Update: Day One in the Vaccine Court Trial
Every major study and scientific organization examining this issue has found no link between vaccination and autism, but the parents and their advocates have persisted. Their frustration was evident in the opening statement of the parents’ lawyer, Thomas Powers of Portland, Ore.Special Masters hearing the case have pledged to listen carefully to parents' concerns, and to take seriously the charges made against vaccines and vaccine makers. And, while it may seem that government and pharmaceutical researchers have the upper hand in a case like this, that may not be entirely true. That's because the court will be reviewing two types of studies: epidemiological and biological.“Numerous obstacles have been placed in the path of the petitioners seeking that fair and generous compensation that they are entitled to,” Mr. Powers said.
Epidemiological studies like those run by federal agencies analyze thousands and even millions of records, looking for statistically meaningful correlations. Biological studies generally look at individual cases and small groups, analyzing the body's biological processes. As a result, it is perfectly possible that both the epidemiological studies AND the biological studies are accurate. The court could find that while a statistically insignificant number of people develop autism as a result of vaccinations, those people represented in court DID develop autism as a result of their unique biologies.
And then...?
I guess we're living in interesting times... and it will most certainly be interesting to see what the court decides, and what their decision, in the long run, really means.
Comments
Theese children have been vaccine damaged and thank you for your reporting both sides. It is a sad state of affairs when the government can figure out the spinach e.coli outbreak, but still can’t figure out that vaccines can damage a sub-population of children.
Time is being wasted while critics debate epidemiology. These children need medical tests and treatment. Urinary porphyrin profiles, intestinal scoping and biopsies, allergy panels, blood work, hair tests, etc. Many children lose much of the “autistic” symptoms when their medical conditions are found and treated properly.
There is overwhelming scientific proof that the vaccines caused typical children to become autistic. Mercury is a known neuro toxin and autistic children display mercury toxic symptoms. Autistic children have very high levels of mercury in their bodies based on urianry porphyrin tests. Chelation, the removal of toins from the body, has recovered many children from autism. There is plenty of proof that vaccines cause autism….hopefully the truth will finally come out and autistic children can get the medical care they so desperately need.
To those of you who think that vaccines cause autism….
Consider this: If mercury and the vaccine cause autism why didn’t the rates of autism go down when mercury was removed from the vaccines. The rates have gone up because there is a better diagnosis. Children who used to be labeled as mentally retarded are now identified as autistic.
My sixth grade son did a research report on autsim. After doing a completely unbiased search of the studies out there, we’ve concluded that autsim is not caused by vaccines. A major study done in Denmark looked at the health records of all children born between 1991-98, more than 537,000 children. No mater how researchers analiyed the data, there was no difference in the autism rates of children who received the MMR(mercury based thimerosal preservative) vaccine and those who did not. I’m sure parents with autistic children want someone or something to blame, but looking at the research shows it isn’t caused by the vaccines. By the parents focusing on the vaccines, it is taking the focus away from finding out what really contributes to autsim – environment… The researchers state that it developes in the womb…
I’ve also done some research on autism and it is true that the reports in Denmark did not find any correlation. But it also doesn’t mean these families weren’t effected by the vaccination. If even a quarter of the reports of these families are true then this has to be further looked into. More studies and tests need to be done to prevent this from happenning. There are some studies being suggested as to the mechanics of how the vaccine may affect the myelin sheath of a nerve and perhaps produce a nick or autoimmune response that is severe to the child. Either way more research has to be done.
While autism is a terrible disease, and I have the extreme sympathy for those involved, the science is simply not in favor of those who believe there is a vaccine link. The idea of a mass conspiracy involving the CDC, pediatricians, and the institute of medicine is silly. Trying these cases in a court of law is not the right answer. It will result in a resurgence of potentially fatal or severely damaging diseases. Check out this report, it makes a good argument: http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20070614-085519-8098r.htm
It’s difficult to describe the challenges of living with an individual with autistic behaviors. We have an autistic son, and we love him dearly. His daily challenges are harder on him than they are on us.
It’s easier to blame some large conspiracy of corporation and government than to consider that the unique combination of genetics that creates individuals can sometimes create individuals who have what we call autism. As Jeanne noted, there is a lot more in the environment than is immediately apparent.
The religiosity that surrounds the anti-vaccine organizations combines the pain of the parents with the economic considerations of trial lawyers, and magical thinking- not necessarily the most useful of combinations.
Human memory is short. Our current population is so naive. So few individuals are alive today who dealt with children who were significantly disabled or died from common childhood diseases. Birth defects from exposure to German Measles are a thing of the past, however, none of the anti vaccine individuals I have spoken with seem to recall this.
The anti vaccine group also seems to be unaware that one reason we are more aware of individuals with disabilities is because they are not locked away at home or institutionalized soon after diagnosis as they were in past times.
Practice always needs to be re-examined, however, the vaccine link has been proven over and over not to be a significant cause. As Nancy stated, true cause needs to be investigated and treatments need to be improved.