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Thimerosal and Autism: A Paradigm for Judges to Act As Gatekeepers
One of the principal problems in our civil justice system is holding a defendant responsible for some very bad harm that it did not cause. Acting as 'gatekeepers,' judges are the key persons who can prevent this injustice, and many keep out both so-called 'junk science' and preserve the integrity of our legal system. Some very well meaning judges, however, do not do so. Sometimes, they can be persuaded to allow a jury to have a look at a case that should have been dismissed.
Articles in both legal and scientific journals can foster these unfortunate results. For example, an article titled 'No Longer Immune?' which appeared in the July 2006 issue of the ABA Journal, left the impression that a legitimate debate, both legal and scientific, exists about whether the vaccine preservative, Thimerosal', causes autism. The foundation for the article's controversy about Thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism needs to be challenged and put to rest. In that regard, numerous independent researchers and public health authorities have rejected the theory that an increase in Thimerosal-containing vaccines caused a rapid increase in the rate of autism. Continuing to treat this theory as legitimate and plausible causes fear and confusion among parents and the general public. Resources that are currently being used to pursue illusory proof of this theory should be redirected toward other potentially promising research regarding autism. Shifting the focus off Thimerosal and onto the genetic basis of autism will serve the best interests of children affected by autism and their families. Such a shift will also benefit the scientific and pharmaceutical communities whose resources might better be utilized for more productive research and development.
The alleged link between Thimerosal and autism is predicated on one of the oldest fallacies known to mankind ' the post hoc propter hoc fallacy; See Prosser, Wade & Schwartz's Torts, pp. 267-269 (11th ed., 2005). In plain English, the fallacy is based on the assumption that if one event follows another, it was caused by the first event. Some have stretched this reasoning so far as to believe that the action in washing their car can cause inclement weather. As this article will outline, traced to its bottom predicate, the only link between Thimerosal and autism is that in some cases the disease follows the use of the product.
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