March 31, 2011 11:32 AM

Vaccines and autism: a new scientific review

By
Sharyl Attkisson
Topics
News
autism, vaccine, generic (Credit: CBS/istockphoto.com)
For all those who've declared the autism-vaccine debate over - a new scientific review begs to differ. It considers a host of peer-reviewed, published theories that show possible connections between vaccines and autism.

The article in the Journal of Immunotoxicology is entitled "Theoretical aspects of autism: Causes--A review." The author is Helen Ratajczak, surprisingly herself a former senior scientist at a pharmaceutical firm. Ratajczak did what nobody else apparently has bothered to do: she reviewed the body of published science since autism was first described in 1943. Not just one theory suggested by research such as the role of MMR shots, or the mercury preservative thimerosal; but all of them.

Ratajczak's article states, in part, that "Documented causes of autism include genetic mutations and/or deletions, viral infections, and encephalitis [brain damage] following vaccination [emphasis added]. Therefore, autism is the result of genetic defects and/or inflammation of the brain."

The article goes on to discuss many potential vaccine-related culprits, including the increasing number of vaccines given in a short period of time. "What I have published is highly concentrated on hypersensitivity, Ratajczak told us in an interview, "the body's immune system being thrown out of balance."

University of Pennsylvania's Dr. Brian Strom, who has served on Institute of Medicine panels advising the government on vaccine safety says the prevailing medical opinion is that vaccines are scientifically linked to encephalopathy (brain damage), but not scientifically linked to autism. As for Ratajczak's review, he told us he doesn't find it remarkable. "This is a review of theories. Science is based on facts. To draw conclusions on effects of an exposure on people, you need data on people. The data on people do not support that there is a relationship. As such, any speculation about an explanation for a (non-existing) relationship is irrelevant."

Helen Ratajczak, author "Theoretical aspects of autism: Causes--A review."

Ratajczak also looks at a factor that hasn't been widely discussed: human DNA contained in vaccines. That's right, human DNA. Ratajczak reports that about the same time vaccine makers took most thimerosal out of most vaccines (with the exception of flu shots which still widely contain thimerosal), they began making some vaccines using human tissue. Ratajczak says human tissue is currently used in 23 vaccines. She discusses the increase in autism incidences corresponding with the introduction of human DNA to MMR vaccine, and suggests the two could be linked. Ratajczak also says an additional increased spike in autism occurred in 1995 when chicken pox vaccine was grown in human fetal tissue.

Why could human DNA potentially cause brain damage? The way Ratajczak explained it to me: "Because it's human DNA and recipients are humans, there's homologous recombinaltion tiniker. That DNA is incorporated into the host DNA. Now it's changed, altered self and body kills it. Where is this most expressed? The neurons of the brain. Now you have body killing the brain cells and it's an ongoing inflammation. It doesn't stop, it continues through the life of that individual."

Dr. Strom said he was unaware that human DNA was contained in vaccines but told us, "It does not matter...Even if human DNA were then found in vaccines, it does not mean that they cause autism." Ratajczak agrees that nobody has proven DNA causes autism; but argues nobody has shown the opposite, and scientifically, the case is still open.

A number of independent scientists have said they've been subjected to orchestrated campaigns to discredit them when their research exposed vaccine safety issues, especially if it veered into the topic of autism. We asked Ratajczak how she came to research the controversial topic. She told us that for years while working in the pharmaceutical industry, she was restricted as to what she was allowed to publish. "I'm retired now," she told CBS News. "I can write what I want."

We wanted to see if the CDC wished to challenge Ratajczak's review, since many government officials and scientists have implied that theories linking vaccines to autism have been disproven, and Ratajczak states that research shows otherwise. CDC officials told us that "comprehensive review by CDC...would take quite a bit of time." In the meantime, CDC provided these links:

Interagency Autism Coordination Committee: http://iacc.hhs.gov

Overview of all CDC surveillance and epi work: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/research.html

CDC study on risk factors and causes: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/seed.html


  • Sharyl Attkisson

    Sharyl Attkisson is a CBS News investigative correspondent based in Washington. All of her stories, videos and blogs are available here.

Add a Comment See all 332 Comments
by Kelloggs263 December 14, 2011 10:54 PM EST
Thank you CBS news for giving voice to the very real information on the side other. If more of the media would accept that there IS another valid side and present both sides equally, people could make an informed decision. I know it's not easy for anyone to question the current paradigm, especially one so deeply rooted. Especially for the media--who could lose sponsors, and doctors and scientists--who are surely attacked by their colleagues for doing so. But if it weren't for innovative thinkers questioning the status quo, science would still believe the sun goes around the earth, and the creation story as opposed to that of evolution. Throughout history, when someone comes forward to question the current belief system, they have been ridiculed and attacked. It's nothing new. However, we look back at those old belief systems now and laugh, and wonder "how could we have thought that was right or okay?" I believe the same will happen one day when we look back at the present system of injecting chemicals and human DNA into our babies to keep them from getting benign illnesses that have been shown in the past to be harmless other than in rare cases. Of course there are a small number of cases that have complications, but there are cases of death and brain damage from the vaccines too. The statistics are skewed, most of the deaths from these diseases are in underdeveloped countries or in people with compromised immune systems, but they don't mention that. But, whatever you believe about vaccines, it is a very dangerous path to go down when you say only one opinion on any scientific belief should be heard and the rest silenced. If that happens, we lose all of our freedom to make our own decisions. Next time, it could be something you believe in or choose for your child that will be silenced or taken from you.
Reply to this comment
by kikizz December 27, 2011 10:48 AM EST
I agree with what you said with the exception of creationism vs. evolution. They are not mutually exclusive; both can be true simultaneously. I see both as true and not at all contradictory to eachother. I believe you may have meant creationism vs The big bang theory.
by patrons99 December 9, 2011 12:37 PM EST
So the vaccine zealots want us to risk Autism and Alzheimer's? The state does not own our bodies. We all have a God-given right to refuse vaccination. This is still a free country, isn't it?

I strongly encourage everyone to read the recent new peer-reviewed publication by Drs. Tomljenovic and Shaw, titled "Do aluminum vaccine adjuvants contribute to the rising prevalence of autism?".

"By applying Hill's criteria for establishing causality between exposure and outcome we investigated whether exposure to Al from vaccines could be contributing to the rise in ASD prevalence in the Western world. Our results show that: (i) children from countries with the highest ASD prevalence appear to have the highest exposure to Al from vaccines; (ii) the increase in exposure to Al adjuvants significantly correlates with the increase in ASD prevalence in the United States observed over the last two decades (Pearson r=0.92, p<0.0001); and (iii) a significant correlation exists between the amounts of Al administered to preschool children and the current prevalence of ASD in seven Western countries, particularly at 3-4months of age (Pearson r=0.89-0.94, p=0.0018-0.0248). The application of the Hill's criteria to these data indicates that the correlation between Al in vaccines and ASD may be causal. Because children represent a fraction of the population most at risk for complications following exposure to Al, a more rigorous evaluation of Al adjuvant safety seems warranted."

http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/12/age-of-autism-science-summary-do-aluminum-vaccine-adjuvants-contribute-to-the-rising-prevalence-of-a.html

I also strongly recommend that everyone read the recent peer-reviewed article by Drs Kawahari and Kato-Negishi, titled "Link between Aluminum and the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease: The Integration of the Aluminum and Amyloid Cascade Hypotheses". Int J Alzheimers Dis. 2011 Mar 8;2011:276393.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21423554
Reply to this comment
by patrons99 November 9, 2011 1:11 PM EST
"Exposed: CDC deliberately manipulated, covered up scientific data showing link between vaccines containing mercury and autism" by Ethan A. Huff on November 2, 2011.

http://www.naturalnews.com/z034038_vaccines_autism.html

http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/04/read-the-indictment-of-cdc-autism-researcher-poul-thorsen-at-age-of-autism.html

http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/11/the-perils-of-testing-vaccines-on-children-and-infants.html

There is strong data to show that the growth rate of the ASD epidemic is increasing. See Figure 1 from Mark Blaxill's 2004 article. The growth curve for reported prevalence of autism and ASD appears to be described by an exponential. I'd like to see what the data look like to the present.

Blaxill, M. (2004). What's going on? The question of time trends in autism. Public Health Report, Nov-Dec; 119(6), 536-551. doi: 10.1016/j.phr.2004.09.003.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1497666/pdf/15504445.pdf

Oller, J. W., Jr., & Oller, S. D. (2010). Autism: The diagnosis, treatment, and etiology of the undeniable epidemic. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Reply to this comment
by Critical_Thinker69 November 9, 2011 9:35 AM EST
Correlation does NOT imply causation, comon! Can't we put money toward FINDING the ACTUAL cause of autism rather than trying to PROVE it's because of Vaccines?

Sorry, but this article seems to support the half-baked science that some silly old lady is researching. First it's the vaccine, then it's the mercury--ethylmercury by the way, which is digested by the body faster than well known neuron-damaging methylmercury (which is not linked to autism either)-- and now it's DNA.
Anyway, I would personally rather have autism than polio or measles. If people stop vaccinating their kids, then these sicknesses WILL spread. Record high diagnosis of these preventable (and possibly fatal) diseases have been occurring in area where parents are not vaccinating their children. It is not a personal issue, it's a public health issue. We affect one another in our community, people need to understand and respect that.

Pseudoscience+fear+media just trying to get an sensational story out = misinformed public
Reply to this comment
by Kelloggs263 December 14, 2011 10:36 PM EST
I have heard some really ridiculous things from vaccine fanatics, like attributing the whole anti-vax movement to Jenny McCarthy, like saying an unvaccinated child can cause a vaccinated child to get a disease that they were vaccinated for, etc. But, you my friend, take the cake when you say you'd rather have autism than polio or measles. Are you kidding me? First of all, polio now is only caused by the vaccine. And, measles is harmless disease. Dr. Robert Menedelsohn says about measles: "A contagious viral disease causing the victim to feel tired, have a slight fever, and pains in head and neck, as well as a rash of small pink spots... No treatment is necessary other than rest and fluids, and calamine lotion or cornstarch baths to relieve the itching. Contrary to popular myth, there is no danger of permanent blindness from this disease." Incidentally, everyone I knew had the measles when they we were young, got a week or so off school and went on with out lives. This new belief that measles is a "killer disease," is propaganda, supported by skewed statistics. To say you'd rather have AUTISM than measles, entitles you to the prize for the most ridiculous pro-vax statement ever.
by patrons99 October 29, 2011 11:37 AM EDT
"The real issue is individual medical choice. No single person, including the President of the United States, should ever be given the power to make a medical decision for potentially millions of Americans. Freedom over one's physical person is the most basic freedom of all, and people in a free society should be sovereign over their own bodies. When we give government the power to make medical decisions for us, we in essence accept that the state owns our bodies." &#8212; U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, MD, December 10, 2002.

http://www.vaccinationcouncil.org/2011/10/19/ron-paul-mdgovernment-vaccines-bad-policy-bad-medicine/

There is now a new political party that recognizes and affirms individual medical choice.

http://www.canaryparty.org/
Reply to this comment
by patrons99 October 22, 2011 11:48 AM EDT
History is repeating itself! Pharma, politicians, and regulatory bodies are a completely un-Holy alliance.

http://bipolar-stanscroniclesandnarritive.blogspot.com/2010/03/big-pharma-wants-fda-to-create-seal-of.html

http://naturalsociety.com/uncovered-fda-documents-reveal-26-gardail-deaths/

Dr Andrew Wakefield may have some comments to make about the article at this link:

"Sin Hang Lee MD: Why Ethics Don't Pay"

http://www.omsj.org/blogs/sin-hang-lee-md-why-ethics-don%e2%80%99t-pay
Reply to this comment
by patrons99 October 11, 2011 1:09 PM EDT
"Therefore, we believe that politicians and regulatory authorities should wake up to their responsibility to allow only safe products on the market," they wrote.

http://news.yahoo.com/vitamins-may-increase-womens-risk-dying-research-finds-212402256.html

"...allow only safe products on the market" ? Hmmmmm. Tsk, tsk.

Since when did politicians and regulatory authorities (FDA), in all of their bought and paid for wisdom ($$$), decide that serially inoculating humans with both human and non-human DNA, known neurotoxins, endocrine disruptors, phase-transfer catalysts, ionophores, abortifacients, and "adventitious presence" of various insundry recombinants and contaminants from adventurism in genetic engineering, are in any way SAFE??? This is the epitome of hypocrisy and crony capitalism.
Reply to this comment
by kodawe September 29, 2011 6:28 PM EDT
Please visit http://www.kodawe.com/?page_id=655 for my story and many other parents stories related to what we witnessed after vaccinations.
Reply to this comment
by kodawe September 29, 2011 6:25 PM EDT
I would like to thank CBS News for reporting this in formation in an unbias way. I am the parent of an autistic child whom I watched change the very day he was injected with vaccinations. This is becoming more and more mainstream. I meet parents everyday who are seeing issues with these vaccination. The the general public has been influenced to treat us as if we are crazy for stating what we witnessed in our children. In turn this has to a hatered among these parents toward mainstream media. The general population is becoming more and more discusted with this bias towards industry. It is refreashing to see media report the way it is meant to be. Report the facts without bias. I also understand that it is not good business to publish reports that may be contrary to what your advertisers would like to see. I will say this. The public in starting to catch on and when it comes to a head. It will not be pretty. Please keep up the unbias reporting and set aside business bias. Thank you.
Reply to this comment
by MOFMARS333 September 29, 2011 11:40 AM EDT
The justified attack Michele Bachmann did on Perry called attention to a crucial matter that needs addressed.

Michele may have gaffed it when she repeated what that woman told her about the retardation but the fact is the HPV vaccine is dangerous.

Perry knew because our activists, back then, informed him but he stuck to his guns until Texas legislature rescinded the executive order that violated human & civil rights.

Here are the latest adverse events due to the HPV vaccine.

These statistics are shocking & unacceptable due to this being such a new drug on the market which was rushed & never had time to study.

Vaers link;

http://www.medalerts.org/vaersdb/index.php

Disabled = 760 children
Deaths = 103
Did Not Recover = 4,616
Abnormal Pap Smear = 387
Cervical Dysplasia = 144
Cervical Cancer = 41
Life Threatening = 440
Emergency Room Visit = 8,926
Hopitalized = 23,388
Ext. Hospital Stay = 199
Adverse Events = 23,338

This drug is still in the experimental stage & it's estimated these reports to Vaers are actually, only, 10%. Some estimates state it's closer to 1% with all the doctors & parents not reporting.

Many don't realize Acid Reflux, Acne, ALS, Alzheimer's, Arthritis, ASD, Asthma, Autism, Cancer, Cardiac Disease,
Celiac Disease, Central Auditory Processing Disorder,
Cerebral Palsy, Crohn's, Depression, Early puberty,
Eczema, Environmental Allergies, Eosinophilic Esophagitis,
Epilepsy, Food Allergies, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, IDDM,
Immune (or idiopathic) thrombocytopenia purpura,
Infant Mortality, Lupus Erythematosus, Lyme, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, MS, childhood & adult, Obesity, Renal Disease,
Rheumatism, Sensory Integration Disorder, Seizures, Sudden Infant Death, Thyroid conditions, Tics, Tourette, Ulcerative Colitis, etcetera, are actually, many times are vaccine damage.

So much toll has been taken & no one knows where these HPV vaccine experiments will lead in the lives of so many unfortunate guinea pigs & their, unsuspecting, parents later in life, up their roads.


They recently targeted our boys & there have already been 3 deaths as told in this article.

http://healthfreedoms.org/2011/09/19/3-girls-dead-others-hospitalized-after-gardasil-hpv-vaccine/
Reply to this comment
See all 332 Comments
.

Follow CBS News Investigates

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook
  • Building You a Better Morning

  • CBS This Morning

    "CBS This Morning," anchored by Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill, airs weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and at the same time in other time zones.
    Learn more...