From the “Fact Checker” column in the Washington Post, an analysis of statements made by the McCain and Obama campaigns about autism, particularly about the alleged link between vaccines and autism.

Two leading presidential candidates have now wandered into an exceptionally emotional medical debate in which they have no known scientific expertise. Several advocacy groups and families of children with autism are embroiled in a long-running court case seeking billions of dollars in damages because of alleged links between autism and a preservative in vaccines given to children at a young age. While some doctors have testified that there is a link, the medical establishment in the form of the World Health Organization, the Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dismissed the allegations as scientifically unfounded.

… The scientific debate will continue, but the body of evidence assembled so far suggests no proven link. Both McCain and Obama are wrong to suggest that the scientific verdict is still hanging in the balance.

Note afternoon update: An Obama campaign spokesman supplies video which suggests that the candidate may not have been referring to himself when he said “some people” were suspicious about a connection between autism and vaccines.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 at 4:48 am and is filed under autism, commentary, politics, vaccine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.