Primary Source
July 25, 2008 8:50 AM

Debate Over Vaccines And Autism/ADD

(AP)
The debate over vaccines and autism/ADD is so sensitive that for some who are directly affected: it's gotten personal. No more personal, perhaps, than for the parents of Hannah Poling. Hannah developed autism as a toddler after a battery of vaccines. In a landmark case last fall, the federal government (which defends vaccines in federal vaccine court) quietly conceded that vaccinations resulted in Hannah's autism. The government has portrayed Poling's case as an exception because she had an undiagnosed condition (that may have been pre-existing): mitochondrial disorder. Many scientists and government officials agree with vaccine makers in portraying Poling as a "special case" that can "not be extrapolated to other vaccine-autism cases."

But the concession was significant for many reasons. First, for a decade the government has insisted there is no possible link between vaccines and autism, but was now conceding-- and agreeing to pay damages-- in such a case. Even if the case is some sort of "exception," it runs counter to the longstanding claim that no possible link exists. Simply put: the old position was "there's no way vaccines can result in autism," but the government's new position seems to be, "it may have happened once but it doesn't really mean anything in the big picture." Second, Hannah was an autism "test case" in federal vaccine court. By conceding the case, the government avoided a test case trial that -- by its own calculations -- the government would likely have lost. Hannah's case would have then served as a high-profile precedent, giving guidance on any other cases similar among the thousands of autism claims pending in vaccine court.

When news that the government had conceded Hannah's case leaked out to the public a few months ago, those who reject any possible link between vaccines and autism/ADD went on the offensive. Among other things, they worry that if parents are needlessly scared away from vaccinations, they will stop immunizing and risk deadly diseases re-emerging into our society.

Yale University School of Medicine academic clinical neurologist, Dr. Steven Novella writes a blog that covers news and issues in neuroscience. He recently posted commentary about what he calls, celebrities “promoting the false controversy about a link between vaccines and autism.”

Hannah's Father, Dr. Jon Poling, a neurologist and a PhD, wrote a letter to Dr. Novella that shows just how complex the scientific question of Autism is. Poling writes, “Regarding your entry on Hannah’s case, your blog entry unfortunately propagates several of the mistakes from the media.”

Some unresolved questions that are being asked in the debate: Was Hannah's mitochondrial disorder a biological weakness that was exploited by vaccines, resulting in autism? If so, does that confirm Hannah was an exception and other children are not to worry? Does it imply there is a small subset of children with unknown and known biological and genetic weaknesses who could similarly be at special risk when vaccinated? As of now, according to government officials, they are not studying cases of alleged autism resulting from vaccine damage. In fact, the government told CBS News it has not even tracked how many brain damage claims that have been paid in federal vaccine court resulted in autism. As the former head of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Bernadine Healy has said: perhaps some answers to the autism/ADD mystery are waiting, but you have to go looking to find them.

Watch the CBS Evening News tonight for Sharyl's Follow the Money Investigation on some of the surprising places where vaccine industry money ends up.
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by nhokkanen July 25, 2008 12:20 PM PDT
People sharing Dr. Novella''s hubristic denialist mindset are blocking medical progress and preventing "autistic" children from receiving proper medical treatment. No child should be written off as collateral damage in the war on disease. How can science advance if problems with vaccines are not acknowledged and studied?
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by rrohde1 July 25, 2008 1:50 PM PDT
As the parent of a vaccine injured child with severe autism and one who works at one of the leading research institutions in the US, I can tell you exactly where the pharmaceutical money goes....directly into the pockets of the Universities, the researchers and physicians. Researchers are being paid by the companies they are performing their studies on. Physicians at the CDC owning patents in the same vaccines they recommend for the vaccine schedule. Pharmaceuticals donating to the CDC, FDA, NIH. I''m glad the mainstream media somis finally opening their eyes to the collusion that has been going on for years between the pharmaceuticals, federal government and researchers. Independence in research is a joke...it''s the money trail, not the efficacy of the product or research.
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by aware4autism July 25, 2008 2:23 PM PDT
I thank, and encourage you Ms Attkisson for continuing to report the TRUTH about what has happened to our children. You are truly a saint.
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by lsmom1 July 25, 2008 2:35 PM PDT
I am a mother of a 10 yr old severe, non-verbal, autistic child. She was vaccine injured after a rapid succession of toxic, mercury laced vaccines she received as an infant.. She sustained brain damage as a result of TOO MANY TOXIC VACCINES TOO SOON (30 to be exact).

I was shocked to learn that the FDA and CDC have NEVER conducted SAFETY tests and the effects of NUMEROUS injections of vaccines on an infant on one day.

Absolutely NO SAFETY level of thimerosal/mercury has ever been established (Thimerosal is the mercury compound found in many vaccines).

Thimerosal has NOT been removed as falsely reported by so many media outlets.

According to the FDA Thimerosal/mercury is still contained in many childhood vaccines.

The FDA Website provides a chart to show which VACCINES STILL CONTAIN MERCURY/THIMEROSAL. Please see the truth for yourselves:

http://www.fda.gov/Cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm

The cover-up has gone on long enough! Many children are miserable and suffering and the world needs to know the forbidden truth!
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by aware4autism July 25, 2008 2:53 PM PDT
it is more than just thimerosal. My daughter never had a single thimerosal containing vaccine. However, she did have an underlying immunodeficiency that was NOT diagnosed prior to vaccination. This should have contraindicated her for vaccination.

She suffered a severe adverse reaction (rash, high fever and seizures)after receiving vaccines against measles, mumps, ruebella, varicella, diptheria, tetanus, pertussis, and haemophilus influenzae. Not only did she stop developing behaviorally after this event (and was dx''d severely autistic 4 months later), she also stopped growing for a yr, and has pituitary damage.

She now has a permanent medical exemption to ALL vaccinations.

We are in the process of testing her for mito dysfunction, as preliminary testing shows that she does have markers for this.

I hope the government does something, and QUICKLY!
Reply to this comment
by autismnewsbe July 25, 2008 3:55 PM PDT
Questions to ask for your next story on autism and vaccines:

1. Since the known prevalence of autism spectrum disorders is 1:150, would chance alone mean that approximately 17 cases of autism would appear among the 2,600 or so cases settled in vaccine court over the last 20 years?

2. Has anyone proposed a coherent explanation of how damage to mitochondria can lead to a permanent "mitochondrial dysfunction". If the mitochondria are "damaged", they are either replaced or the cell that contains them dies. An "injury" to mitochondria can lead to permanent disability due to death of certain irreplaceable cells, but the mitochondria themselves are not "permanently" made "dysfunctional.

3. When will the Poling family make Hannah''s medical records public, so to better address the controversy the family set off by going public in the first place?

4. Why didn''t Dr. Poling reveal a potential conflict of interest in "Developmental regression and mitochondrial dysfunction in a child with autism," the 2006 Journal of Child Neurology study he co-authored?
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by carmel661 July 25, 2008 4:18 PM PDT
Mitochondria contain their *own* DNA - that makes them unique (I''m being very basic here). So if you damange mitochondria and the DNA of the mitochondria are damanged then they reproduce damaged ''offspring''. Basic cellular biology.
Vaccine injuries are under reported - patients are discouraged by docs, told injury cannot possibly be due to vaccine and the work falls to the patient (parent) to produce evidence. I experienced this first hand after a seizure experienced by my son 40 hours after a series of vaccinations was administered to him. "It''s such a rare occurrence it could not be related to the vaccines"...by the time I put two and two together statue of limitations has run out.
I believe that it is not the Polings holding back the personal medical records of their daughter - but the gag order the special court ordered...I''m not sure - maybe someone else can follow up on that.
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by sandals7 July 25, 2008 5:19 PM PDT
autismnewsbeat...dude, do you really think Dr. Poling, PhD and MD, misunderstands his daughter''s mitochondrial condition?
Reply to this comment
by patriceparks July 25, 2008 5:48 PM PDT
I applaud CBS for covering this issue better than any other news outlet.
I am a concerned parent; this is a debate of tremendous signficance. There are virtually no Autism cases among the unvaccinated population.. a study must be done. Dr. Bernadine Healy former Director Of The National Institutes of Health said the government purposely is NOT looking into this issue. It''s unbelievable to me that such a study hasn''t been conducted.
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by wellread1 July 25, 2008 5:55 PM PDT
Dr. Poling would not be the first otherwise intelligent and rational person to have his judgment clouded by the stress of having an ill child and the money at stake in Vaccine Court.
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by autismnewsbe July 25, 2008 6:25 PM PDT
Patrice wrote: "There are virtually no Autism cases among the unvaccinated population."

Which unvaccinated populations are you referring to?
Reply to this comment
by wellread1 July 25, 2008 6:34 PM PDT
Dr. Poling would not be the first otherwise intelligent and rational person to have his judgment clouded by the stress of having an ill child and the money at stake in Vaccine Court.
Reply to this comment
by aware4autism July 25, 2008 6:50 PM PDT
Sharyl, Just watched the story tonight- THANK YOU!

It is so refreshing to finally see unbiased media!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you

I only wish I knew before my daughter was injured!
Reply to this comment
by aware4autism July 25, 2008 6:54 PM PDT
autismnewsbeat, please focus your efforts on subjects that we all agree need attention. Please contact your local radio station that hosts savage''s show, and focus your energy there.

We have a multitude of "fights", and we need even you, on our side...
Reply to this comment
by mepazzo1 July 25, 2008 7:25 PM PDT
Bravo Sharyl! You are to be commended for reporting the facts concerning the vaccine industry. This little shell game is just about OVER!!!
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by jaynelytel July 25, 2008 7:50 PM PDT
Since a federal court conceded in March that an Atlanta girl developed autism from vaccines %u2014 a ruling that in my opinion does not set a precedent given the unique circumstances of that case %u2014 the messages of early detection, diagnosis and treatment are being squeezed out and overrun by fingering easy blame on vaccines and advocating treatments with no credible proof of effectiveness. Ms. Jenny McCarthy, for example, asserts that vaccines caused her son''s autism. Yet, her son was born in 2002, a year after the vaccine culprit %u2014 mercury %u2014 was removed from the childhood vaccination series. She also credits a special diet with helping to make her son whole.

Jayne Lytel
Act Early Against Autism
www.jaynelytel.com
Reply to this comment
by craigwillo July 25, 2008 8:07 PM PDT
"Why didn''''t Dr. Poling reveal a potential conflict of interest in "Developmental regression and mitochondrial dysfunction in a child with autism," the 2006 Journal of Child Neurology study he co-authored?"

ANB, why didn''t the pHARMa-scum (tm) Pauly prOffit reveal his multiple conflicts of interest during his tenure on the advisory board of the CDC? Or his conflicts of interest when pushing across his Rotateq virus? You never did answer those questions in any of the conversations we''ve ever had.
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by craigwillo July 25, 2008 8:09 PM PDT
Jayne, her case is not unique. Infact, there was another child (Krakow, I believe) who had the exact same condition and his case was also conceded. Wow...this is getting to be a common occurence for these "unique circumstances"

Unique means that it is singular, only once. If there is more than one unique occurence, then it isn''t unique, is it?
Reply to this comment
by craigwillo July 25, 2008 8:11 PM PDT
Jayne, you may also want to check the FDA''s site. Until last year, thimerosal was in the DTaP, the HepB and many flu shots. That means it wasn''t removed. That is simply a case of the pHARMa-scum (tm) playing a shell game and moving THEIR goal posts.
Reply to this comment
by aware4autism July 25, 2008 8:12 PM PDT
Jayne Lytel,, while I am all for promoting early identification, what you must understand is that these (thimerosal laden) vaccines remained on the shelves (some into 2004). Also, there is the flu shot, which STILL has mercury.

McCarthy''s son also had seizures, not all autistic kids do. Just as not all autistic kids are the same, neither is the cause of their autism. My daughter did not receive thimerosal in any of her vaccines, but did have a severe adverse reaction to the combo she got at 17 months, then regressed. Turns out she has immunodeficiency, and should not have had the vax.
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by aware4autism July 25, 2008 8:19 PM PDT
btw Jayne, had my ped not argued with me for 1 1/2 yrs, not believing me until we saw every specialist under the sun, they may have been able to INTERVENE EARLY on the medical condition my daughter was suffering. But instead, we were told "she is autistic, be positive, and get what little therapy Florida offers"

I am all for early behavioral intervention as well as MEDICAL intervention!

see, if you can''t fix what is going wrong in the brain and immune system, therapy doesn''t stand a chance of being fully effective.
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by eastcoast251 July 25, 2008 8:35 PM PDT
I have been following this story with great interest and concern. I am pro-vax but am very conflicted about the combined live virus vaccines. When I look back at vax records from the late 1960s, MMR was not even combined yet (happened in 1975), measles was given at around age 1, mumps, and rubella around age 5 and 9, and rubella again around age 14. We all know there were a lot less vaccines given to Generation X overall, and the interesting thing is why I cannot remember ever knowing anyone with Autism growing up - this seems to be true for many of us born in the 60''s/70''s. The question is simply, why not and what variables do we need to investigate that have contributed to a surge in autism? This is not just an environmental issue, though it could play a part. This is not just parents giving birth later in life, though it could play a part. We need honest dialogue on the part of those who influence the schedule and those who have concerns about the schedule. It''s the right thing to do, and an honest dialogue considers all sides of an argument, without judgment and defensiveness.
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by autismdr July 25, 2008 8:39 PM PDT
The govt case only indicated there was an encephalopathy "with autistic features". That has mistakenly, and conveniently, morphed into "autism". There are many conditions with autistic like SYMPTOMS that are not "autistic disorders". The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right name, and if we are to find the cause of autistic disorder(s), we need to be careful in separating autistic-like traits and behaviors from autism more narrowly, and carefully, defined
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by craigwillo July 25, 2008 9:03 PM PDT
autismdr:
Wow, that''s funny. She was diagnosed with DSM-IV autism before the case. My son was diagnosed with a vaccine induced fever which caused an encepalopathy and was later diagnosed with autism.

Funny how the doctors and lawyers use medical double-speak to mince words and obfuscate the fact that vaccines caused autism in these children.

So, before the court case, she was diagnosed with DSM-IV autism, but after the case, she no longer has autism. Wow!! I just found the cure for autism. Send your kid to vaccine court!!

Doc, if it looks like a duck and acts like a duck, it goes "Quack!"
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by aware4autism July 25, 2008 9:15 PM PDT
autismdr-
"The govt case only indicated there was an encephalopathy "with autistic features".

-Yes, enough autistic features to receive a dx of autism. Autism is a dx based on behavior alone, without ruling out ANYTHING else.

"That has mistakenly, and conveniently, morphed into "autism". There are many conditions with autistic like SYMPTOMS that are not "autistic disorders".

-Yes, namely being vaccine/ febrile induced encephalopathy, which looks just like autism.

"The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right name,"

-Yes, vaccine injury

"and if we are to find the cause of autistic disorder(s), we need to be careful in separating autistic-like traits and behaviors from autism more narrowly, and carefully, defined"

-Perhaps we need to start identifying the subgroups. Not all autistic individuals have the same cause of their autism.
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by cbsbecky1 July 25, 2008 9:16 PM PDT
from utube

Representative Dan Burton, Indiana United States Congress (Dan Burton''s grandson became "suddenly Autistic" after receiving 9 vaccinations on the same day)

2002 Governmental Reform Investigation-Mercury/Vaccines/Autism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y1VTYzLYy4
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by lham6 July 25, 2008 10:57 PM PDT
I am not against vaccinations, I just don''t undrestand why so many ASD. While I tihnk had he been born in my era he would have just been labled slow he definitly has enough markers to be diagnosed ASD. While I do consider us lucky that he is higher functioning and verbal he definitley has marked impairment in devleopemnt and intellectual capacity. I think there is some autoimmune connecstion. He has several "odd" autoimmune issues but nothing that fits under one category. He had chicken pox as an infant at 4 months of age and is very sensitive to any herpes type virus. When my other children received the vaccination for chicken pox he got shingles.
I guess my point is this, I belive that we should have somewhat of a choice in vaccinations and how and when they are given. I do belive that every child should be offered and receive vaccinations before school and also if your child is in formal day care setting. It may already exsist but I would like to see a study showing the statistical benefit of smashing all the vaccines in before the age of 2. Has the rate of disease changed or did ti go up and that is why we decided to squeeze them all in? or was it merely a shortage of healtcare workers and someone figured the more we put in one visit the better? I don''t understand why we have to give so many vaccinations before the age of 2.
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by lham6 July 25, 2008 10:58 PM PDT
Vaccinations asside I do belive that the parameters of what is considered autistic disorder have also changed. My son is definitley not ''neruotypical". He does have odd behavior, he does have his tantrums at 9 years old, and he is the most hilarious, gorgeous, loving little boy and I can''t imagine him any different than who he is. Sure there are things I would change to make his life easier, sure there are things I would change to have him be more succesful. But he is who he is, and we have accepted him for that.
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by loveconquers July 26, 2008 8:40 AM PDT
The AAP and the IOM want the public to become combative and argumentative about the issue of vaccines. They do this in the name of money and money alone.
If they did, in fact, care about the health and well being of our country and our children they would have conducted testing that proved that the increase in vaccines caused no harm to every child. (Children that have a family history of autoimmune disease included).
This was not done. This is not being done.
They have pushed to increase the vaccine schedule without researching the cumulative effects of aluminum, mercury and a host of other ingredients that infants (that do not have a mature immune system) can handle.
Simply put...The American people are being manipulated by the pharmaceutical companies (that are closely tied to the medical community. They are making us BELIEVE (falsely)that this country has a national health risk, at hand. When, in fact, we already have a national health crisis. We have thousands of children that are being poisoned.
Our children are falling through the cracks. They are becoming a lost generation and NO ONE is paying attention.
Autism Mom
Reply to this comment
by loveconquers July 26, 2008 8:54 AM PDT
Autism Doc,

The "beiginng of wisdom" is to first do no harm.

Sound Familiar?

First, do the proper testing to make sure that all 36 vaccines are safe for every child BEFORE injecting infants (that have an immature immune system).
If you did that we would not have this debate.
I have another suggestion. Before counting the $$ in YOUR bank account perhaps your should think about the national debt these children will cost the country.
(I would speak to you about the heartache that families have on a daily basis but I don''t think you would understand).
Here is another idea....
How about Doctors (like yourself) get educated in the various maladies that vaccines have caused. The word autism should be changed to a word that describes a disease of the body. One that EFFECTS the brain. Maybe you can think of a nice word. Here are the chronic medical ailments that we/parents deal with on a daily basis. Gut dysbiosis. Metal poisoning. Viral encephalitis. Methylation dysfunction.
Once you DOCTORS figure out how to treat our children maybe we could get insurance companies to pay for these fantom symtems that you have not recognized.
Peddle your wares on another street corner. They are junk.
Reply to this comment
by loveconquers July 26, 2008 9:04 AM PDT
Iham6

The reason why we have so many developmental delays in this country is because we are treating our children with a One Size Fits All - rubber stamp.
All of these children come into the world with their own genetic make-up (vulnerabilites) and toxic exposure from Mom.
That is why vaccines HIT our children differently. It will severely impact some children while other children have attention and behavioral issues.
It is not about ACCEPTANCE.
It is about reponsibility.

It is about looking outside the box and realizing the the emperor is wearing NO CLOTHES. That the people that we were raised to believe had our best interest at heart...do not. They are stuffing their pockets with money while our children flounder through life.

Ask yourself one question.

Why are there so many pharmaceutical adds on TV? In magazine? In Newspapers? Because they are rich enough to pay for them. They are owning our media outlets. They are owning our lives. It is time to take a step back and start re-evaluate the world that we live in and want to live in.

It''s time parents started to PARENT their children. To ask questions. To say NO. Our children depend on us.
Autim Mom



Reply to this comment
by autismnewsbe July 26, 2008 9:13 AM PDT
"We have thousands of children that are being poisoned."

That is an astounding accusation. Do you have any real data to back up that statement?
Reply to this comment
by carmel661 July 26, 2008 9:55 AM PDT
AutismNewBeat - I love how the only comment you respond to is "1000''s of our children are being poisioned"...that is the only arguement you have to everything presented since your last comment? Interesting... Our children are not just being poisoned by the hazardous materials in vaccines (used to *** growth of bacteria or "rev up" the immune system) but also by the water, the air, the food, the chemicals in our mattresses, clothes, carseats and food storage containers (to mention a few). Combined with the toxic load their moms have and then the increased toxic load the environment presents every year as well as any genetic issues they come to the world with...well, they are the canaries in the coal mine. We best pay attention to our environment.
Reply to this comment
by faiella3 July 26, 2008 11:11 AM PDT
The way to recover all the kids with Autism, may be with Adult Stem Cells from Cord Blood. Please read this http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/07/stem-cells-the.html#more

Can read our blog and see how it is helping our son Matthew, www.recoveringMatthew.blogspot.com

Thank You Daniel Faiella
Reply to this comment
by craigwillo July 26, 2008 5:10 PM PDT
I just watched the video on the CBS site. The media used to be a bastion for the people, a watchdog against the corrupt government and business. Now, it''s a lapdog of the corporations and entertainment industry. It''s wonderful that we have reporters like Sharyl who are unafraid to going back to what the media should be. She did a wonderful job, and these blaring and significant conflicts of interest should give everyone pause whenever they hear from these organizations just how "safe" vaccines are.
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