The fear created a general public that was afraid to allow their children to get the life saving MMR and in turn many parents have denied their children vaccinations at all. Parents' fears of some connection between the vaccination and/or its ingredient makeup cause or trigger autism and an accompanying serious bowel disease is related to a single, very limited research study conducted in the UK (n 12). There has been a substantial increase in incidents of autism over the last 20 or so years and the extreme social, physical, emotional, financial and educational complications it can have parents and others seek to find a common link. (Steuernagel, 2005, p.138) the onset of the symptoms of the disease often coincides with the vaccination years, but most physicians argue this is the only link, a coincidence in time. In some locations, due to the scare the vaccination rates have dropped below acceptable levels and the diseases, especially the sometimes deadly measles, are increasing once again to pre-vaccination rates. According to the seminal authorities on immunization safety there is no scientifically-based connection between autism and the MMR vaccination and the risks taken by those who deny their children essential vaccination far outweigh any risks they could incur from the MMR. The reason why this scare has gained so much momentum is in part associated with the fact that there is a real correlation between the time in which children begin to exhibit symptoms and the receiving of immunizations. Even if this is the only connection real underlying causes are unknown by the medical community and early research was released to the public as news, because autism can be such a fundamentally life shattering disease.
The general public has ideas about what it means to be scientific, the media has ideas about what it means to be scientific and the scientific community has a set of ideas and definitions that more appropriately define scientific terms and standards. This work serves as a basic introduction to several concepts of science; scientific method, scientific theory & law, inductive & deductive reasoning, variables, controls and correlation and lastly it describes a topic in biology that often gives the public difficulty because of the nature of scientific definitions and ideas, differing from the public understanding of them. A greater understanding of scientific terminology is essential to conducting scientific inquiry as lay definitions are simply not acceptable as sources for definitions of scientific terminology and understanding.
Works Cited
Matson Ronald R. PhD, Scientific Laws and Theories May 1, 2008 http://science.kennesaw.edu/~rmatson/Biol%203380/3380theory.html.
Purcell, Edward a. The Crisis of Democratic Theory: Scientific Naturalism & the Problem of Value. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 1973.
Sawin, Enoch I. "The Scientific Method and Other Bases for Evaluation Procedures." ETC.: A Review of General Semantics 62.4 (2005): 386.
Steuernagel, T. Increases in Identified Cases of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Policy Implications. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 16(3), 2005, 138.
Trochim, William, M.K. The Research Methods Knowledge Base. Cincinnati, OH: Atomic Dog Publishing 2001.
