Posted on 03/03/2006 1:54:55 AM PST by neverdem
Autism diagnoses have dropped nationwide since mercury was removed from most childhood vaccines, according to a new study that some say lends credence to charges that vaccinations were responsible for a huge increase in autism cases.
About 4,700 families -- including ones from Framingham and Waltham -- have pending claims in a federal vaccine court alleging that mercury in vaccines caused their children to develop autism.
The allegations are controversial and viewed with skepticism by many government officials and medical professionals. But supporters of a vaccine-autism link say a new report in the peer reviewed Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons proves that the removal of mercury from vaccines has led to a decrease in autism cases.
"This study is exactly the kind of thing people have been waiting for for three years now," said Richard Deth, a neuropharmacologist at Northeastern University who has testified in front of Congress on this issue. "It was recognized that this type of data would be (necessary) to see whether this theory had validity or not."
The study by two researchers was criticized by a government vaccination official who said it drew conclusions from unreliable data.
"I don’t think this study can really be taken to provide any evidence one way or another," said Dr. Robert Davis, director of the immunization safety group at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But the study was warmly received by Jared Hansen, a Framingham resident with two autistic children who filed a claim in the federal vaccine court.
"It’s certainly the data we’ve been expecting and waiting for. I’m glad to see it’s been published," Hansen said. "I believe it will swing some people who are sitting on the fence."
Hansen’s claim is pending in front of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a no-fault system that pays financial settlements from a trust fund consisting of vaccine surcharges. The program is considering claims in one omnibus proceeding from Hansen and 4,700 other parents, including Mike Chmura of Waltham.
Between 1988 and 1992, the federal government more than doubled the amount of mercury injected into babies by recommending additional vaccines that contain thimerosal, a preservative containing mercury.
Since then, estimated autism prevalence soared from one out of 2,500 births to one in every 166. Federal officials say the increase is at least partly explained by changes in diagnostic guidelines, but some researchers believe mercury in vaccines is to blame.
Thimerosal is still used in flu shots, but was eliminated from most other childhood vaccines by 2003.
A father-son research team determined that new diagnoses of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders have dropped since then after analyzing data from the national Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, the U.S. Department of Education and the California Department of Developmental Services.
Additional doses of mercury-containing vaccines were associated with a 2- to 8-fold increase in risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, they wrote in the latest issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.
"Significant decreasing trends in newly diagnosed (disorders) were observed ... from mid-2002 through 2005," wrote Dr. Mark Geier and son, David. Mark Geier is president of the Genetic Centers of America and his son is a graduate student in biochemistry at George Washington University.
Their study was criticized by officials who said the data bases the Geiers analyzed are not reliable. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System can contain reports filed by anyone, including doctors, patients and lawyers, Davis said.
The Department of Education numbers are skewed, another official said, because the DOE did not make autism a separate diagnosis until the 1990s. That led to an artificial increase because children who previously had different diagnoses were then considered autistic, said Dr. Marie McCormick, a Harvard professor who chaired an Institute of Medicine committee that dismissed any link between vaccines and autism.
(Jon Brodkin can be reached at 508-626-4424 or jbrodkin@cnc.com.)
That's their latest article that I could find on PubMed. Enter Geier DA, Geier MR into PubMed for an author search. It seems that area of interest is only adverse vaccine reactions. I would be more comfortable if other folks could replicate their results.
ping
bfl
I will bet anything that he is working closely with a trial lawyer, who will later pay him very well as an expert witness as they dismantle what is left of the American vacine industry.
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list. Anyone can post any unrelated link as they see fit.
Vaccine industry is a straight up hustle. One of the best ever. Right up there with the goverment lotteries, taxes, rent-to-own and payday scams.
http://www.garynull.com
just enter vaccines and anyone can read the vast amount of research into the many frauds this industry has committed over the years. What a joke.
Thank you for the link Cyborg.
It has nothing to do with trial lawyers. Too many children are affected by this. My brother has triplets, 2 girls and a boy. My niece has autism. When you see them together it breaks your heart. She babbles words but has never said momma or dada, she does not interact, shes just off in her own world. I hope they find out what causes this because its heart wrenching.
Agenda driven research - should be viewed with extreme skepticism.
One of petronski's friends has a child with autism. Overdosed vaccines, pesticides AND a diet of coke and junk food during pregnancy deprived him of a healthy start. My best friend's nephew's parents did not want to their child vaccines and guess what he has today at four years old? Parents really have to be proactive and have a backbone when coming to doctors who think they know better for your child than you do.
You're welcome. Right now I'm doing some very in depth research of my own because I will have to deal with this issue sooner or later.
Thanks for the ping. Thanks for the link.
Ping.
Autism has exploded. I know so many people with children who are autistic, its scary. Just about everyone of them says the same thing. Their children were fine until about 12 to 18 months. I remember visiting my nieces and nephew when they were 7 months old. My one niece was giggling and seemed perfectly fine. Then it was like she went into her own world. Other family members kept making excuses as to why she didn't talk or interact but my dad knew there was something wrong. They had her evalutated and sure enough she has autism. They have special teachers that come to the house 5 days a week and work with her. Hopefully since they caught it early it won't be as severe.
It took the “scientific community” almost a decade to accept the fact that >90% of gastric ulcers are caused by the bacterium H. pylori.
Sadly, it’s taking much longer for this same “scientific community” to accept the fact that high levels of mercury in childhood vaccines may correlate with the explosion of childhood autism in the 1990’s. Fortunately, “common sense” prevailed (before conclusive scientific data was widely accepted) with the removal of thimerosal from most vaccines.
The boy who has been on TV for having scored all the three pointers in a basketball game certainly doesn't fit the description of the autistic boy we know.
Truly autistic children do not interact with others, they don't make eye contact, and they don't attend school, basketball games, nor play in them.
With the addition of the learning disabled, the retarded, and other disabilities added to the category of autistic there's no way to know the truth.
Personally, I do blame the vaccines which are now given before the baby leaves the hospital, overwhelming their immune system.
I thought there was a previous study that found no link. I would truly like to know the unbiased truth. It's beginning to take on the qualities of global warming. Seriously, with all of the medical advances, shouldn't it be easy to get a better handle on this.
Giving a newborn at least ten innoculations before leaving the hospital is insane, IMO.
Our friend's little boy was a bright toddler. Counting, singing nursery rhymes and doing all the same things you would expect.
Slowly he withdrew into a silent world of NO interaction, violent outbursts, terrible repetitive behaviours that were barely manageable.
In those days, the innoculations were more spread out. Starting at one month and continuing up until about 2 yrs. of age.
No one has really been able to make a definitive scientific connection between autism and the vaccine.
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