yes and yes. but Jim Carey and Juggy Playmate (fake jugs) say that vaccines are cancer / autism / ADD causing poison so the misunderstanding persists. to the point where whooping cough and other diseases are making a comeback. thanks Hollywood. for your verbose morons
back in 2003 when i was a news guy at a radio station in illinois (worst state to live in EVER, btw), i covered a seminar orchestrated by a law local law firm who were hoping to gin up a class action lawsuit against at least one vaccine manufacturer due to their use of thimerosal, a preservative in vaccines which purportedly contains about 48% mercury. the firm's entire case was predicated on the notion that thimerosal irrefutably causes autism.
the firm placed numerous charts and diagrams on the projector in an effort to convince about 200 autism parents of their crusade's righteousness, among which were statistics claiming autism cases ballooned in perfect dovetail fashion with the increased use of vaccines starting in the early 1990s.
they almost made a compelling case as i recall, but i think one must first determine if perhaps the definition of "autism" had changed at all over the years, causing increased numbers of children to be diagnosed when they otherwise wouldn't have been.
in the last 20 years i think the american medical/psych business has tended toward a more hasty diagnosis of NUMEROUS disorders, among which are autism, dyslexia, manic depression, depression, ADD, ADHD, alcoholism, or just being a general asshole. some of it is because of sloppy, greedy, or lazy doctors and psychiatrists. some of it is because of pressure placed on professionals by needy, attention craving patients who incessantly seek pity from anyone unfortunate enough to interact with them routinely. many americans are PROUD of their diseases/disorders and can't wait to be diagnosed so they can apprise you of their plight. it's a badge of distinction... an excuse for inadequacy and irresponsibility... and a token of uniqueness to be worn on one's sleeve. fuck 'em.
anyway, back on point: the law firm never addressed the whole "shifting definition" possibility, and their entire case seemed based entirely on select statistics.
sorry for the tangential rant against our culture's many soft (literally and figuratively), useless bags of water.
time for some nicotine gum. yay.