Unfazed by this year's measles scare, anti-vaccination activist Robert Kennedy Jr. spoke at a screening of a film in Sacramento Tuesday night, at the Crest Theater, that continues to spread the misinformation that there is a link between autism and the vaccine preservative thimerosal. Saying that public officials, and the Centers for Disease Control can't be trusted, Kennedy told the audience at the screening, "They can put anything they want in that vaccine and they have no accountability for it," and "This is a holocaust, what this is doing to our country."

As the Sacramento Bee reports, the screening the film Trace Amounts comes just as California lawmakers are considering a bill, Senate Bill 277, that would eliminate the personal belief exemption for parents not wanting to vaccinate their kids. The film places all the emphasis on the mercury-based thimerosal, when in fact this isn't even a relevant argument anymore when it comes to vaccines. Though science has overwhelmingly rejected the previously suggested link between vaccination, in particular thimerosal, and autism, thimerosal is basically non-existent in contemporary vaccines. Per the Bee, "vaccine manufacturers have removed thimerosal from nearly all childhood vaccines (some influenza vaccines are the exception) and a California bill further barred thimerosal content."

So why continue to spread fear and misinformation, Kennedy? An advocacy group appears to have paid to screen the movie and deliver a bunch of tickets to lawmakers, and perhaps they paid for Kennedy's appearance as well. Do they just not believe that thimerosal's been removed from the vaccines?

What is so confusing, people?

Below, the trailer for the movie they screened last night. Try not to scream out loud.

And no I don't know what's up with the cartoon committing suicide/homicide.

 

Previously: Adorable Marin County Boy With Leukemia Speaks Out In Support Of Vaccination Bill