's not the only reason, but I really get it now.