CDC has advised against sharing this kind of information on social media. They claim the datasets analyzed different years and were from different sources (that does not appear to be entirely true – both include CA county level data encompassing some of the same years). To be fair, the white and wealthy may not have been tracked by DDS Smoking Gun?
1. Paraphrased: California Department of Public Health Data analysis (2007-2013) shows higher percentages of personal belief vaccine exemptions among high income, private school, and white-race students.
Y. T. Yang, et.al. Sociodemographic Predictors of Vaccination Exemptions on the Basis of Personal Belief in California. American Journal of Public Health 106, no.1 (Jan 2016) pp.172-177 https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302926
2. “County-level ASD prevalence was estimated using an age-resolved snapshot from the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) for birth years 1993–2013. ASD prevalence increased among all children across birth years 1993–2000 but plateaued or declined thereafter among whites from wealthy counties. In contrast, ASD rates increased continuously across 1993–2013 among whites from lower income counties and Hispanics from all counties. Both white ASD prevalence and rate of change in prevalence were inversely correlated to county income from birth year 2000–2013 but not 1993–2000. These disparate trends within the dataset suggest that wealthy white parents, starting around 2000, may have begun opting out of DDS in favor of private care and/or making changes that effectively lowered their children’s risk of ASD.” [or . . . changes like vaccine exemptions?!!]
Nevison, Cynthia et.al. California Autism Prevalence by County and Race/Ethnicity: Declining Trends Among Wealthy Whites. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 50, 4011-4021(Mar 2020). DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04460-0
So, are parents using private care instead of DDS as suggested by the author, and thereby skewing the numbers? This very study, found white wealthy counties are experiencing declines in autism prevalence by using multiple different datasets, DDS, a dataset from the National Center of Education Statistics, and other datasets.
To expand on the author’s suggestion, some things that come to mind that they’re doing that may also account for the decline:
> reducing the number &/or types of vaccines
> slowing down the schedule*
> not vaccinating prior to age 1
> not vaccinating at all
> "Every day" millionaires know people and are privy to inside information, guidance and possibly treatments not available to the rest of us.
*when my kids were young, late ‘70’s - ‘80’s, the MMR wasn’t given until around 18-24 months and the booster was given right before starting school., age 5. As many of you know, today they get the first of a series of 3 within the first year and receive the 2 boosters by, I believe, no later than age 2. Someone correct me if needed, but my recall gives a good snapshot of the change. In the past year or so I read the drug insert for the MMR (you know, the info papers you’re given for all medications except vaccines. Even over the counter drugs provide info.) That MMR insert continues to recommend the 2 vaccination schedule, but adds that if the first vaccine is given prior to the 2 series age schedule then 3 vaccines must be given.
