Autism epidemic deniers will never acknowledge that autism is really increasing. Another expert however has stated that autism is increasing in Denmark, Sweden and the United States. Adopting the logic of experts like Dr. Eric Fombonne and Dr. Judy Minshew Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist Patsy Stinchfield, a member of the CDC Advisory Committee that recommended that children in the US get annual flu shots, dismissed concerns that thimerosal in vaccines contributes to autism:
"Autism is a devastating condition but efforts to prevent autism by removing mercury from vaccines have been ineffective, even when mercury banned in the 1990s in a couple of European countries.
"Denmark and Sweden, right. So no change. So they said 'Well if we think its Thimerosal or mercury, we'll take it out.' And they took it out and same in the United States," said Stinchfield. "And autism has done nothing but continue to increase.""
Fombonne, Minshew and CDC advisor Stinchfield all argue that thimerosal has been disproven as a causal factor for autism disorders. For their arguments to have merit the autism increases they are referencing as disproving any thimerosal autism connection would have to be real and not reflections of diagnostic definition expansion or ascertainment factors.
