Walt Disney it would seem is having a tough time of it when it comes to credibility with parents. Last year it was the Baby Einstein kerfuffle. This year they’re in hot water with the American Academy of Pediatrics. If you haven’t heard, their problems surround Eli Stone, a new legal drama making its debut on ABC January 31st. Apparently the attorney title character represents the family of an autistic child seeking vaccine related damages. As you can only imagine, the jury awards the plaintiff $5.2 million.
Just for grins, listen to the closing arguments Attorney Stone makes to the jury:
“Is there proof that mercuritol causes autism? Yes. Is that proof direct or incontrovertible proof? No. But ask yourself if you’ve ever believed in anything or anyone without absolute proof.”
(Perhaps he’s right. And one other thing: How do we know the refrigerator light goes off when we shut the door?)
One of the show’s creators who admits in the New York Times piece to not aggressively seeking to have his own children vaccinated suggests that viewers will draw their own conclusions regarding vaccine safety.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has appropriately protested over fear that the episode will fuel further vaccine skepticism. A vast body of evidence has grown to disprove the vaccine-autism connection. Thimerosal, the demonic element peddled by Big Pharma, has long since been removed from vaccines but the incidence of autism remains unchanged.