MMR & The Media

Well this has been doing the rounds as it seems that media are yet again making mountain out of molehills.

I have quite a long winded and strong opinion on the subject as I'm autistic myself and reacted to the MMR. I guess the best thing to do first is explain my "story" a bit and how it has affected my opinion...

After having the MMR vaccine, I slowly started to go "backwards" ie talked mumbo jumbo (ok that's still the case today), stopped being active and stopped eating and I also became very ill. These changes were noticed by my parents but ignored by the doctors at first who said that nothing was wrong with me. Until I got so ill that no one could disagree the point and so I went to hospital. My immune system had completely collapsed. I slowly got better, but I was still pretty "backwards" and never returned to the way I was before. To give a simple example of a clear and indisputable change I could no longer handle many foods and became a fussy eater. (Strongly believed that most Autistic individuals have one or more senses that are very sensitive - e.g. some can't stand noise) My mum was sure there was something wrong with me and eventually decided it was time to make sure she wasn't just being paranoid and took me to a child's psychiatrist, where eventually I was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome.

Now, rather than believing MMR caused my autism I lean more to the point that it probably worsened it, because I went backwards and so it was more noticeable after the MMR than before. I also believe I'll never truly know until the root cause of autism is discovered, which hasn't happened yet, despite tonnes of research. Now due to this fact, when some people were having MMR boosters at 16, I decided not to have one, as I wasn't sure in my own mind that the same thing wouldn't happen again. My decision was made from my own experience and research into the area, rather than influenced by the massive idiots which are known as the media. I also believe that no matter what your decision on the topic, as long as you've made the decision yourself which is an informed one then you shouldn't be judged or ridiculed.

I think the media's done a good job of shooting down the cause it is supposedly supporting. Some of these parents have real fears, real cases (of course thanks to the media for every real case there are about 15-30 false ones because people jumped on the "bandwagon" which makes it very hard to do anything about because if you were to make a study, 1 in 20 would have actually reacted and the rest are making it up) and these few that should be getting support and help to explain what happened, can't because they are being ridiculed by the over exaggeration by the media. I can't tell you how frustrating that is, when most just want an answer to what happened to their kids and the support. Perhaps the media should turn their attention to campaigning for more support and help for those familes who do have autistic children. Or jump on the recent NSPCC campaign about making it a right to have councelling. Let the government and authorities find out what happened in these few cases without it being constantly in the newspapers. It's not a crazy thing to want answers.