Meet the Press Debate

A Dream Come True

Tomorrow it happens--the thing we've been waiting for since the publication of David Kirby's Evidence of Harm.

Tomorrow, Sunday, August 8, on NBC's "Meet the Press" a small footnote in the history of autism in America will be written: the first face-to-face debate on a national news program between experts on the opposing sides of the autism-mercury debate. David Kirby will go up against the best the Institute of Medicine has to offer: its president, Harvey Fineberg.

Our movement could not have a better representative in David Kirby, whose book is read both as a thriller story on how the original mercury moms discovered the connection and fought to get it recognized as an important medical theory, and an encyclodpedia for understanding in minute detail this controversy. David's credentials are a great match for his unsought, unintended role as autism superhero:

He has served as a public relations and media spokesperson for national figures such as Elizabeth Taylor, and as a science contributor to top-level magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times. So far in his media appearances, Kirby's blend of fact, cool-headedness and incisive responses to tough questions has gained increasing respect that culminates tomorrow on America's oldest, most watched Sunday debate show, "Meet the Press."

Got some questions for Dr. Fineberg? I am eager to hear him respond to such questions as:

"Dr. Fineberg: The IOM relied on the CDC study by Thomas Verstraeten in its 2004 statement ruling out the mercury-autism connection. The CDC has consistently denied access to independent researchers to the data used for that study. Now the CDC claims the original datasets have been destroyed. Should the IOM revisit its 2004 conclusion since the Verstraeten study can now never be rerun or replicated?"

"Dr. Fineberg: The IOM's vaccine review board relied on CDC, Danish and UK epidemiological studies to reject TCVs (thimerosal containing vaccines) as a possible causal agent in autism-spectrum discrders. Has any of those studies been replicated by any other scientists? If not, why not? If a scientific study cannot be replicated, what is the IOM's policy regarding the validity and acceptance of it?"

"Dr. Fineberg: If, hypothetically, a 15 day old infant received 31.4 times the EPA daily exposure limit for mercury, injected into his body, would you say that could put that infant at risk for neurogical damage?

And, what if the same infant, at 4 months received another injection of mercury, this time 64 times in excess of the EPA safe limits? Would you consider the possibility of that causing neurological damage to that infant?

Let's say, that same infant had another injected exposure to mercury at 8 month of age, this time 46.34 times the amount considered "safe" for that baby's weight.  Can you say with absolute conviction that a baby that has received that much mercury injected directly into it's little body, particularly in such a short time frame, could not suffer neurological damage?

How about if the next round, two months later at 10 months of age, introduces, via injection 58 times the EPA exposure limit to mercury, and then again at 17 months another 23 times the limit, and finally at 23 months, this child finally gets a final injection of mercury at 20 times the EPA safe levels.

At what point, if ever, would you consider the possibility that mercury could possibly hurt that child, and how would you prove that any exposure to mercury via injection does not cause autism?

That is what happened to my son. Can you prove to me that mercury did not cause his autism?

Ricci Carole King
Seattle, WA

Predictions:

1. Fineberg will lose the debate and credibility. The evidence makes it increasingly difficult for the medical establishment folks to hide behind their creaky, flawed epidemiological studies in the face of mounting evidence from the labs, clinics and state departments of special services that mercury seems to be playing a role in the decade-long uptick of autism spectrum disorders.

2. Kirby's talking points will be:

• Injecting mercury into children, at any level, is stupid. The EPA has said there is NO safe limit for a developing child's exposure to lead. The same should be true for mercury, which is even more toxic.
• When it comes to mercury and our children, the argument shouldn't be about "evidence of harm," it should be "evidence of safety," and there is none. Not a single safety study on thimerosal since the 1930s Indiana menigitis experiment.
• When the IOM said Agent Orange didn't cause cancer, the Vietnam vets didn't believe them. And the vets were right. When the IOM said injections of mercury don't cause autism, parents didn't and don't believe them. And the evidence continues to mount in support of parents.
• The biggest danger to our nation's vaccination program is mercury and the mistrust it has caused. Get it out. And then get in the lab and find out what has been done to these children. Quit hiding behind ginned-up, conflicted epidemiological studies. Quit blaming parents and fix it.
• The Vaccine Safety Datalink, paid for by American tax dollars, should be opened to independent researchers. Quit keeping the data secret from the American people. Quit destroying data. These families have a right to know.
• Dr. Fineberg, you and the CDC have done a great job of promoting vaccine awareness and rates. Thank you. Now do the other part of your job: safety and protection.

Comments

[Marky]

So, who do you think won the debate? We are so biased of course WE think Kirby kicked booty. Would like to see your take.

[mcewen]

I could mention a few more, but I wouldn't like to be negative now that I'm a 'born again' American. Or should that be 'citizen'.
Cheers

[Bess Horsefall]

I am sad that this even has to be discussed. Who really thinks injecting mercury into infants and toddler, military and travelers is a good idea? I think it is the biggest crime in human history. Period. www.ahtistik.net

[alison]

I signed for every shot, and even requested the chick pox @ 18 mos. Please update this post. I have real hatred for the CDC.