"It's Bulls**t!" Jenny McCarthy Takes None Of It Where Autism Is Concerned, Even If She Is On TV

Yesterday was World Autism Awareness Day, and as part of CNN's week-long programming for autism awareness Larry King dedicated the full hour of his program to discussing autism and how reported cases had skyrocketed in recent years, and the debate over the culpability of vaccinations in children with autism. Former MTV star Jenny McCarthy is now an outspoken activist on behalf of parents, ever since her son Evan was diagnosed with autism at age 2. McCarthy was on with King for the full hour, and her passion and fierceness was riveting as she described how parents kept having identical stories about a perfectly healthy child getting immunized, coming down with a fever and never quite being the same again. McCarthy called it a "global epidemic" — current statistics estimate that 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism, and 1 in 94 boys (boys are 4 times as likely to be diagnosed as being on the "autism spectrum" than girls. The debate about autism has been about vaccines, and questioning whether mercury and other elements in vaccines is to blame. Said McCarthy:

I believe that parents' anecdotal information is science-based information. And when the entire world is screaming the same thing -- doctor, I came home. He had a fever. He stopped speaking and then he became autistic. I can't -- I can see if it was just one parent saying this. But when so many -- and I speak to thousands of moms every weekend and they're all standing up and saying the same thing. It's time to start listening to that. That is science-based information. Parents' anecdotal is science-based information.

In the second half of the program, two pediatricians joined the program who didn't believe that there was a link between vaccines and autism, and McCarthy wasn't having any of it. "Are we considered acceptable losses?" she asked dangerously after a point was raised on the cost-benefit of vaccinations, and what they offered in terms of prevention. "Give my son the measles! I'll take that over autism any day." It was also around that point that she called the standard vaccination program "bullshit" without missing a beat. CNN deleted the expletive in the transcript but not on air, because they don't call it "Larry King Live" for nothing. Watch it below:

The whole show was riveting and so is the read, if you want to check out the transcript here. I'm with Jenny, 1 in 150 is a staggering number and these dots don't connect any other way. CNN has focused a lot of time on autism this week for World Autism Awareness Day, including numerous segments across all its shows domestically and internationally from "American Morning" to "The Situation Room" and even to "Election Center" where last night Campbell Brown's final segment dealt with the position of the presidential candidates on the topic (which, by the way, is a great idea - I would love to see more issues examined this way). CNN senior producer John Dear shares his own story of his son, Jonas, who became autistic after the whole family was sick, but never quite recovered:

I remember distinctly it was December 2006. My entire family became sick at the same time. Our two boys, my pregnant wife and I had projectile vomiting. It was unusual not because we were miserable simultaneously, but because Jonas (18 months at that time) never seemed like himself after everyone else got over it. He no longer wanted to cuddle with us and would not respond to us when called. The eye contact disappeared, and he started tapping with his fingertips on anything he could find. We bought a set of drums and a keyboard thinking he'd be this great musician with his new obsession. Up until that point he had been developing normally, but now the few words he knew were no longer there and he was completely non-verbal.

These are stunning stories, and it is incredible that they are happening in 1 out of every 150 kids. Kudos to CNN for giving it that kind of coverage. I'm glad I saw this show last night.

Jenny McCarthy: The day I heard my son had autism [CNN]
Transcript: Larry King Live, April 2, 2008 [CNN]
Help For Jonas - One Family's Story [Paging Dr. Gupta - CNN]
Facts About Autism [Austism Speaks]

Also on Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Blog, "Paging Dr. Gupta":
Finding Amanda
Continuing to place the puzzle pieces
Navigating Emma's Autism (by CNN Senior Writer Phil Riley, also Emma's dad)

Related:
MMR Vaccine Controverersy
[Wikipedia]
Debate Rages Anew on Vaccine-Autism Link [ABC]

Comments

[arsphidius]

My son is autistic. Looking back, I can see the signs of it from his infancy. There is no doubt in my mind that his autism is something he was born with, and not in any way related to his vaccinations. Autism is a neurological condition, not a disease.

[CraigWilloughby]

Have you experienced regressive autism? I ask this, because you mention that your son exhibited signs from birth. What do you say to those parents who had perfectly normal children until right after a vaccination, when their child suddenly developed a very high fever, horrible screams, brain swelling, and then loses the ability to communicate?

[trinity]

I think there are many possible causes of autism...B­laming it soley on the vaccines (and thus wanting to do away with them) is silly. They're are many people around here screaming against the vaccines because of the high incidence of autism in the area. However, industry dumps tons of mercury as well as other toxic chemicals in Lake Michigan every day. Since the lake is the main source of water in this area, it's a wonder that no one has spoken up about it. So let's do away with vaccines, guess polio isn't so bad afterall. But keep drinking contaminated water and eating contaminated fish.

[rh654]

But - we are Americans - we like the EASY answer - we don't want to have be responsible in any way for anything - we want to blame everyone else - assume that THEY are responsible and that if only THEY fix it everything would be fine. People think that they can eat, drink, anything they want prior to reproduction - reproduce and damn it the baby better be just 100% fine or else it is someone else's fault - it could never be the fault of someone who does not eat well, exercise and take care of themselves prior to reproduction - it could never be just shear bad luck - it can never be that the child was exposed at home to crap that went into their system and affected them - NOPE - it can NEVER be anything other than - a shot.

Yup - good Americans - eat, drink and be merry and if something bad happens - well there must be someone to blame and sue for it...

[CraigWilloughby]

trinity, very few of us want to get rid of vaccines entirely. We are just asking for the CDC et al to remove the toxins and to develop safer vaccination schedules. I don't disagree with you concerning mercury and toxins in the environment, but injecting these toxins into an immature baby's bloodstream is really not a good idea, is it?

[Orac]

Ah, yes, the antivaccinationist toxic myth about vaccines:

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=9

Try again.

[GQTaste]

This is the same "lady" who acted like a skank for years. How bout this instance from just three years ago:

http://www.hollywoodrag.com/index.php?/weblog/comments/jenny_mccarthy_wets_her_pants/

http://images.phun.org/phun/galleries/naked_celebrities/jenny_mccarthy.jpg

Or when she did that Candies ad where she's on the toilet w/ her panties on the ground? Very lady like.

http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/531/jenny019732135kc8.jpg

And of course she did that show "Singled Out" acting a fool.

[CraigWilloughby]

Oh, yawn..

Her kid was injured by a vaccine and she is righteously angry. End of story

[Orac]

No, her kid was not (because according to her own account in her own book she noted signs that something wasn't right when Evan was an infant, although she clearly didn't recognize the significance of them and because there is no good scientific evidence to support the contention that vaccines cause autism), and she is boorish, not "righteous":

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2008/04/the_huffington_post_and_vaccines.php

[Alvin4NY]

I think the people behind the big Pharm companies have the same people behind them as Defense Contractors, Republicans (Media) systematically brainwashing people that they need drugs for "restless leg" the penis that wears out of natural causes at 70, and every sniff, cough, allergy, headache, and depression known to man. When they see profit potential, it's a little hard to make them change direction and do more research. You think all the Defense Contractors were hoping that The Weapons Inspectors had found the WMD's? Nah. Too much money to be made.

[rh654]

"Skank"? Sounds like someone knows he could never get a Jenny McCarthy and hasn't come to grips with it yet...

[GQTaste]

Not at all. I just remember her from the '90's. And it's amazing what an image makeover will do for people. I'm sorry her kid is sick, but some of you have real short memories about how she came into the public light.

She posed nude and acted like a horse's ass on tv and print. She was the good-looking wacky chick. Remember.

[adc]

I liked Jenny much better when she kept her mouth shut and her clothes off.

[InstantDogma]

Do your parents know you are using their computer? Shouldn't you be in bed for school?

[adc]

I think you've got too much tofu in your diet. You should try to work it off with a rousing rendition on Kumbyay. Then you can go hug a tree.

[rh654]

The Autism debate is a bit like Global Warming. The vast majority of science says that the shots do not cause autism - just like the vast majority of science says Global Warming is happening.­.. But in both cases there is a vocal minority that points to studies by a small minority that supports their position. Sort of interesting how the sides flip-flop depending not on science but on what they "feel" should be the correct answer.

[InstantDogma]

You analogy doesn't work. Who is paying for the research into whether autims and vaccinations have a plausible connection?

[rh654]

The CDC itself says that there is no evidence linking vaccines to autism. Sorry to break this to you but both sides show a lot of hypocrisy with their relation to pseudoscience.

[Orac]

The NIH and the CDC, for two, plus the health ministries of other countries (foreign studies).

[JohnBarleycorn]

Although nothing will ever stop the conspiracy theorists, here now Rear Adm. Anne Schuchat's written response on the autism controversy. Please read it with an open mind and without the hysteria so often associated with this topic.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/04/04/cdc.commentary/index.html

[Clinton]

* The amount of chemical additives found in vaccines is very small and may not be enough to cause a serious allergic response.
* In July 1999, the Federal government asked vaccine manufacturers to work towards eliminating or reducing the use of thimerosal, a preservative which contains small amounts of mercury, in any products currently available on the market. Today, all routinely recommended pediatric vaccines manufactured for the U.S. market contain no thimerosal or only trace amounts.

Sounds less than definitive. Or am I just being hysterical? You are certainly condescending.

[gojackets]

Now, seriously.­..did you really have to put in the condescending part?

I believe this person was trying to inject some intelligent discussion on this board - although I've come to understand that you truly believe that "intelligence" is limited to those that agree with you. Instead, after attacking me for being snide and personally attacking ME several times, you have to get in a personal dig against him I really am beginning to feel sorry for you and that great big chip your carrying around on your shoulder.

[CraigWilloughby]

And then in 2002, Bush started lobbying to put it back in. It has never actually been completely removed from vaccines, as shown on the FDA website. Its interesting to note that the EPA suggests that 3.5 parts per billion of mercury poses a serious health risk. A vaccine containing 0.01% thimerosal as a preservative contains 50 micrograms of thimerosal per 0.5 mL dose or approximately 25 micrograms of mercury per 0.5 mL dose. http://www.fda.gov//CBER/vaccine/thimerosal.htm), which, I'm sorry to say, is over that 3.5 ppb that he EPA suggests. It is NOT safe. What needs to happen is that;

A. They actually REMOVE the mercury and other poisons from the vaccines or;
B. They come to a concensus as to what a damaging dose is.

Sadly, our illustreous and greedy government will probably d the latter.

[gojackets]

Good try, but I'm afraid it's such an emotional issue that it's gotten to the point that people will only acknowledge or put any weight in that which reinforces their previously held opinions.

The sad part is that everyone is after the same thing, but there is just too much defensiveness. No one wants to believe that they might be on the wrong side of this issue.

[Clinton]

I sincerely hope there is no connection between vaccines and autism. I also hope that the pharmaceutical industry didn't inadvertently give anyone autism via mercury poisoning. And
I hope they aren't trying to slant or suppress information to avoid liability.

[rh654]

Autism is going down the same road as Global Warming. Science doesn't matter to the "true believers" who shun science in favor of anecdotal evidence, conspiracy theories - and you know for the people who do not want to follow the science - they prefer to believe in what they "feel" should be correct rather than allowing science to help answer the questions. Of course many of the same people shun science regarding autism but believe it in 100% for global warming and vice versa....

[candlewax]

You go Jenny! They treat our children with a "one size fits all" mentality never bothering to consider that there might be genetic pre-dispositions that are activated or triggered by the vaccines and their toxic ingredients. Thimerosal (50% mercury) should never be put into the human body. Mercury is a nerve poison. Why are we still using mercury in amalgam fillings and in our vaccines in ANY quantity!!

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

The FDA is corrupt. Big pharma funds FDA studies. Big pharma's lawyers wrote the medicare bill.

Your food and drugs are not safe and that's a fact.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/eafus.html

[lisakaz]

Thanks for the info. I have mercury poisoning and no one can say where it came from. It might have been there since childhood immunizations in fact. The conventional docs say I have MS but I have no family history of it. I suspect I was one of those sensitive ppl.

[rh654]

Let us not forget that the diagnosis of autism has already been widened to include many, many cases that in the past was not labeled "autism". Let us not forget that the far right hates science - but the people too far out on the autism issue likewise are throwing away science to go with "what they feel should be the answer". It is indeed a wonderful time when we can not have recent memory of outbreaks of Polio, Whooping Cough, and all of the other diseases that human-kind feared for thousands of years. If we had one year of a true polio outbreak or other nasty disease people would be fighting and clawing to get their kids vaccinated and that is the bottom line.

[CraigWilloughby]

"Let us not forget that the diagnosis of autism has already been widened to include many, many cases that in the past was not labeled "autism". "

Since when has there EVER been 1 in 150 mentally disabled people?

Additionally, in the US, 90% of polio cases in the past 30 years were caused by the vaccine.

[MNmommy]

Remember those institutions that were mostly closed down during the Reagan administration?

Do you think that just because they were closed down children of the sort that used to inhabit them stopped being born?

I see you are conversant in the current statistics for autism, do you know the rates for ADHD, Childhood Bipolar or Childhood Schizophrenia?

[LeoMarvin]

I was going to make a joke, but I decided it's in bad taste, so I won't. Instead I'll ask why you never responded to my reply to your insulting comment below SEQUOIABISON's comment @ 6:52 P.M. last night.

[rh654]

1) Again - we have widened the net a lot on what we consider "mentally disabled" - not to long ago people were said to be "slow" or some other word but now is "mentally disabled". Look if you want to say that senior citizens start at age 40 now - you can say "Wow, look there are now more "Senior Citizens" - which is true but it is simply a trick of widening the net.

2) Polio - GASP you mean that life is not perfect? But - you have got to be kidding us to believe that the world would be better off without the polio vaccine - you might want to a little research on the fear that gripped the United States alone every polio "season" to see what people lived with...

[MNmommy]

Jenny McCarthy is the one full of bullshit.

Funny, she never mentions on national television her belief in the Indigo and Crystal children nonsense.

It's genetics folks - acceptance and treatment will get you a lot further than finger pointing and denial. Y'all waste so much energy and become so bitter trying to find a *cause*. Accept, embrace and love your children for who they are and not who you want them to be.

[CraigWilloughby]

Then go ahead and inject mercury and formaldahyde and arsenic and alluminum sulfate and ammonia into your child's veins and come back and talk to us. We'll be waiting

[MNmommy]

My kids are both fully vaccinated, up to date including meningococcal and HPV.

That said, both my kids suffer from GENETIC disorders of the brain that they unfortunately inherited from my husband and I. I love them dearly and see that they get the proper treatment and therapy to ameliorate their symptoms. They both participate in gifted programs at public schools, though my son has an IEP.

Any further questions?

[CraigWilloughby]

Oh, and another thing. To find a cure, we must first find a cause. Any of those doctors you worship will tell you that.

[wolfgangmo]

Yes, but to effect a "cure" one only needs to assume a cause. IF you are wrong then move on to the next assumed cause.

This is individualized medicine.

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

Once again, and as always you show your ignorance. Exactly what do you know about divalent organometallic compounds?

[MNmommy]

Always with the ad hominems from you - do you have a child that is not neuro-typical?

I have two.

I don't know much about divalent organometallic compounds, but I do know a lot about neurological disabilities, statistics and a bit about genetics.

[Stucco]

I don't know what "Indigo and Crystal children nonsense" is, and I also didn't hear her talk about her belief in Santa Claus or the kindness of strangers, so what- she's wrong? She was ready to provide some compelling arguments and press for answers from whomever that was opposing her view. How is that bullshit? Oh- no wait, I get it. She doesn't agree with you.

And because your experiences (see, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here that you have some relevant experiences, you'll observe) don't reflect hers, she's wrong? I (claim to have) swallowed a bottle of aspirin and chased it down with a gallon of bleach, and I (claim to as a result) feel better than ever. Would you like to do the same, since a testimonial is as good as a fact in your view?

Okay, here's a less dangerous example of your fallacy- you flipped a coin and it landed on heads. I flipped that same coin later and got tails. I then go on to publicly deny that you ever flipped that coin and had it land on heads, because my results were different. Then I called you names because I lack compassion and empathy.

[lisakaz]

Then why the spike in incidents? Ever consider that nutrition, the environment and immunizations have something to do with this?

[kellygrrrl]

Jenny McCarthy is highly informed and extremely brave. It is insultive to dismiss her based on her looks.

Go Jenny!!!

[MNmommy]

This Jenny McCarthy?

http://www.childrenofthenewearth.com/free.php?page=articles_free/mccarthy_jenny/article1

Bwah!

[CraigWilloughby]

And what does this have to do with anything? So, she has different beliefs. Last I checked, religious and intellectual freedom were still very much a part of this country.

Oh, wait...I see. She's different from you, so therefore she must be ridiculed. Just like all of these parents who just want safer vaccines are different from you, and therefore must be ridiculed.

Its a very elementary-school mentality.­..

[gojackets]

What the F*** was THAT?

[GQTaste]

Naw, this one:

http://images.phun.org/phun/galleries/naked_celebrities/jenny_mccarthy.jpg

[SEQUOIABISON]

Vaccines do not work and are harmful to our health.

This is a scam and profit making ripoff by the Pharmaceutical industry.

The biggest promoters of this vile approach to healthcare are those who have not read anything pertaining to the harmful effects of vaccines.

I have been studying this subject for the last 25 years and would never subject my child to such barbaric treatment it is tantamount to using leaches or bleeding a patient to extract toxins from their body.

Vaccines simply do not work as claimed and in fact are extremely harmful to our children, our young kids have great difficulty trying to deal with the very toxic ingredients in those poisoned needles and many lasting side effects occur as a result of this deception by the medical profession.

MD stands for Medicinal Doctor and this branch of healthcare has dominated our approach to achieving healthy bodies, there are far more effective ways to insure good health but using Medicine and vaccinations is certainly not one of them.

I would advice those who shout the loudest about the importance of vaccinations do a little research and homework on the subject before simply repeating what their MD Doctor tells them and stop promoting drugs as a way of staying healthy. Personally I have not taken a pill or any type of medication for over 25 years and consider myself very healthy.

[gojackets]

Inform us, oh wise one: what are your more "effective ways"?

[Clinton]

you really don't know do you? why so sarcastic? Consider anthropology: there are indigenous populations known to have very good general health until they become exposed to the West.

[Clinton]

By the way, do you really have a degree in physics?

[westreal]

I remember having the measles and mumps. Was it hell? Yes. Would I prefer it to Autism? Yes!

Jenny Mcarthey is passionate about this and thank God she was there because Larry King and any other reporter would have lobbed softball questions and rebuttals. When Jenny asked was it OK to inject your kids with mercury, cyanide and other poisons and the guy said "they're already in the atmosphere", I was floored. So his excuse is since everyone is breathing it already why not just shoot them up with it. No wonder why we have Alzheimer's, high cancer rates, can't sit still longer than 5 minutes at a time. All of this sh!t took off at about the same time as those vaccination shots.

[lisakaz]

And I'm supposed to trust these folks who dismiss what I have as "incurable" MS? (I have mercury poisoning.­)

[gojackets]

I'm confused..­..how do you know you have mercury poisoning?

[Orac]

The guy may not have put it as well as it could be put, but he is not wrong. The whole "toxins" in vaccines thing is a myth that relies on a complete lack of understanding of pharmacology plus scary-sounding ingredients to deceive:

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=9

[CraigWilloughby]

I don't see how it is a myth.

Is Mercury in vaccines? Yes. Is mercury a toxic chemical? Hell yes!
Is Formaldahyde in vaccines? Yes. Is formaldahyde a toxic chemical? Yes.
Is Ammonia in vaccines? Yes. Is ammonia a toxic chemical? I sure as hell wouldn't drink it.

I don't think I need to go on.

[BishkekBuddy]

What concerns me the most about this entire issue is that too many parents will use this as a reason NOT to vaccinate their children..­. and I've seen too much of what happens to kids who don't get those vaccines.

[eaglecapri]

BishkekBuddy,

Maybe you should spend time with autistic children and their families to see 'what happens to kids who DO get those vaccines'.

Measles over autism? Yes! I'm with Jenny!

[Dendera]

This just proves my point below that we have been so lucky to live in such a privaleged nation that we have forgotten how deadly and costly (in terms of true human suffering) these diseases are in this world. Do we really want the US to re-join the dire end of the world stats?:

From the WHO: "Measles remains a leading cause of death among young children, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine for the past 40 years. "
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs286/en/

[CraigWilloughby]

People like you assume that just because we are asking for safer vaccines, it automatically means that we are telling people not to vaccinate. I have vaccinated all 3 of my children. My oldest daughter has high-functioning Aspergers, my son is completely non-verbal, and my youngest daughter (she was the only one we did not follow the schedule for. We spread out her shots) is perfectly normal. So, how does that make me someone who refuses to vaccinate my children?

Again I ask; if you and your children are vaccinated, then what are you concerned about? They are protected, are they not?

"Never make an assumption; it makes an ass of you and umption." Samuel L. Jackson

[Dendera]

1 in 150 children who are vaccinated are believed to be 'on the autism spectrum' (an incredibly vague criteria). That would mean 149 in 150 who are vaccinated are not. That is far stronger anecdotal evidence for there being no link than it is for there being one.

Meanwhile, we live in a society so privileged it has forgotten how many children used to die, get maimed or live with mental defect after suffering from measles, mumps, rubella, polio and even the purportedly benign chicken pox (proven, clear, scientific, factual evidence, not anecdotes) .

So, yes, the real causes of autism need to be found and treatments and cures need to be developed. But to give in to paranoia that goes against all scientific evidence is madness. But that is what will happen -- the paranoia of 'what if' will win very soon; parents will stop taking up vaccinations for their children; the old diseases will come back with a vengeance, and they may be of divergent strains for which we have no cures, treatments or vaccinations. And we will reap a health crisis whirlwind the likes of which we have long forgotten in America. Children will suffer and die in far larger numbers than those who now suffer with autism. Then we will learn -- the hard way -- on the backs of our children -- the wages of paranoia over science.

[Sumocat]

"we live in a society so privileged it has forgotten how many children used to die, get maimed or live with mental defect after suffering from measles, mumps, rubella, polio and even the purportedly benign chicken pox" -- You do realize that vaccines are inactive and/or lesser forms of these diseases, except instead of contracting them one at a time, we inject them in volume or in rapid succession into children in order to trigger similar immune system responses. With the "real" diseases, it is the body's response, such as a fever, that often does the damage responsible for lingering effects, such as mental defect. So basically, instead of contracting one disease and triggering an immune response, children are being given vaccines intended to trigger multiple immune responses at or around the same time. Certainly there's no proof that the cocktail is lethal, but logically there is clear potential for harm.

[rzan]

"Let's take it down a notch, Jenny.."

What an asshole. Let's put down the mother with the autistic child who is fighting for other austistic children. Does his child have autism? I guess he can afford to be a real cool guy about it all. I'll listen to the mothers before I'll listen to this asshole. They know what they are talking about.

[ordinaryguy]

YOURE TH A**HOLE. LARRY GIVES JENNY A FORUM, AND SHE PAYS HIM BACK WITH BEHAVIOR THAT COULD GET THE ATTENTION OF THE FCC.

[MB141]

so now we're worried about Larry King and the FCC? what the F**K?