Federal Ruling on Vaccination and Autism Makes Headlines
Thursday March 6, 2008
Last week, I posted about an article by David Kirby of the Huffington Post, which noted that the federal Vaccine Court had conceded that, in one case, a child's underlying mitochondrial disease may have been exacerbated by vaccines -- thus leading to "autism-like" symptoms. That child's family will be compensated -- and in a press conference today, the world may hear just how much the family will receive.Autism and the Vaccine Court
Will the Vaccine Trials Lead to Big Cash Settlements?
Can You Take Part in the Autism Vaccine Trials?
Your Questions About the Vaccine Court Answered by a Lawyer for the Plaintiffs
Comments on the case, the Court, the findings or possible outcomes? Share your thoughts!
This case seemed so specific and so unlikely to be replicated that I really didn't anticipate any great excitement. But what do I know? Today, literally hundreds of news outlets are announcing that:
- Girl, 9, Helps Link Vaccines to Autism Cause (Fox News)
- Government Concedes Vaccine Injury Case (AP)
- Case renews debate on vaccine-autism link (CNN)
- Feds concede vaccine linked to girl's autism (Chicago Sun Times)
Obviously, the press sees this story as Big News -- possibly turning the tide for families who have, for years, claimed a link between autism and vaccines. This despite the fact that, according to the AP story:
Medical and legal experts say the narrow wording and circumstances probably make the case an exception — not a precedent for thousands of other pending claims.It will be a while before the details of this story are sorted out. Meanwhile, though, parents will want to know more about the Vaccine Court, the cases now being tried, and whether they might be eligible for compensation by the Vaccine Court. For more information, you may want to read:The government "has not conceded that vaccines cause autism," said Linda Renzi, the lawyer representing federal officials, who have consistently maintained that childhood shots are safe.
Comments
I watched the press conference on CNN and plan to watch Larry King, who tonight features this family.
Any child getting 9 vaccines probably would have vaccine injury. The safety of vaccine should not be in question, the doctor who gave 9 vaccines in one day should be. This is but the second time I have heard publicly of a child getting 9 in a day.
Generally speaking, 9 vaccines in one day is uncommon and not on the recommended vaccine schedule. I’m not sure how this will relate to the 5000 other pending cases. This child had a pre existing condition as well, and other previous health concerns it seems. This result does not tell us that vaccines caused autism, either. I personally based on this one case do not think it gives much hope to the other 5000 unless those children also have (mitochondria, an inherited gene) and 9 vaccines in one day.
Autism is clearly on the rise in the world and the global initiative to immunize children early as to not miss the chance may be at fault. I am a physican parent of an autistic child reaching out to have pure Scientists not funded by Vaccine companies to review the data on Immunization.
Looking at the Immunologic data, there seem to be 2 major categories of autistic children. These are those that are born with the disease and those that have late onset of problem with regressive symptoms. Scientists have recently found a difference in the NK cells(immune response cells) in the late onset group in that they are highly expressed. Other researchists have found clear immunologic destruction in the postmortem brains of autistic individuals who donated there bodies to science. I have more information and feel it is the time to speak up and figure out what is happening. The incidence of the problem is increasing at an alarming rate. Perhaps the children who are immunologically over responsive to vaccines causes this outcome and destruction. In the current world, it wouldn’t be surprising to find an increased incidence of autism in children born to families who are forced to get immunizations like Hep B as an infant. Are we missing the boat and ruining families and impairing our society as we are led blindly by dictums to add vaccines rather than reveiwing our steps. I recently got an answer that it is too late to evaluate vaccines as a source in this case as they are already instituted as a requirement. Who is monitering this and what involvement have they had with vaccine company reimbursement in the past. Why isn’t this being addressed at the level of the Immunologic journals rather than the Neurologic, genome and Psychiatric journlas if this is perhaps a different immune respone. The death rate from many of these diseases is far far lower than the incidence of autism which for some families is a death sentence to their dreams for their children.
Response to Dr. Taylor:
Very well said – and thank you for your openness and honesty. I get very frustrated with the pro-vaccine crowd claiming they have the market cornered on “rationality.” Our son had regressive-onset autism at 18 mos about 2 days after he received his 18-month immunizations. I believe there was a connection. I know it’s “anechdotal”, but I saw it with my own eyes.
There are legitimate concerns with vaccines that have nothing to do with Thimerisol. There are “adjuvants” included in vaccines to trigger a stronger immune response, for instance. Also, there may be synergistic (adverse) effects which result from giving antigens in combination. There is significant evidence that the Pertussis vaccine (alone or as a component of DTaP) has gorked some kids’ brains.
There may also be *cumulative effects* arising from giving so many shots to young kids with developing immune systems. Neither synergistic nor cumulative effects have been researched AT ALL.
We know that MMR and Varicela, if not given on the same day, should not be given less than 4 weeks apart because they can interfere with each other.
Hep-B Vac. is essentially unnecessary unless the mother is a pr0stitute or IV drug user. It provides no protection beyond 10 years, so it doesn’t help the child when he/she reaches the age to engage in intercourse or get a tattoo. So why give Hep-B to all kids?
We also know that *all* polio cases in the US in the preceding 10 years have been ***caused by*** the OPV! Now the OPV has been pulled from the U.S. I’m sure if you asked “the medical community” 10 years ago, they would have assured us that the risk is de minimis.
The point is, the “pro-vaccine” crowd is just as zealous as (and, I would add, even more arrogant than) the anti-vaccine crowd. Neither side has a corner on the market for rationality.
On balance, immunizations do more good than harm in terms of herd immunity from dread diseases, etc. But in some children, vaccines appear to do affirmative harm. Perhaps some kids are more susceptible to developing ASD after receiving vaccines.
My understanding is that mitochondrial abnormalities are more common in kids with ASD. If so, then the vaccine-mitochondiral disorder linkage may be important in the etiology for many kids. (What do you think, Doctor?)
So, yes, vaccines have unquestionably saved countless lives. But they are not without some risks as well. It is not “irrational” for people to have questions about vaccines. It is not “irrational” for parents (and brave Doctors) to ask for honest research! Surely not all vaccines are equal in their “risk vs. benefit” calculus.
Vaccines bypass the skin, the pulmonary system, and the GI tract. Thus, they are “unnatural” in that they bypass most of the major components of the human immune system. The resulting “serum immunity” is, thus, not as robust or long-lived as the immunity gained from natural exposure.
The mandatory Varicella (chicken pox) vaccine, for example, has backfired massively for this very reason. Childhood exposure to actual chickenpox is quite benign and gives robust life-long immunity; whereas the varicella vaccine only protects for
less than 5 years but then leaves adults unprotected and vulnerable to much more serious morbidity and mortality.
If booster shots are faithfully given every 5 years throughout life, it may help an estimated 80 percent of recipients but still approx 20 percent of adults will not develop immunity and remain in danger of very serious complications if they contract chickenpox.
Again, the point is not that vaccines are per se “bad”. The point is that they cannot rationally be assumed to be per se “good”.
There are very real risks associated with vaccines. Those risks must be weighed against the benefits (and the unintended consequences).
As you point out, Doctor, We need honest research to see if there are causal links between vaccines and autism.
I am genuinely open to honest findings that demonstrate there are no linkages. …But I have not yet seen such research. Why is there no research to examine ASD rates among unvaccinated children? Sure, I understand that unvaccinated children (like the Amish) might differ in other ways which might skew the results. But it’s a start!
Nor has there been any research on cumulative and/or synergistic effects.
Our son – and my understanding is that many ASD children – showed GI tract issues and food sensitivities which arose concurrently with his Autism. In my admittedly uneducated mind, that at least SUGGESTS a possible linkage to the immune system. Why does it seem so far-fetched to suggest that immunizations might trigger unwanted immune responses, which affect metabolism or something that, in turn, expresses itself in the form of autistic symptoms?
Unfortunately, the collateral effects and unintended consequences of vaccines are not usually considered by the pro-vaccine crowd. They just attack anyone as “irrational” who questions vaccines.
…Such as the case of the varicella vaccine. As a result of implementaiton of varicella vaccination, what was once a relatively benign disease has now morphed from a mild childhood disease into a very serious adult disease.
Again, adverse synergistic and cumulative effects from administering so many vaccines and multiple simultaneous vaccines have not been studied at all.
The pendulum has swung so far toward the “brave new world” of vaccination that we vaccinate even for relatively benign diseases, such as varicella, Hep-B, and rotavirus. Those vaccines almost certainly do more harm than good. But they are mandated by school systems, etc.
In my view, it is *irrational* to insist on universal vaccination for every conceivable bug without weighing the benefit against the cost/complication.
It is indisputable that *some* vaccines do *some* harm. (e.g., OPV).
A truly rational scientist would test the facts, not attack opponents as irrational.
Moreover, a rational medical practitioner would first “do no harm.” Why don’t researchers honor their Hypocratic oath and try to find out if they are doing harm?!
Whether vaccines cause or contribute to observed epidemics of autism, asthma, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, learning disabilities, etc. is unknown. Honest research is needed to rule in or rule out a causal connection.
Until then, it is irrational to insist on universal vaccination for every conceivable bug.
Respectfully,
Robert E. Sullivan, Esq.