I have an interest in the subject of autism, owing to the fact that I have young boys, and boys are more likely to show signs of the condition than girls. Because of this, I try to keep up with the subject. There has been some research published recently on the subject of autism and vaccines that’s worth discussing.
Autism And Vaccines
There is an ongoing concern that vaccinations may contribute to the rising rates of autism in the United States, and other developed countries. A recent study on MMR vaccines and autism showed no sign of this vaccine contributing to an increased risk of autism. Of course, the study only included a small sample group, but it was a peer-review study nonetheless.
I sometimes wonder about the subject of autism in general. Several of my co-workers and I joke about each of us having autistic tendencies, but there might be a little truth to the matter. I also ran across this recently published study on the decision making processes of people who are autistic. What they discovered was that people who are autistic are more likely to rely less on “gut instinct”, and therefore make consistent decisions. They also postulate that this may be a cause for their tendency to be awkward in social settings. Since they rely more on facts and analysis rather than an abstract feeling, it may hinder them in social situations.
There are a number of parents that worry about the possible influence of vaccines and autism, and in extreme cases, even forego vaccines. Options include delaying the “traditional” vaccination schedule, spreading the rate of vaccination out, or even completely eliminating them. Vaccines are not without risk, and in fact, the US government maintains a “hotline” to report adverse reactions. Having said that, not vaccinating carries its own risks. Even for diseases that have been “elimianted” in the US, extensive travel opens people up to possible exposure.
As I try to piece these things together, it wouldn’t surprise me much if someone told me I or my coworkers had a touch of these characteristics. This article suggests that married scientists are more likely to produce autistic children. That also suggests to me that people who are autistic are more likely to be attracted to the science fields, by virtue of their being “systemizers.” I don’t know if its true or not, but it bears thinking about.
