ABC series pilot has its own take on the vaccine/autism controversy, and pediatricians are steaming mad.

In tonight's premiere of Eli Stone, a woman sues a pharmaceutical company, claiming her son developed autism due to a vaccine he took that contained thimerosal—a preservative with trace amounts of mercury. The medical community, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among others, have responded with letters to ABC demanding the network cancel the episode. The letters expressed concern that the storyline will increase fears among parents about the safety of immunizations.

While the medical community maintains that clinical studies have found no link between immunizations containing mercury and autism, opponents of this issue are still not convinced. 

Experts on both sides speak out to Mom•Logic:

Pediatrician Dr. Gwenn agrees with the AAP that tonight's episode should not be shown. "Vaccine safety immediately will raise thousands of comments by scared parents, and it’s an emotional issue when you throw in the ‘Could it cause autism?’ question. The only thing we have to gain by coming forward against the Eli Stone episode is to make sure kids get vaccinated because it’s the safest thing to do. If we go too far with these issues, then we risk going back to a time where vaccines weren’t around and these illnesses can come back."

Theresa Wrangham: President of SafeMinds.org, an organization founded to raise awareness of the risks to infants and children of mercury exposure says, "The [medical community] says the subject is fictitious. What’s fictitious is the family that’s being portrayed. But in real life, it’s a relevant social statement that Americans should be aware of."

Dr. Ari Brown, pediatrician and spokesperson for Every Child By Two says: "If families and health care providers work together as a team to really help children who have autism, I think we would be doing everybody a great service. In my view, if you’re going to put something on air that gives an opportunity to educate and provide discussion and be thought-provoking, why don’t we come up with some fictional show where the lawyer helps the little guy get the insurance company to pay for the kids’ 40 hour a week therapy?"