An article about a new study showing a correlation between Hep. B vaccine in new borns with elevated risk of Autism prompted me to do some research on the amount of aluminum in this vaccine. I was HORRIFIED! Read the article here.
The study most strongly implicated Energix brand with the elevated risk. According to NIH on the Energix Hepatitis B vacine, "Each 0.5-mL dose contains 10 mcg of hepatitis B surface antigen adsorbed on 0.25 mg aluminum as aluminum hydroxide." according to NIH http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=10573
The conversion = .25mg equals 250 mcg
So that's a one time injection of 250 mcg aluminum in a new born baby. Now let's see what FDA says about aluminum exposure in hospital IVs.
"...FDA recommends that premature babies, and anyone with impaired kidney function, receive no more than 10 to 25 mcg of injected aluminum at any one time," according to Dr. Sears in his article "Is Aluminum the New Thimerosal?" http://www.mothering.com/health/aluminum-new-thimerosal
UNBELIEVABLE... Again 250mcg on day one of life in Engerix!
Also, according to Dr. Sears, “...The second document discusses aluminum content in IV feeding solutions, or Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) solutions. The FDA requires these solutions to contain no more than 25 mcg of aluminum per liter of solution. A typical adult in the hospital would get around 1 liter of TPN each day, thus about 25 mcg of aluminum.”
Again 250mcg on day one in Engerix vs a limit of 25mcg/liter in an IV solution for an adult! WHAT!!? How the hell does FDA justify this?
I didn’t even quote the study findings from Dr Sears article regarding nervous system damage caused by aluminum toxicity. If you haven’t read this article I highly recommend it. Here
There are no studies evaluating the safety of aluminum in vaccines.
The 16 studies the government always references, that supposedly prove vaccine don't cause autism, are all based on either one vaccine (MMR) or one ingredient (Thimersal/Mercury). These studies are all epidemiological and many, including Dr. Bernadine Healy, former Dir of NIH, say epidemiology will not find subsets of susceptible population. Here
So with regard to thimerosal (mercury), which was formerly in the Hep B vaccine at levels far exceeding EPA standards for one day exposure, Hep B contained an excessive amount (according to EPA standards) prior to sometime after 2002 (we don't know when stockpiles of thimerosal containing vaccine ran out.) Would this study not also potentially implicate thimerosal or the use of thimerosal with aluminum simultaneously?
Note: There are implications that Hep B vaccine may cause (autoimmune) Rheumatoid Arthiritis in a subset of the population
WHO - http://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/topics/hepatitisb/rheumatoid_arthritis/Dec_2007/en/index.html
Oxford Journals, Rhematology - http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/38/10/978
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Why Current Thinking About Autism is Completely Wrong; by Dr. Mark Hyman
This is the best article that I have ever read in sicintly describing how treating underlying systemic medical issues can recover a child from autism. In this article, you may as well exchange the name Sam with our daughter.
Read the article here.
Here's the comment I posted to this article:
Our Story of Recovery
My seven year old daughter is recovered from PDD and Sensory Processing Disorder. She regressed after flu vaccine received month of her second birthday. Immediately after her third birthday we started the treatmentsyou describe here. It took 4 months to get lined up with DAN! doctor but I was able to get basic treatment started with the assistance of the book, Children With Starving Brains. I persuaded our pediatrician to do an IgG test and Oarganic Acid Test through Great Plains Lab. With these results we confirmed the need for a gluten(wheat) free/casein (dairy) free diet and egg in our case. The OAT test defined the basic supplements she needed as well as yeast overgrowth and leaky gut.
Our daughter was an IMMEDIATE responder. We had a dramatically improved child in the first month. Three months later the DAN! doctor ran additional tests and added treatments. While most of her functional recovery took place early on, healing the underlying systemic issues has been a long road...but wow, without these treatments we would have had a daughter who would have never been able to function in our world. Instead she is not only indistinguishable from her peers, she is flourishing.
I know several children who have been diagnosed with autism. All of these children have either recovered or have improved dramatically thanks to this treatment approach. Thank you to all the DAN! doctors. You are giving our children their lives back.
Read the article here.
Here's the comment I posted to this article:
Our Story of Recovery
My seven year old daughter is recovered from PDD and Sensory Processing Disorder. She regressed after flu vaccine received month of her second birthday. Immediately after her third birthday we started the treatmentsyou describe here. It took 4 months to get lined up with DAN! doctor but I was able to get basic treatment started with the assistance of the book, Children With Starving Brains. I persuaded our pediatrician to do an IgG test and Oarganic Acid Test through Great Plains Lab. With these results we confirmed the need for a gluten(wheat) free/casein (dairy) free diet and egg in our case. The OAT test defined the basic supplements she needed as well as yeast overgrowth and leaky gut.
Our daughter was an IMMEDIATE responder. We had a dramatically improved child in the first month. Three months later the DAN! doctor ran additional tests and added treatments. While most of her functional recovery took place early on, healing the underlying systemic issues has been a long road...but wow, without these treatments we would have had a daughter who would have never been able to function in our world. Instead she is not only indistinguishable from her peers, she is flourishing.
I know several children who have been diagnosed with autism. All of these children have either recovered or have improved dramatically thanks to this treatment approach. Thank you to all the DAN! doctors. You are giving our children their lives back.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Just Released! - Healing and Preventing Autism By Jenny McCarthy and Dr. Jerry Kartzinel
From Age of Autism, 3/29/09 - here
Jenny McCarthy has teamed up with Dr. Jerry Kartzinel, the doctor who recovered her son, to write Healing and Preventing Autism. Their new book provides all the necessary information about biomedical treatment from diagnosis, dietary interventions and environmental changes for the home, to advanced therapies that doctors use today.
Spring is the season of hope, renewal and life. There's no better time to read Healing and Preventing Autism. Why not give a copy to your child's doctor and teachers too? Order your copies Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Here's the media tour for Jenny and Dr. Kartzinel. Go to Generation Rescue for updates.
Los Angeles
Friday, March 27
4:00 (Taping) ACCESS HOLLYWOOD (interview to air 4/1)
New York
Tuesday, March 31
9:00AM- 12:00PM - ABC RADIO TOUR
WRQX RADIO, Washington, DC
WPRO RADIO, Providence, RI New Bedford,
WLW RADIO, Cincinnati, OH
WTAM RADIO, Cleveland, OH
WIBC RADIO, Indianapolis, IN
KCMO RADIO, Kansas City, MO
KTRS RADIO, Saint Louis, MO
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
8:00 AM HOUR - GOOD MORNING AMERICA
9 to 10AM HOUR - (Taping, air date TBA) FOX & FRIENDS WEEKEND
10:30 AM - REUTER TV
Thursday, April 2, 2009
7:00 AM-11:30 AM TV SATELLITE TOUR (mulitple interviews - TBA)
Los Angeles
Friday, April 3, 2009
1:15PM-2:30PM - Tape EXTRA (interview with Jenny and Dr. Kartzinel - air date: TBA)
6:00PM - LARRY KING LIVE (interview with Jenny, Jim Carrey, Dr. Kartzinel and JB Handley)
Monday, April 13, 2009
(Taping) ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW (interview to air 4/14)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
9:00AM - GOOD DAY LA
4:00PM - (Tape) THE BONNIE HUNT SHOW (interview to air 4/16)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
3:00PM-4:00PM - CHELSEA LATELY (interview)
Friday, April 17, 2009
9:00AM - (Taping) THE DOCTORS (interview with Jenny, Dr. Kartzinel, JB Handley, and Stan Kurtz, and a recovered family, air date: TBA)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
A Joint Study from USC and Vanderbilt says "We Need To Learn Where Toxins Impact Gene Expression to Find the Cause of Autism."
By David Kirby – Full Article at Age of Autism here
A new study written up in Science Daily (Mar. 2, 2009) and elsewhere says that researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) and Vanderbilt University have “identified a specific gene variant that links increased genetic risk for autism with gastrointestinal (GI) conditions.”
So far, reporting on the study, to be published in Pediatrics, has suggested that a polymorphism in the Met gene has been identified which, by itself, may explain both brain abnormalities and GI disturbances in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Kirby quotes the study, “We need to learn where toxins impact gene expression in order to find the cause of autism. Finally, if we are going to understand functional etiology of ASD, if we are trying to identify the genes that underlie risk, and we are searching for environmental factors that cause changes in brain development, we need to know where these candidate genes are expressed in the developing human brain, and where these environmental factors have their impact.”
A new study written up in Science Daily (Mar. 2, 2009) and elsewhere says that researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) and Vanderbilt University have “identified a specific gene variant that links increased genetic risk for autism with gastrointestinal (GI) conditions.”
So far, reporting on the study, to be published in Pediatrics, has suggested that a polymorphism in the Met gene has been identified which, by itself, may explain both brain abnormalities and GI disturbances in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Kirby quotes the study, “We need to learn where toxins impact gene expression in order to find the cause of autism. Finally, if we are going to understand functional etiology of ASD, if we are trying to identify the genes that underlie risk, and we are searching for environmental factors that cause changes in brain development, we need to know where these candidate genes are expressed in the developing human brain, and where these environmental factors have their impact.”
Sunday, March 1, 2009
David Kirby: US Health Officials Back Study Idea on Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated Children – Will Media Take Note?
by David Kirby and published by Age of Autism - Here
It is not accurate for members of the media to report that the link between vaccines has been “disproven.” This is especially true in light of recent news from the National Vaccine Advisory Committee, and a series of news items from the Federal Court of Claims, Federal health agencies, leading universities and top autism researchers around the country. There are now many reasons why the media should continue its coverage of this serious and ongoing debate:
THE NATIONAL VACCINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (NVAC)
On Friday, February 27, a special group convened by The Keystone Center on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Vaccine Advisory Committee Vaccine Safety Working Group (NVAC VSWG) recommended appointing a panel of experts to explore the strengths and weaknesses of conducting studies on health outcomes in vaccinated vs. unvaccinated populations. The group, known as the “Salt Lake City Writing Group,” said it was “desirable” to include autism as one such health outcome.
As they stated in a draft “consensus statement”:
“(There is) a strong desire to study the health impact of the immunization schedule, potentially through a ‘vaccinated vs. unvaccinated study’. Outcomes to assess include biomarkers of immunity and metabolism, and outcomes including but not limited to neurodevelopmental outcomes, allergies, asthma, immune-mediated diseases, and learning disabilities. The inclusion of autism as an outcome is desired”
The Writing Group supported a recommendation to “charge an expert panel with evaluating study designs for research on the impact of the standard schedule of vaccination on an array of health outcomes of significant public interest. This draft charge is responsive to issues raised at community meetings in Alabama, Oregon, and Indiana as well as the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee request for collaboration with the National Vaccine Program Office.”
Writing Group members who drafted the statement included Federal and State health officials, Federal vaccine officials, CDC officials, and leaders of autism and vaccine safety advocacy groups. They included the following individuals:
Federal Health Agencies and Panels
CDC:
Roger Bernier, Ph.D., MPH, Senior Advisor, CDC
Elizabeth Skillen, PhD, MS, Policy Analyst, Immunization Safety Office, CDC
HHS:
Bruce Gellin, M.D., MPH, Director, HHS National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) and Executive Secretary of NVAC
Dan Salmon, Ph.D., Vaccine Safety Specialist, HHS - NVPO
Ben Schwartz, M.D., former Associate Director for Science, HHS and Medical Director for CARE
NVAC:
Guthrie Birkhead, M.D., MPH Chair, HHS National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) and member of NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group, also Deputy Commissioner, Office of Public Health, NY State Dept. of Health
Andrew Pavia, M.D., NVAC Member & Chair, NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group and with Dept. of Pediatrics, Utah School of Medicine
Chris Carlson, Ph.D., NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group Member, and with Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, Seattle
Lance Gordon, Ph.D., NVAC and member of NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group
James Mason, M.D., DrPH, NVAC Member and member of NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group, former CDC Director and former Assistant Secretary of Health
Tawny Buck, member of NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group, parent of DPT brain injured daughter
State & Local Public Health Agencies and Organizations
Anna Buchannan, MPH, Senior Director, Immunization & Infectious Disease, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
Jim Shames, M.D., Medical Director, Jackson County Health Department, OR
David Sundwall, M.D., Executive Director, Utah Department of Health
Collette Young; Ph.D., MS, Surveillance & Training Manager, Oregon Public Health Division, Immunization Program, OR Public Health Division
Robert Bednarczyk, NVAC Research Analyst, NY Department of Health
University/Academic
Joseph A. Bocchini, Jr., M.D., Professor & Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University
Margaret Dunkle, Senior Fellow, Center for Health Policy Research, George Washington University and Director, Early Identification and Intervention Collaborative, LA County
Alan Greene, M.D., Clinical Profession, Division of General Pediatrics, Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine;
Heather Zwickey, Ph.D., Dean of Research and Associate Professor of Immunology, National College of Natural Medicine, Oregon
Autism or Vaccine Organizations
Peter Bell, Executive Vice President, Programs and Services, Autism Speaks
Sallie Bernard, Executive Director, Safe Minds
Vicky Debold, PhD, RN, Director of Patient Safety, National Vaccine Information Center;
Barbara Loe Fisher, Co-founder & President, National Vaccine Information Center
Members of Public or Other Child Health Groups
Tracy Cron, RN and mother who attended the Birmingham public engagement workshop
Dennis Johnson, MS, Executive VP, Policy & Advocacy, Children's Health Fund, NYC
Debbie McCune Davis, Program Director, Arizona Partnership for Immunization, Arizona State Senator
(*PLEASE SEE THE DRAFT CONSENSUS STATEMENT at Age of Autism, link above)
It is not accurate for members of the media to report that the link between vaccines has been “disproven.” This is especially true in light of recent news from the National Vaccine Advisory Committee, and a series of news items from the Federal Court of Claims, Federal health agencies, leading universities and top autism researchers around the country. There are now many reasons why the media should continue its coverage of this serious and ongoing debate:
THE NATIONAL VACCINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (NVAC)
On Friday, February 27, a special group convened by The Keystone Center on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Vaccine Advisory Committee Vaccine Safety Working Group (NVAC VSWG) recommended appointing a panel of experts to explore the strengths and weaknesses of conducting studies on health outcomes in vaccinated vs. unvaccinated populations. The group, known as the “Salt Lake City Writing Group,” said it was “desirable” to include autism as one such health outcome.
As they stated in a draft “consensus statement”:
“(There is) a strong desire to study the health impact of the immunization schedule, potentially through a ‘vaccinated vs. unvaccinated study’. Outcomes to assess include biomarkers of immunity and metabolism, and outcomes including but not limited to neurodevelopmental outcomes, allergies, asthma, immune-mediated diseases, and learning disabilities. The inclusion of autism as an outcome is desired”
The Writing Group supported a recommendation to “charge an expert panel with evaluating study designs for research on the impact of the standard schedule of vaccination on an array of health outcomes of significant public interest. This draft charge is responsive to issues raised at community meetings in Alabama, Oregon, and Indiana as well as the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee request for collaboration with the National Vaccine Program Office.”
Writing Group members who drafted the statement included Federal and State health officials, Federal vaccine officials, CDC officials, and leaders of autism and vaccine safety advocacy groups. They included the following individuals:
Federal Health Agencies and Panels
CDC:
Roger Bernier, Ph.D., MPH, Senior Advisor, CDC
Elizabeth Skillen, PhD, MS, Policy Analyst, Immunization Safety Office, CDC
HHS:
Bruce Gellin, M.D., MPH, Director, HHS National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) and Executive Secretary of NVAC
Dan Salmon, Ph.D., Vaccine Safety Specialist, HHS - NVPO
Ben Schwartz, M.D., former Associate Director for Science, HHS and Medical Director for CARE
NVAC:
Guthrie Birkhead, M.D., MPH Chair, HHS National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) and member of NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group, also Deputy Commissioner, Office of Public Health, NY State Dept. of Health
Andrew Pavia, M.D., NVAC Member & Chair, NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group and with Dept. of Pediatrics, Utah School of Medicine
Chris Carlson, Ph.D., NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group Member, and with Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, Seattle
Lance Gordon, Ph.D., NVAC and member of NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group
James Mason, M.D., DrPH, NVAC Member and member of NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group, former CDC Director and former Assistant Secretary of Health
Tawny Buck, member of NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group, parent of DPT brain injured daughter
State & Local Public Health Agencies and Organizations
Anna Buchannan, MPH, Senior Director, Immunization & Infectious Disease, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
Jim Shames, M.D., Medical Director, Jackson County Health Department, OR
David Sundwall, M.D., Executive Director, Utah Department of Health
Collette Young; Ph.D., MS, Surveillance & Training Manager, Oregon Public Health Division, Immunization Program, OR Public Health Division
Robert Bednarczyk, NVAC Research Analyst, NY Department of Health
University/Academic
Joseph A. Bocchini, Jr., M.D., Professor & Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University
Margaret Dunkle, Senior Fellow, Center for Health Policy Research, George Washington University and Director, Early Identification and Intervention Collaborative, LA County
Alan Greene, M.D., Clinical Profession, Division of General Pediatrics, Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine;
Heather Zwickey, Ph.D., Dean of Research and Associate Professor of Immunology, National College of Natural Medicine, Oregon
Autism or Vaccine Organizations
Peter Bell, Executive Vice President, Programs and Services, Autism Speaks
Sallie Bernard, Executive Director, Safe Minds
Vicky Debold, PhD, RN, Director of Patient Safety, National Vaccine Information Center;
Barbara Loe Fisher, Co-founder & President, National Vaccine Information Center
Members of Public or Other Child Health Groups
Tracy Cron, RN and mother who attended the Birmingham public engagement workshop
Dennis Johnson, MS, Executive VP, Policy & Advocacy, Children's Health Fund, NYC
Debbie McCune Davis, Program Director, Arizona Partnership for Immunization, Arizona State Senator
(*PLEASE SEE THE DRAFT CONSENSUS STATEMENT at Age of Autism, link above)
Sunday, February 15, 2009
SafeMinds' Response to Autism Omnibus Court Decision
From the SafeMinds statement,
Washington, D.C. - February 12, 2009 - Autism advocacy organization SafeMinds regrets today's ruling by the U.S Court of Federal Claims against three families who argued that vaccination contributed to their child's autism. The denial of reasonable compensation to families was based on inadequate vaccine safety science available to the court. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the defendant in vaccine injury cases and is also responsible for carrying out the very vaccine safety research that should be integral to court decisions. This conflict of interest means the deck is stacked against families when they enter "vaccine court" and is yet one more reason for parents to doubt the integrity of the National Immunization Program.
Read the full statement here.
Washington, D.C. - February 12, 2009 - Autism advocacy organization SafeMinds regrets today's ruling by the U.S Court of Federal Claims against three families who argued that vaccination contributed to their child's autism. The denial of reasonable compensation to families was based on inadequate vaccine safety science available to the court. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the defendant in vaccine injury cases and is also responsible for carrying out the very vaccine safety research that should be integral to court decisions. This conflict of interest means the deck is stacked against families when they enter "vaccine court" and is yet one more reason for parents to doubt the integrity of the National Immunization Program.
Read the full statement here.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Gardisil Safety
The CDC recommends the Gardisil Vaccine for girls as young as nine (CDC Schedule ) There have been numerous media reports about adverse event related to this vaccine.
In my own social and family network, I know of three girls who became very ill after receiving the Gardisil Vaccine.
CBS News - New Worries About Gardisil Safety, here
view the segment here,
New York Times - Blaming the Media for the Gardisil Hype - Here
News Inferno- Gardisil Researcher Criticizes Moves to Make HPV Vaccine Mandatory - Here
Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, VAERS (the governments official tracking system for reporting vaccine injuries)
1,016 adverse events have been reported since June '06, here, Select HPV4 from the "vaccine" field and then select "find"
VAERS Report by type of event - as of October 6, 2008, Here
What is Gardisil and HPV infection
CDC - HPV Infection Here
NVIC- Gardisil and HPV Infection - Get the Facts - Here
In my own social and family network, I know of three girls who became very ill after receiving the Gardisil Vaccine.
CBS News - New Worries About Gardisil Safety, here
view the segment here,
New York Times - Blaming the Media for the Gardisil Hype - Here
News Inferno- Gardisil Researcher Criticizes Moves to Make HPV Vaccine Mandatory - Here
Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, VAERS (the governments official tracking system for reporting vaccine injuries)
1,016 adverse events have been reported since June '06, here, Select HPV4 from the "vaccine" field and then select "find"
VAERS Report by type of event - as of October 6, 2008, Here
What is Gardisil and HPV infection
CDC - HPV Infection Here
NVIC- Gardisil and HPV Infection - Get the Facts - Here
Should I Vaccinate My Baby? - Vaccine Safety - Why The Controversy?
Following are a series of articles and other information that I have found through my own personal research and reading regarding the vaccine safety controversy.
Most of these articles are posted individually on this blog but I compiled this list because the most common search criteria leading people to my blog is,"Should I vaccinate my baby?" This tells me people are concerned about the controversy therefore I felt the need to create a single source to help parents get started.
1. This is the most important thing anyone needs to hear about vaccine safety, in my opinion. This is a CBS News interview of the former Director of the National Institute of Health and Former Director of the American Red Cross. She is currently Health Editor for US News & World Report. Dr. Bernadine Healy. Watch the video here.
2. Also from CBS News, How Independent are Vaccine Defenders? A follow the money story, here.
3) CNN - Should I Vaccinate My Baby? (see the video link in red) here
4) Article regarding new study by UC Davis that finds the increase rate of autism is not due to better diagnosis and environmental factors should be researched. The actual study summary,here The article from Huffington Post, here
5)Artlicle by Dr. Robert Sears regarding aluminum in vaccines, here
6) Goalposts - An excellent overview of history regarding Thimerosal and other concerns regarding studies by JB Handley, founder of Generation Rescue, here
7)Feeding A Hungry Lie - Also by JB Handley, more on the questionable studies that are marketed as disproving a link between autism and vaccines, here
8) FDA e-mails that explain that mercury(thimerosal)is removed from vaccines via a purification process but still used in the manufacture of vaccines here follow-up here
9) A series of Recent articles by David Kirby regarding info coming out of the Department of Defense concerning questions surrounding vaccine safety
- Aug 14 David Kirby on an American Troop Threat here
- Sept. 22 NY Rep Carolyn Maloney Questions Vaccine Safety in the Military, here
- Dec 02 DoD and CDC:Studies Suggest a Possible Link Between Multiple Vaccines and Injury, here
- Dec 11 The Pentagon: A Voice of Reason on Vaccines and Autism? here
10) This is an amazing panel discussion from both sides. It is very long...but excellent, here (scroll to bottom for webcast link) The Q&A at the end is a very good representation that defenders of the current vaccine schedule seem completely in the dark regarding what the true concerns might be.
11) For more information on Vaccine Safety visit the National Vaccine Information Csnter
12) The Other Side
The National Network for Immunization Information
The CDC
Update: I have received many hits on this post. Please comment and let me know if this information was helpful in your research.
Most of these articles are posted individually on this blog but I compiled this list because the most common search criteria leading people to my blog is,"Should I vaccinate my baby?" This tells me people are concerned about the controversy therefore I felt the need to create a single source to help parents get started.
1. This is the most important thing anyone needs to hear about vaccine safety, in my opinion. This is a CBS News interview of the former Director of the National Institute of Health and Former Director of the American Red Cross. She is currently Health Editor for US News & World Report. Dr. Bernadine Healy. Watch the video here.
2. Also from CBS News, How Independent are Vaccine Defenders? A follow the money story, here.
3) CNN - Should I Vaccinate My Baby? (see the video link in red) here
4) Article regarding new study by UC Davis that finds the increase rate of autism is not due to better diagnosis and environmental factors should be researched. The actual study summary,here The article from Huffington Post, here
5)Artlicle by Dr. Robert Sears regarding aluminum in vaccines, here
6) Goalposts - An excellent overview of history regarding Thimerosal and other concerns regarding studies by JB Handley, founder of Generation Rescue, here
7)Feeding A Hungry Lie - Also by JB Handley, more on the questionable studies that are marketed as disproving a link between autism and vaccines, here
8) FDA e-mails that explain that mercury(thimerosal)is removed from vaccines via a purification process but still used in the manufacture of vaccines here follow-up here
9) A series of Recent articles by David Kirby regarding info coming out of the Department of Defense concerning questions surrounding vaccine safety
- Aug 14 David Kirby on an American Troop Threat here
- Sept. 22 NY Rep Carolyn Maloney Questions Vaccine Safety in the Military, here
- Dec 02 DoD and CDC:Studies Suggest a Possible Link Between Multiple Vaccines and Injury, here
- Dec 11 The Pentagon: A Voice of Reason on Vaccines and Autism? here
10) This is an amazing panel discussion from both sides. It is very long...but excellent, here (scroll to bottom for webcast link) The Q&A at the end is a very good representation that defenders of the current vaccine schedule seem completely in the dark regarding what the true concerns might be.
11) For more information on Vaccine Safety visit the National Vaccine Information Csnter
12) The Other Side
The National Network for Immunization Information
The CDC
Update: I have received many hits on this post. Please comment and let me know if this information was helpful in your research.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Regarding the IACC actions - Autism, Vaccines and the CDC: The Wrong Side of History
by; R.F.K. Jr and David Kirby
Read the full article here
Even as the evidence connecting America's autism epidemic to vaccines mounts, dead-enders at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) -- many of whom promoted the current vaccine schedule and others with strong ties to the vaccine industry -- are trying to delay the day of reckoning by creating questionable studies designed to discredit any potential vaccine-autism link and by derailing authentic studies.
On January 12, a cadre of mid-level health bureaucrats left over from the Bush administration ignored Federal requirements for advance notice in order to vote to quietly strip vaccine research studies from funding allocated by Congress in the Combating Autism Act (CAA) of 2006. Members of Congress had said that this money should be used to study the vaccine-autism connection.
These rogue bureaucrats -- members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee -- held an unannounced vote to remove previously approved vaccine studies from funding under the CAA. Nearly all of the "Federal" members of the panel voted to remove the two studies, whose estimated cost was $16 million - or 1.6% of the billion dollars authorized by Congress for autism. The panel's civilian members, in contrast, voted nearly unanimously to retain the funding.
IACC's action to halt vaccine-autism research flies in the face of congressional intent. The bill's authors clearly stated that vaccine research should be funded. Even the esteemed Institute of Medicine has condemned CDC's methods. In 2005, an IOM panel condemned CDC for its "lack of transparency" in vaccine-autism research.
Read the full article here
Even as the evidence connecting America's autism epidemic to vaccines mounts, dead-enders at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) -- many of whom promoted the current vaccine schedule and others with strong ties to the vaccine industry -- are trying to delay the day of reckoning by creating questionable studies designed to discredit any potential vaccine-autism link and by derailing authentic studies.
On January 12, a cadre of mid-level health bureaucrats left over from the Bush administration ignored Federal requirements for advance notice in order to vote to quietly strip vaccine research studies from funding allocated by Congress in the Combating Autism Act (CAA) of 2006. Members of Congress had said that this money should be used to study the vaccine-autism connection.
These rogue bureaucrats -- members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee -- held an unannounced vote to remove previously approved vaccine studies from funding under the CAA. Nearly all of the "Federal" members of the panel voted to remove the two studies, whose estimated cost was $16 million - or 1.6% of the billion dollars authorized by Congress for autism. The panel's civilian members, in contrast, voted nearly unanimously to retain the funding.
IACC's action to halt vaccine-autism research flies in the face of congressional intent. The bill's authors clearly stated that vaccine research should be funded. Even the esteemed Institute of Medicine has condemned CDC's methods. In 2005, an IOM panel condemned CDC for its "lack of transparency" in vaccine-autism research.
UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute study shows California's autism increase not due to better counting, diagnosis and is likely environmental
January 7, 2009
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — A study by researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute has found that the seven- to eight-fold increase in the number children born in California with autism since 1990 cannot be explained by either changes in how the condition is diagnosed or counted — and the trend shows no sign of abating.
Published in the January 2009 issue of the journal Epidemiology, results from the study also suggest that research should shift from genetics to the host of chemicals and infectious microbes in the environment that are likely at the root of changes in the neurodevelopment of California’s children.
“It’s time to start looking for the environmental culprits responsible for the remarkable increase in the rate of autism in California,” said UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute researcher Irva Hertz-Picciotto, a professor of environmental and occupational health and epidemiology and an internationally respected autism researcher.
Hertz-Picciotto said that many researchers, state officials and advocacy organizations have viewed the rise in autism's incidence in California with skepticism.
The incidence of autism by age six in California has increased from fewer than nine in 10,000 for children born in 1990 to more than 44 in 10,000 for children born in 2000. Some have argued that this change could have been due to migration into California of families with autistic children, inclusion of children with milder forms of autism in the counting and earlier ages of diagnosis as consequences of improved surveillance or greater awareness.
Hertz-Picciotto and her co-author, Lora Delwiche of the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences, initiated the study to address these beliefs, analyzing data collected by the state of California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) from 1990 to 2006, as well as the United States Census Bureau and state of California Department of Public Health Office of Vital Records, which compiles and maintains birth statistics.
Hertz-Picciotto and Delwiche correlated the number of cases of autism reported between 1990 and 2006 with birth records and excluded children not born in California. They used Census Bureau data to calculate the rate of incidence in the population over time and examined the age at diagnosis of all children ages two to 10 years old.
The methodology eliminated migration as a potential cause of the increase in the number of autism cases. It also revealed that no more than 56 percent of the estimated 600-to-700 percent increase, that is, less than one-tenth of the increased number of reported autism cases, could be attributed to the inclusion of milder cases of autism. Only 24 percent of the increase could be attributed to earlier age at diagnosis.
“These are fairly small percentages compared to the size of the increase that we’ve seen in the state,” Hertz-Picciotto said.
Hertz-Picciotto said that the study is a clarion call to researchers and policy makers who have focused attention and money on understanding the genetic components of autism. She said that the rise in cases of autism in California cannot be attributed to the state’s increasingly diverse population because the disorder affects ethnic groups at fairly similar rates.
“Right now, about 10 to 20 times more research dollars are spent on studies of the genetic causes of autism than on environmental ones. We need to even out the funding,” Hertz-Picciotto said.
The study results are also a harbinger of things to come for public-health officials, who should prepare to offer services to the increasing number of children diagnosed with autism in the last decade who are now entering their late teen years, Hertz-Picciotto said.
“These children are now moving toward adulthood, and a sizeable percentage of them have not developed the life skills that would allow them to live independently,” she said.
The question for the state of California, Hertz-Picciotto said, will become: 'What happens to them when their parents cannot take care of them?'
“These questions are not going to go away and they are only going to loom larger in the future. Until we know the causes and can eliminate them, we as a society need to provide those treatments and interventions that do seem to help these children adapt. We as scientists need to improve available therapies and create new ones,” Hertz-Picciotto said.
Hertz-Picciotto and her colleagues at the M.I.N.D Institute are currently conducting two large studies aimed at discovering the causes of autism. Hertz-Picciotto is the principal investigator on the CHARGE (Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment) and MARBLES (Markers of Autism Risk in Babies-Learning Early Signs) studies.
CHARGE is the largest epidemiologic study of reliably confirmed cases of autism to date, and the first major investigation of environmental factors and gene-environment interactions in the disorder. MARBLES is a prospective investigation that follows women who already have had one child with autism, beginning early in or even before a subsequent pregnancy, to search for early markers that predict autism in the younger sibling.
“We’re looking at the possible effects of metals, pesticides and infectious agents on neurodevelopment,” Hertz-Picciotto said. “If we’re going to stop the rise in autism in California, we need to keep these studies going and expand them to the extent possible.”
The study was funded by grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and by the M.I.N.D. Institute.
In 1998, dedicated families concerned about autism helped found the UC Davis M.I.N.D. (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute. Their vision? Experts from every discipline related to the brain working together toward a common goal: curing neurodevelopmental disorders. Since that time, collaborative research teams at the M.I.N.D. Institute have turned that initial inspiration into significant contributions to the science of autism, fragile X syndrome, Tourette's syndrome, learning disabilities and other neurodevelopmental disorders that can limit a child's lifelong potential.
Original Press Release Here
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — A study by researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute has found that the seven- to eight-fold increase in the number children born in California with autism since 1990 cannot be explained by either changes in how the condition is diagnosed or counted — and the trend shows no sign of abating.
Published in the January 2009 issue of the journal Epidemiology, results from the study also suggest that research should shift from genetics to the host of chemicals and infectious microbes in the environment that are likely at the root of changes in the neurodevelopment of California’s children.
“It’s time to start looking for the environmental culprits responsible for the remarkable increase in the rate of autism in California,” said UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute researcher Irva Hertz-Picciotto, a professor of environmental and occupational health and epidemiology and an internationally respected autism researcher.
Hertz-Picciotto said that many researchers, state officials and advocacy organizations have viewed the rise in autism's incidence in California with skepticism.
The incidence of autism by age six in California has increased from fewer than nine in 10,000 for children born in 1990 to more than 44 in 10,000 for children born in 2000. Some have argued that this change could have been due to migration into California of families with autistic children, inclusion of children with milder forms of autism in the counting and earlier ages of diagnosis as consequences of improved surveillance or greater awareness.
Hertz-Picciotto and her co-author, Lora Delwiche of the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences, initiated the study to address these beliefs, analyzing data collected by the state of California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) from 1990 to 2006, as well as the United States Census Bureau and state of California Department of Public Health Office of Vital Records, which compiles and maintains birth statistics.
Hertz-Picciotto and Delwiche correlated the number of cases of autism reported between 1990 and 2006 with birth records and excluded children not born in California. They used Census Bureau data to calculate the rate of incidence in the population over time and examined the age at diagnosis of all children ages two to 10 years old.
The methodology eliminated migration as a potential cause of the increase in the number of autism cases. It also revealed that no more than 56 percent of the estimated 600-to-700 percent increase, that is, less than one-tenth of the increased number of reported autism cases, could be attributed to the inclusion of milder cases of autism. Only 24 percent of the increase could be attributed to earlier age at diagnosis.
“These are fairly small percentages compared to the size of the increase that we’ve seen in the state,” Hertz-Picciotto said.
Hertz-Picciotto said that the study is a clarion call to researchers and policy makers who have focused attention and money on understanding the genetic components of autism. She said that the rise in cases of autism in California cannot be attributed to the state’s increasingly diverse population because the disorder affects ethnic groups at fairly similar rates.
“Right now, about 10 to 20 times more research dollars are spent on studies of the genetic causes of autism than on environmental ones. We need to even out the funding,” Hertz-Picciotto said.
The study results are also a harbinger of things to come for public-health officials, who should prepare to offer services to the increasing number of children diagnosed with autism in the last decade who are now entering their late teen years, Hertz-Picciotto said.
“These children are now moving toward adulthood, and a sizeable percentage of them have not developed the life skills that would allow them to live independently,” she said.
The question for the state of California, Hertz-Picciotto said, will become: 'What happens to them when their parents cannot take care of them?'
“These questions are not going to go away and they are only going to loom larger in the future. Until we know the causes and can eliminate them, we as a society need to provide those treatments and interventions that do seem to help these children adapt. We as scientists need to improve available therapies and create new ones,” Hertz-Picciotto said.
Hertz-Picciotto and her colleagues at the M.I.N.D Institute are currently conducting two large studies aimed at discovering the causes of autism. Hertz-Picciotto is the principal investigator on the CHARGE (Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment) and MARBLES (Markers of Autism Risk in Babies-Learning Early Signs) studies.
CHARGE is the largest epidemiologic study of reliably confirmed cases of autism to date, and the first major investigation of environmental factors and gene-environment interactions in the disorder. MARBLES is a prospective investigation that follows women who already have had one child with autism, beginning early in or even before a subsequent pregnancy, to search for early markers that predict autism in the younger sibling.
“We’re looking at the possible effects of metals, pesticides and infectious agents on neurodevelopment,” Hertz-Picciotto said. “If we’re going to stop the rise in autism in California, we need to keep these studies going and expand them to the extent possible.”
The study was funded by grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and by the M.I.N.D. Institute.
In 1998, dedicated families concerned about autism helped found the UC Davis M.I.N.D. (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute. Their vision? Experts from every discipline related to the brain working together toward a common goal: curing neurodevelopmental disorders. Since that time, collaborative research teams at the M.I.N.D. Institute have turned that initial inspiration into significant contributions to the science of autism, fragile X syndrome, Tourette's syndrome, learning disabilities and other neurodevelopmental disorders that can limit a child's lifelong potential.
Original Press Release Here
Monday, January 26, 2009
Autism Action Alert: Protest Federal Autism Committee’s Deceitful Reversal on Vaccine-Autism Research
Autism Action Alert:
Protest Federal Autism Committee’s Deceitful Reversal on Vaccine-Autism Research
Click HERE to participate in the Autism Action Network, Action Alert
The inexcusable actions of the Federal members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) in retracting vaccine-autism studies must be stopped. Sound science must move forward, not thwarted by Federal agencies with vested interests in on-going vaccine-autism injury litigation.
The autism advocacy organizations listed below implore parents of children with autism - and all those who care about the burgeoning rate of autism and its toll on the health of our children - to take immediate action.
We are asking you to write a letter of disapproval to key government decision-makers on autism. Click here to go to our web site. Once on our web site or, if you are reading this on our site, scroll down the web site page for a sample letter and instructions on sending messages to our Federal officials responsible for autism research. Your letter will be sent to President Obama, your Senators and Representatives, HHS Secretary Tom Daschle, the Senate HELP Committee, Senators Christopher Dodd, Joe Lieberman, and Edward Kennedy, and Congressmen Chris Smith and Joe Barton.
Your letters are needed NOW. The next IACC meeting is Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - less than two weeks away!
Here is what happened. Click here (http://www.safeminds.org/pressroom/iacc-blocks-vaccine-au...) here (http://www.ageofautism.com/2009/01/iacc-rescinds-vaccine-...) for more details.
In a highly unusual departure from procedure, government representatives to the IACC voted on January 14th against conducting studies on vaccine-autism research despite approval of the same studies at their prior meeting on December 12, 2008. The research was supported by numerous autism organizations and requested by IACC’s scientific work groups and Congress. The maneuver to re-vote was initiated by the IACC’s representative from the CDC and pushed through by the IACC Chair, Dr. Tom Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health of NIH. Review of the studies was not listed on the committee’s official agenda, in violation of normal committee practice.
Unlike most Federal advisory committees, the IACC is dominated by government representatives occupying 12 of the 18 seats. Dr. Insel admitted at the meeting that HHS agencies (which includes NIH and CDC) have a conflict of interest in conducting vaccine-autism research due to “Vaccine Court” litigation in which HHS is the defendant. Of the 6 non-government (public) members, 5 voted to retain the vaccine research at the January meeting. The lone dissenting public member resigned from her organization, Autism Speaks, the night before the meeting. Autism Speaks has issued a statement denouncing her vote.
The Federal members of the IACC must know that the autism community objects to their manipulation of committee procedures to block unbiased research on the possible link between vaccines and autism.
They must hear that parents demand reinstatement by the IACC of the vaccine studies that were already part of the IACC’s Autism Research Strategic Plan, and to restore the funding already allocated to this research.
They must acknowledge the inherent conflict of interest of the NIH/CDC in conducting research on vaccine safety. Research initiatives MUST be coordinated by an independent committee that includes equal numbers of representatives from the autism-vaccine injured community and conducted by independent and non-biased entities.
We also urge parents to attend the February 4th IACC meeting in Washington DC if they are able to. Click here for the IACC website http://iacc.hhs.gov/events/ to register. We encourage you to sign up to make a public comment at the meeting.
Autism Action Network (AAN)
Autism One
Autism Research Institute
Generation Rescue
National Autism Association (NAA)
SafeMinds
Schafer Report
Talk About Curing Autism (TACA)
U.S. Autism & Asperger Association
Unlocking Autism
Protest Federal Autism Committee’s Deceitful Reversal on Vaccine-Autism Research
Click HERE to participate in the Autism Action Network, Action Alert
The inexcusable actions of the Federal members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) in retracting vaccine-autism studies must be stopped. Sound science must move forward, not thwarted by Federal agencies with vested interests in on-going vaccine-autism injury litigation.
The autism advocacy organizations listed below implore parents of children with autism - and all those who care about the burgeoning rate of autism and its toll on the health of our children - to take immediate action.
We are asking you to write a letter of disapproval to key government decision-makers on autism. Click here to go to our web site. Once on our web site or, if you are reading this on our site, scroll down the web site page for a sample letter and instructions on sending messages to our Federal officials responsible for autism research. Your letter will be sent to President Obama, your Senators and Representatives, HHS Secretary Tom Daschle, the Senate HELP Committee, Senators Christopher Dodd, Joe Lieberman, and Edward Kennedy, and Congressmen Chris Smith and Joe Barton.
Your letters are needed NOW. The next IACC meeting is Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - less than two weeks away!
Here is what happened. Click here (http://www.safeminds.org/pressroom/iacc-blocks-vaccine-au...) here (http://www.ageofautism.com/2009/01/iacc-rescinds-vaccine-...) for more details.
In a highly unusual departure from procedure, government representatives to the IACC voted on January 14th against conducting studies on vaccine-autism research despite approval of the same studies at their prior meeting on December 12, 2008. The research was supported by numerous autism organizations and requested by IACC’s scientific work groups and Congress. The maneuver to re-vote was initiated by the IACC’s representative from the CDC and pushed through by the IACC Chair, Dr. Tom Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health of NIH. Review of the studies was not listed on the committee’s official agenda, in violation of normal committee practice.
Unlike most Federal advisory committees, the IACC is dominated by government representatives occupying 12 of the 18 seats. Dr. Insel admitted at the meeting that HHS agencies (which includes NIH and CDC) have a conflict of interest in conducting vaccine-autism research due to “Vaccine Court” litigation in which HHS is the defendant. Of the 6 non-government (public) members, 5 voted to retain the vaccine research at the January meeting. The lone dissenting public member resigned from her organization, Autism Speaks, the night before the meeting. Autism Speaks has issued a statement denouncing her vote.
The Federal members of the IACC must know that the autism community objects to their manipulation of committee procedures to block unbiased research on the possible link between vaccines and autism.
They must hear that parents demand reinstatement by the IACC of the vaccine studies that were already part of the IACC’s Autism Research Strategic Plan, and to restore the funding already allocated to this research.
They must acknowledge the inherent conflict of interest of the NIH/CDC in conducting research on vaccine safety. Research initiatives MUST be coordinated by an independent committee that includes equal numbers of representatives from the autism-vaccine injured community and conducted by independent and non-biased entities.
We also urge parents to attend the February 4th IACC meeting in Washington DC if they are able to. Click here for the IACC website http://iacc.hhs.gov/events/ to register. We encourage you to sign up to make a public comment at the meeting.
Autism Action Network (AAN)
Autism One
Autism Research Institute
Generation Rescue
National Autism Association (NAA)
SafeMinds
Schafer Report
Talk About Curing Autism (TACA)
U.S. Autism & Asperger Association
Unlocking Autism
TACA: IACC Rescinds Vaccine Research Initiatives
The Inter-Agency Autism Coordinating Committee Meeting Rescinds Vaccine Research Initiatives from the Strategic Plan of Combating Autism Act
Statement prepared by TACA's Rebecca Estepp
January 16, 2009
What happened Wednesday January 14, 2009 in Bethesda, Maryland?
In a dramatic turn of events, the National Institute of Mental Health Director Thomas Insel, MD Chairman of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) called for a vote on a previously voted-on and approved decision to the Strategic Plan of the Combating Autism Act of 2006. December 2008, IACC approved two studies to address vaccine safety as it pertains to autism. The vote to reverse this previous decision was a surprise to the public members of IACC. It was not listed on the meeting’s agenda.
Who is IACC and what do they do?
IACC is made up of eighteen seats. Twelve members are government representatives and six members are from the general public. IACC is responsible for developing and updating the Strategic Plan for Autism Research under the mandate of the Combating Autism Act. They decide which studies get funding from the $940 million that was allocated to autism research under the Act. The two vaccine research studies in question totaled $16 million, less than two percent of the available funds.
What is the reason for the re-vote?
Ed Trevathan from the Centers of Disease Control (the government agency who promote the vaccine program) brought up the idea of removing the vaccine studies from the Strategic Plan. Dr. Insel agreed under the auspices of conflicts of interest since the Department of Health and Human Services is the defendant in Vaccine Court. Dr. Insel also felt that the National Institute of Health was poorly equipped to do vaccine research.
How did the vote go?
It was decided to reject the previously approved vaccine research studies by a vote of 11 to 7. Five out of six public committee members voted against rejecting the approved studies. The one lone public voice that voted with most of the government representatives was Alison Singer, former Executive Vice President of Autism Speaks.
What has been the fall out?
There has been plenty of fall out and this situation is only hours old. Autism Speaks has withdrawn its support of the Strategic Plan. They have issued a very good press release detailing the events of the meeting. Read it HERE.
Alison Singer no longer works for Autism Speaks. It gets even more interesting. The Autism Speaks’ Press Release was issued early in the afternoon on January 15th. A few hours later a new press release came out by Every Child by Two about Alison Singer’s departure from Autism Speaks. Read about it HERE.
Does this mean that Alison Singer will be working at Every Child by Two? That is not clear.
The Strategic Plan has lost support from Safe Minds (Sensible Action For Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders). Safe Minds is also asking incoming Health and Human Services Secretary Daschle to remove the National Institute of Mental Health as the lead agency for autism research. They have another request to Congress to get the repealed studies reinstated.
TACA supports both Safe Minds & Autism Speaks press release and response to the recent IACC actions. In light of the recent Mind Institute Study (Reference HERE) environmental research including vaccines must be completed as part of the Combating Autism Act funding.
Silver Lining?
There may be a silver lining to these actions. Dr. Insel brought up a good point, although, it may not have been his intent. Our country does need truly independent vaccine research. The department of Health and Human Services is the defendant of Autism Omnibus Cases; it is a conflict of interest in having them research vaccine safety. Independent studies are something the autism community must demand.
Alison Singer left her position at Autism Speaks. Alison was not friendly to the bio-med and environmental research community. With her departure, there could be an easing of the relationships between Autism Speaks and the bio-med / environmental research community.
There is also a feeling that the repeal of this IACC vote is tantamount to the 2002 Homeland Security Rider which briefly gave exoneration (it was later repealed) to the drug companies for injuries that occur because of vaccination. That rider was so egregious that it got the attention of a journalist named David Kirby. Look how that turned out. Hopefully we have the same situation here.
What to do?
The response plan is still being hammered out by many of the Autism Organizations. In the next weeks, we may have call to actions for parents, friends and family to take part in as this situation evolves. Please check the TACA website and E-news for more information.
See original press release here
Statement prepared by TACA's Rebecca Estepp
January 16, 2009
What happened Wednesday January 14, 2009 in Bethesda, Maryland?
In a dramatic turn of events, the National Institute of Mental Health Director Thomas Insel, MD Chairman of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) called for a vote on a previously voted-on and approved decision to the Strategic Plan of the Combating Autism Act of 2006. December 2008, IACC approved two studies to address vaccine safety as it pertains to autism. The vote to reverse this previous decision was a surprise to the public members of IACC. It was not listed on the meeting’s agenda.
Who is IACC and what do they do?
IACC is made up of eighteen seats. Twelve members are government representatives and six members are from the general public. IACC is responsible for developing and updating the Strategic Plan for Autism Research under the mandate of the Combating Autism Act. They decide which studies get funding from the $940 million that was allocated to autism research under the Act. The two vaccine research studies in question totaled $16 million, less than two percent of the available funds.
What is the reason for the re-vote?
Ed Trevathan from the Centers of Disease Control (the government agency who promote the vaccine program) brought up the idea of removing the vaccine studies from the Strategic Plan. Dr. Insel agreed under the auspices of conflicts of interest since the Department of Health and Human Services is the defendant in Vaccine Court. Dr. Insel also felt that the National Institute of Health was poorly equipped to do vaccine research.
How did the vote go?
It was decided to reject the previously approved vaccine research studies by a vote of 11 to 7. Five out of six public committee members voted against rejecting the approved studies. The one lone public voice that voted with most of the government representatives was Alison Singer, former Executive Vice President of Autism Speaks.
What has been the fall out?
There has been plenty of fall out and this situation is only hours old. Autism Speaks has withdrawn its support of the Strategic Plan. They have issued a very good press release detailing the events of the meeting. Read it HERE.
Alison Singer no longer works for Autism Speaks. It gets even more interesting. The Autism Speaks’ Press Release was issued early in the afternoon on January 15th. A few hours later a new press release came out by Every Child by Two about Alison Singer’s departure from Autism Speaks. Read about it HERE.
Does this mean that Alison Singer will be working at Every Child by Two? That is not clear.
The Strategic Plan has lost support from Safe Minds (Sensible Action For Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders). Safe Minds is also asking incoming Health and Human Services Secretary Daschle to remove the National Institute of Mental Health as the lead agency for autism research. They have another request to Congress to get the repealed studies reinstated.
TACA supports both Safe Minds & Autism Speaks press release and response to the recent IACC actions. In light of the recent Mind Institute Study (Reference HERE) environmental research including vaccines must be completed as part of the Combating Autism Act funding.
Silver Lining?
There may be a silver lining to these actions. Dr. Insel brought up a good point, although, it may not have been his intent. Our country does need truly independent vaccine research. The department of Health and Human Services is the defendant of Autism Omnibus Cases; it is a conflict of interest in having them research vaccine safety. Independent studies are something the autism community must demand.
Alison Singer left her position at Autism Speaks. Alison was not friendly to the bio-med and environmental research community. With her departure, there could be an easing of the relationships between Autism Speaks and the bio-med / environmental research community.
There is also a feeling that the repeal of this IACC vote is tantamount to the 2002 Homeland Security Rider which briefly gave exoneration (it was later repealed) to the drug companies for injuries that occur because of vaccination. That rider was so egregious that it got the attention of a journalist named David Kirby. Look how that turned out. Hopefully we have the same situation here.
What to do?
The response plan is still being hammered out by many of the Autism Organizations. In the next weeks, we may have call to actions for parents, friends and family to take part in as this situation evolves. Please check the TACA website and E-news for more information.
See original press release here
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