WASHINGTON, June 11, 2007

Vaccine-Autism Link Case Goes To Court

Precedent-Setting Claim Over Whether Child's Autism Was Caused By Common Vaccines

  • Play CBS Video Video Vaccines On Trial

    In a landmark federal case, the parents of 12-year-old Michelle Cedillo will try to prove that their daughter's autism was caused by a vaccine. Sharyl Attkisson reports.

  • Photo

     (CBS/iStockphoto)

  • Interactive Breaking The Silence

    Find out more about autism, and where to get help for someone who may have this neurological disorder.

(CBS/AP)  The parents of 12-year-old Michelle Cedillo asked a federal court Monday to find that their child's autism was caused by common childhood vaccines, a precedent-setting case that could pave the way for thousands of autistic children to receive compensation from a government fund set up to help people injured by the shots.

Wearing noise-canceling headphones, Michelle, of Yuma, Ariz., was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair at the start of the proceedings before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. She stayed only a short time.

Her parents, Theresa and Michael Cedillo, allege a preservative called thimerosal that had been used in vaccines weakened their daughter's immune system and prevented her body from clearing the measles virus after she was immunized for the disease at age 15 months.

Today, Michelle suffers from a litany of health problems, including severe autism, inflammatory bowel disease, glaucoma and epilepsy.

"We hope to find out what happened and hopefully get the help she needs," said Theresa Cedillo, who takes care of her daughter full time at home.

Special Master George Hastings Jr. thanked the family for allowing theirs to be the first of nine test cases that will help guide the resolution of some of the nearly 5,000 similar claims lodged with the government.

"Clearly the story of Michelle's life is a tragic one," Hastings said in pledging to listen carefully to the evidence presented during the three-week hearing.

The burden of proof is easier than in a traditional court. Plaintiffs only have to prove that a link between autism and the shots is more likely than not, based on a preponderance of evidence.

Large scientific studies have found no association between autism and vaccines containing thimerosal.

But many parents say their children's symptoms did not show up until after their children received the vaccines, required by many states for admission to school.

"These are families who followed the rules. These are families who brought children in for vaccines. These are families who immunized their children," said the Cedillos' attorney, Thomas Powers.

Powers said that the science regarding a possible vaccine-autism link is in dispute.

Government attorney Vincent Matanoski dismissed much of what the plaintiffs are expected to present as conjecture or speculation.

"You'll find their hypotheses untested or, when tested, have been found false," Matanoski said.

Since 1999, more than 4,800 families have filed claims with the government alleging their children developed autism as a result of routine vaccinations. Most contend that a preservative called thimerosal is to blame for the impaired social interaction typical of the disorder.

Created in 1986, the federal vaccine court has already paid out $750 million for vaccine injuries, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson, but it has never before tried an autism case.

The court is being asked to decide whether there is a link between autism and childhood vaccines. If it finds one exists, the families could be eligible for compensation under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund, a program established by Congress to ensure an adequate supply of vaccines by safeguarding manufacturers from lawsuits. Under the program, people injured by vaccines receive compensation through a special trust fund.

Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction. Those affected often have trouble communicating, and they exhibit unusual or severely limited activities and interests. Classic symptoms of mercury poisoning include anxiety, fatigue and abnormal irritation, as well as cognitive and motor dysfunction.

Monday's case addresses the theory that the cause of autism is the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in combination with other vaccines containing thimerosal. The preservative, about 50 percent mercury by weight, is no longer found in routine childhood vaccines but is used in some flu shots.

In July 1999, the U.S. government asked vaccine manufacturers to eliminate or reduce, as expeditiously as possible, the mercury content of their vaccines to avoid any possibility of infants who receive vaccines being exposed to more mercury than is recommended by federal guidelines.


© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Video and Galleries from Health

Add a Comment See all 159 Comments
by drinuk June 11, 2007 7:10 AM PDT
The very first judgement the court should make is that of impartiality. Every single person involved in this case, the Judge, Jury, Lawyers and most importantly the so-called government experts, should have to prove beyond doubt that they have not the slightest involvement with Big Pharma. No Stocks or Shares, No previous consultancy employment and No freebies of any nature, however small. Not to mention Institutional funding to Universities, research centre's or hospitals.

There is a wonderful British guy working in Texas named Dr Andrew Wakefield. His evidence should be in the forefront of this investigation, having said that the guy will need a posse of bodyguards to protect him because there are those who would be pleased if they never heard his name again.

Day after Day we hear of yet another very suspect drug of one type or another, all approved by the FDA. It is they along with Big Pharma would should be standing in the dock today, the incestuous relationship between them is killing and maiming. It surely is time for a total clearout at the FDA.
Reply to this comment
by lwoods8 June 11, 2007 8:51 AM PDT
I wished that they would find out what has caused this disorder in our children. I have a little boy that has autism and it is bad. He is in 3rd grade but on pre-k level. And just think he is going to go on through life with this. They need to find the problem and fix it or come up with some kind of meds, that will help them to over come this long journey.
Reply to this comment
by drinuk June 11, 2007 10:21 AM PDT
IWoods8, Go Google Dr Andrew Wakefield, you need look no further for a cause than vaccinations, MMR and all the other junk Big Pharma are making millions from having successfully conned the government into buying. Also check www.sweetpoison.com you may find the site very helpful.
Reply to this comment
by drinuk June 11, 2007 10:21 AM PDT
IWoods8, Go Google Dr Andrew Wakefield, you need look no further for a cause than vaccinations, MMR and all the other junk Big Pharma are making millions from having successfully conned the government into buying. Also check www.sweetpoison.com you may find the site very helpful.
Reply to this comment
by glb1969 June 11, 2007 10:43 AM PDT
Maybe we can finally put the thimerosol myth to bed. Science has defintively proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that mercury is not the culprit. While I certainly feel for those afflicted and affected by autism, the time has come to stop the pointless litigation and finger pointing, and do more studies to attempt to ascertain the true cause. At least this will hopefully silence the scientifically challenged who so far seem willing to ignore all the evidence.
Reply to this comment
by drinuk June 11, 2007 10:54 AM PDT
glb1969, One can hardly ignore the evidence of Dr Andrew Wakefield, scientifically challenged or not. Or is it that when you do hear the truth you wish to ignore it.
Reply to this comment
by Syndicate June 11, 2007 11:10 AM PDT
I would think if mercury caused autism then there would me no escape. Ever play light sabers with the mercury vapor florescent lights? One should also look at what the dangers of not being vacinated. I can only imagine what diseases could be caused by the measels virus. They now think MS may be caused by the chiken pox virus and it is the known cause of shingles. I have only one question for the DRinUK: How does mercury poision? How does it work?
Reply to this comment
by glb1969 June 11, 2007 11:19 AM PDT
DRinUK, I keep hearing anecdotal notations about the "research" this doctor has allegedly put together, but I keep failing to locate this information in a peer reviewed journal or other scientific publication, can you direct me to it? In reality, you cannot because his work is non proven, anecdotally based, and non-scientific, and non repeatable.

Lets stick to the facts and not suppositions by alleged experts with alleged research that supports their conclusions alone, and flies in the face of research done by accredited scientists at accredited research institutions that has been peer reviewed. To do otherwise is to adopt a scenario that goes against the scientific method.

And, in the off chance this Dr. Wakefield is anything less than a charlatan, please have him submit his work for inclusion in a peer reviewed journal. He should know better and know how the system works if he is anything more than a quack.
Reply to this comment
by mikefarren June 11, 2007 12:47 PM PDT
While you're Googling Andrew Wakefield, you might also Google for just why he was brought up on charges of fradulent behavior by the British Medical Association, and just how many children died of various extremely preventable diseases because of the anti-vaccine panic he single-handedly created and the resulting drop in vaccination rates. Evidence, you say? Well, as far as I can tell, his assertions are completely fact-free, he provides no data to support them. Probably because he can't. Bare assertions, no matter how appealing to the knee-jerk "I gotta have somebody to blame" crowd, aren't evidence.
Reply to this comment
by sy2502 June 11, 2007 1:08 PM PDT
There is orders of magnitude more mercury in a can of tuna than in a vaccine, yet nobody points the finger to tuna salad sandwiches. Get your facts people! A quick and easy internet search will give you the amount of mercury found in everyday foods and in the environment versus what's in a vaccine.
This whole thimerosal travesty is the product of ignorance and superstition. What is worse is this charlatan Wakefield, who uses the desperation of parents of autistic children for his personal gain. Of course it is partially those parent's fault if they and their sick children are exploited, since their ignorance makes them easy prey, and in the age of information I would think there is no excuse for ignorance.
Reply to this comment
by drinuk June 11, 2007 1:36 PM PDT
Amazing how many so well informed people come out of the woodwork in defence of Big Pharma when the chips are down.

Speaking of FACT Mike Farren. Tell us how many have died and where, let us have Your facts, name them!

Also Farren, finish your comments with regard to Wakefield, tell the readers of the final outcome to the charges and why they were dropped.

You achieve very little credibility and it is quite obvious where you are coming from.

check out www.heartspring.net vaccinations, you may learn something after watching the video.... I doubt though that you have the impartiality to agree.
Reply to this comment
by sy2502 June 11, 2007 1:54 PM PDT
Amazing how many so well informed people come out of the woodwork in defence of Big Pharma when the chips are down.
Posted by DRinUK at 01:36 PM : Jun 11, 2007

I don't defend Big Pharma, I defend facts. If you hate Big Pharma so much that you are willing to believe bogus stuff just because it is against them, it's your choice. Wishful thinking doesn't make up for missing facts. Over and over again has it been proven that there is no link between vaccines and autism. Holding on to that notion isn't some kind of heroic stand against Big Pharma, it's plain ignorance.
Reply to this comment
by forkaleb June 11, 2007 2:56 PM PDT
For those naysayers to the link between vaccines and Autism, clearly you are uneducated as to what has happened. Everyone knows that vaccines can be dangerous and even deadly at times, if you are not at least educated to this fact, take off your rosey red glasses and read the package inserts to some of these recommended vaccines. That is why the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was started. This issue truly can only be understood by parents who's children have been injured or died as a result of a vaccine. Parents like me who fight very hard to recover our children from the damage with little or no support from main stream medecine have to educate ourselves. My child was normally developing until 16 1/2 months of age when I was pushed to vaccinate my child with a DT vaccine which contained Thimerosal. Within days we were back at the doctors as my son was ill, within 2 weeks he stopped speaking the words that he had aquired. Within 2 months he was diagnosed as Autistic. Why my son and maybe not yours? Genetic may predispose, and the insult may be accumulative. This is a much under researched problem due to the politics of the vaccine and big pharma. Educate youself now, stop calling well intentioned, educated parents and scientist ignorant and superstitious. Fail to educate and you shall eat crow!
Reply to this comment
by glb1969 June 11, 2007 3:10 PM PDT
No one here is defending "big Pharma", those who claim some are, are those with no cogent argument and incpacity to understand rational debate and the scientific method.

Over and over and over, those who have been brainwashed by Wakefield and his anti-vaccination brigade of anti-scientists distort the truth in a myriad of ways.

Take the story of forkaleb. While no one here will dispute that it is not a moving and heartbraking tale, in no possible way should that be miscontstrued as a "fact" or "evidence" that vaccinations are the root cause of this childs apparent social deteriation. It is precisely because forkaleb is not acting impartially or scientifically that they cannot understand how this is nothing more than an anecdote. No one could possibly make an accurate and impartial analysis of this situation after the fact, as the multiple possible other variables were not accounted for.

So, to forkaleb and all the other antiscientific brainwashed morons out there, learn some science or stop trying to cause trouble and distract people from the real solution here, science done within the scientific method. All else is just more of the same bunk being repeated over and over here.
Reply to this comment
by gordon.couger June 11, 2007 3:33 PM PDT
I truly sympathize with anyone that has a damaged child.

Correlation is not causation. Just because a child develops autism about the same time they get a vaccine doesn't show the vaccine is the cause. The father's age, decline in sperm motility, pollution in Texas, scents in the air, plasticizers, other things in the environment and how hard we look for autism all correlate with the rise in autism to some degree as well.

The sad truth is if there was an iron clad link between vaccines and autism vaccinating children would still be the thing to do. Most of you don't remember deaths from measles, Iron Lung wards and cripples from polio, deaths from Whooping Cough. Those are much bigger risks than autism.

Maybe I have warped outlook. I did pretty well on polio. We though I missed it until a few years ago when I started having Post Polio Syndrome. I don't know how much Polio shortens your life but I had 4 friends that gimped along because of it in the 60's. I am 64 and none of them are left now. Of hand I know 2 people that died from tetanus, I didn't know an aunt that died of Whooping Cough when she was 6 lost 4 friends to polio, 5 from heat stroke, 4 from gun shot and 8 in car wrecks over the years. I know of one child that may be autistic that is the grand child of a friend I made 5 years ago. That's not a scientific sample but I think it put the risk in perspective.

GC

Reply to this comment
by talkingham June 11, 2007 3:47 PM PDT
Symptoms of autism involve various high brain functions that usually aren't readily apparent until about the age vaccines are administered. I'm sure judges are well qualified to understand the science. NOT!
Reply to this comment
by sy2502 June 11, 2007 4:16 PM PDT
forkaleb, I feel for your situation, but you have absolutely no proof that the vaccine is the cause of your child's disability. NONE! I am sure you want a reason, something to blame, a target for your frustration. But what good can it possibly do your kid to aim for the wrong target? I see how tempting the "Big Pharma conspiracy theory" is to believe, but when study after study debunks it, it's time to let it go already! Not to mention using common sense: honestly, please search the Net on how much mercury is in our food and the environment, and compare it to the minuscule amount in vaccines.
Reply to this comment
by kheckenlivel June 11, 2007 6:10 PM PDT
Dear CBS:

Thank you for covering this very important autism story. As a science teacher and attorney I'm very aware of standards of proof. It seems as if the government is relying on largely discredited epidemiological data (read the NIH review of the government's main report on the autism/vaccine issue), while the parents are relying on biological data from institutions like Harvard, Columbia, and UC Davis.

Autism parents have waited fifteen years for cases like this to get to trial, which to me can only mean that their case must be very strong. If the pharmaceutical companies weren't terrified of what a trial might reveal, they would've been saying "BRING IT ON!" to us when they have been trying desparately to keep us out of the courtroom. Even now we are locked out of the courtroom and have to go to a special VACCINE COURT.

Do they think we're terrorists for wanting to find out what happened to our children?

Kent Heckenlively
Reply to this comment
by ran1988-2009 June 11, 2007 6:58 PM PDT
I was watching the story on Autism and I began to cry, because I had a son born in 1988 and he died in 1990 and I knew it was from the shots he received. He had a very high fever and I took my child back and forth to the Dr. for 3 to 4 weeks
every other day. When he died he had things that should not have been wrong with him. He was born healthy and until he received his shots had no problems. I knew in my heart that it was something wrong with those shots and I still believe it today. It was like his whole little system was poisioned.
Reply to this comment
by knickens79 June 11, 2007 7:00 PM PDT
I am also glad that cbs/nbc ran this story. I am not a scientist or a person who studies autism on a professional level, but I can tell you this until we understand the complex structure of the brain, we will never know what causes autism. Autism has been around since 1941 and has seen a rapid increase, because of the wonderful awareness of getting dianosised. As a parent and sister of two autistic family members, there is a triple vulunerbility in dealing with autism. Unfortunietly, some parents refuse to accept that they might have some influence on why their children have this disorder. I just believe that god set this into plan for a reason and sometimes life doesn't always promise all the answers we want......
Reply to this comment
by spyguy01 June 11, 2007 7:10 PM PDT
I have no idea what happened to the young lady in the story. Was it a vaccine? Doubtful. Do bad things happen at times from receiving vaccines? Sure. Does the benefit outweigh the risk? You bet. As for the rise in autism figures, one reason and one reason only. Funding. TEACCH has made a mockery of diagnosis and broadened the definition so much that almost everyone meets the criteria.
Reply to this comment
by gretchmom June 11, 2007 7:13 PM PDT
My brother was diagnosed in 1968 with autism and never received a MMR shot. On the other side of the story, my 11 year old son has autism...so what is causing it???????????????????????????
Reply to this comment
by susanhelit June 11, 2007 7:23 PM PDT
Sometimes things just happen. As much as we'd like to control the world, not everything is predictable, avoidable. Kids who get vaccines get autism, and all of these problems NO MORE than kids who don't get any vaccines. We just diagnose it more now, where before the poor child was just considered retarded and locked away.


I got back problems after I graduated High School - and a bunch of other people have as well. So, is High School causing back problems? Or is it just that time?
Reply to this comment
by susanhelit June 11, 2007 7:28 PM PDT
Remember silicon breast implants?

The trial, the poor women with so many horrible problems after their implants were leaking (or presumed to be so). ...

The big verdict, the product removed from the shelves....






And many years later, the studies come in, proving conclusively and absolutely - the breast implants had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with connective tissue, nor any other disease.



The companies are very sensible in being scared of a jury - juries get sympathetic and sentimental, and rule based on feeling rather than fact.


But this time at least, we've got decades of studies proving conclusively that there is no link between autism and the vaccines - not between any form of them at all (a fun one - Amish children get no vaccines - but still get autism just like the rest of us). Still may not be enough for a jury buying a sob story, but the parents should and would know better, if they weren't so interested in money to help their child, and feeling like there is someone to blame, someone to be mad at, rather than pure fate.
Reply to this comment
by susanhelit June 11, 2007 7:33 PM PDT
Every juror in this case should have to have a college degree at the least, and hopefully with some training in mathematics, probability, science or similar. Because you know the attorney is going to throw a bunch of psuedoscience and try to lie about the results of the many robust and unbiased (and completely unfunded and unrelated to 'big pharma') studies that show there is just plain no link between vaccines and autism.


If there were, I'd be on them, but I believe in the truth, not in feeling good while missing the whole real issue.s
Reply to this comment
by susanh6 June 11, 2007 7:44 PM PDT
I understand that having a child diagnosed with a life long disability like Autism is devastating. However, pinning the cause as the nearest event, i.e. vaccines, makes no sense. These are deadly diseases, killing hundreds of thousands of children worldwide, annually. The good news is that the incidence of death has been steadily declining in accord with the increase in immunizations. The success of preventive measures in the US has ironically contributed to the current problem: today%u2019s parents do not remember the diseases. We are not talking about the common cold here. Measles, Mumps, and Rubella used to completely occupy the stay-at-home mothers. There were deaths and long term complications such as deafness, and mental retardation. Yes, autism is awful. We need to start spending the dollars on finding a prevention and a cure, in addition to support for the everyday needs of the autism victims and their families. Spending vast amounts of money defending vaccines, and redoing studies that have already disproved a link between vaccines and autism is counterproductive.
Reply to this comment
by sy2502 June 11, 2007 8:15 PM PDT
This country is also very much into suing corporations to get the big money, let's be honest about it. These parents are just angry for their child's problems and blindly direct their rage at the nearest wallet they can suck dry. I understand anger and frustration, but tossing greed in with the rest is pathetic.

The scientific evidence that debunks this myth is overwhelming. Studies from both sides of the debate have been scrutinized by nothing less than the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Institute of Health and US Public Health Service, and they all agree there is no link between autism and vaccines. Unless you know more than all these scientific establishments combined, I suggest you defer to their informed judgment.

Reply to this comment
by ida8812 June 11, 2007 8:47 PM PDT
Dear CBS,

Thanks for covering this story. I am a nurse with a doctoral degree in public health. My fully vaccinated child could not stand after getting his 15-month vaccines, starting having diarrhea, and stopped talking. Two years later, he was diagnosed with autism. A year after that, we found measles virus in his spinal fluid. We are not suing anyone.

The problems for some children related to some children must be taken seriously and the system improved. A one-size-fits-all approach to health care doesn't work in general, why should we blanketly assume it works for childhood vaccines?

Regards.........
ida8812
Reply to this comment
by drinuk June 11, 2007 8:48 PM PDT
Of course Big Pharma 'aint going to say Bring It On KHeckenlivel, they will however dodge all the bullets, get their PR companies to blog this CBS webpage (a few too many well informed contributors on here already) and fill the court with thier hired hands from the so-called un-biased medical profession.

Everyone concerned with this case should be vetted for vested interest, even the judge, jury and lawyers for the defence. Any of them holding Big Pharma stock, worked at any time during the past ten years as a consultant to them or taken even the smallest fee should be kicked out.

just one little thought, we take infection mainly through, nose, mouth or eyes, it is totally unatural to pump three of them together at the same time directly into the blood stream, especially into those so young. Furthermore, if so many kids are dying from measles why is it not making headlines and is it not true that all worldwide statistic have shown a general decrease in measles and mumps since....1941.
Reply to this comment
by susanh6 June 11, 2007 9:18 PM PDT
To DRinUK : to answer your question %u201Cif so many kids are dying from measles why is it not making headlines%u201D you need to stay more informed. It is not making headlines, because in many countries around the globe, these deaths are accepted as a commonplace fact of life. Just because you haven%u2019t heard about the deaths doesn%u2019t mean they don%u2019t happen. It may not be %u201Cnatural%u201D to inject the vaccine into a human, but I am happy that my children did not have to suffer the illnesses%u2014illnesses that are natural but ugly, painful, deadly, and debilitating just the same.
Reply to this comment
by sy2502 June 11, 2007 9:27 PM PDT
Of course Big Pharma 'aint going to say Bring It On KHeckenlivel, they will however dodge all the bullets, get their PR companies to blog this CBS webpage (a few too many well informed contributors on here already) and fill the court with thier hired hands from the so-called un-biased medical profession.
Posted by DRinUK at 08:48 PM : Jun 11, 2007

Did you get that susanh6 and SusanHelit? DRinUK thinks that the people that have researched the issue by themselves, and believe the sound scientific evidence, work for Big Pharma PR companies. Either you believe the pseudoscience side of the argument or you are "one of them"! I guess conspiracy theory is turning into full fledged paranoia. Run, run, big Pharma is out to get you! LOL!
Reply to this comment
by susanhelit June 11, 2007 9:37 PM PDT
Always true - when someone has no valid factual points to make, they attack the opposition, rather than the facts.


All the studies say the same. Vaccines don't cause autism. Sadly, autism just happens - it'd be nice to have a villian to blame, but there just isn't one (or if there is, it's not the vaccines).


These lies about vaccines are causing children to die - people read rumors and myths about autism, don't vaccinate, then their child catches one of those now so easily preventable diseases, and some die!
Reply to this comment
by drinuk June 11, 2007 9:44 PM PDT
sy2502, name your research source.
Reply to this comment
by forlooch June 11, 2007 10:12 PM PDT
Everyone is talking about all the "studies" and how mercury is found in the environment. But how about allergeric reactions to shots? When new parents go to the Dr. they are not told what are the potential side effects of injections and babies are not screened for allergies. What about all the other chemicals that go into a vaccine? In the fine print on a DPT shot ad.- it says do not give to a child who is allergic to eggs. Who gives a newborn eggs? If we put Autism aside, since some say it could be better diagnoses- blah, blah- how about ADHD, Gastro. prob., Asthma, and food allergies,etc.? Why are these babies getting injected with all these chemicals without being tested for potential side effects. Everyone says to breast feed and Organic is best- but let's inject these babies with Hep. B, DPT, HIB, Polio, Rotovirus, and others in ONE DAY in their fragile blood streams! I think I'll take my chances, rather then weaken their natural immunity. Watch there be a report about some Measels epidemic or something during this trial - just to scare parents into vaccinating. What about vaccinated kids who still get the diseases? How effective are they? Parents who were not informed of risks - go with the flow -"everyone I know is vaccinated" & "they need it for school". But why vaccinate when they are so young? So that when something goes wrong developmentally - no one will know if it was genetic or the shots.
Reply to this comment
by nothappyatall June 11, 2007 10:27 PM PDT
"Her parents, Theresa and Michael Cedillo, allege a preservative called thimerosal that had been used in vaccines weakened their daughter's immune system"

What are these people, DOCTORS now? they are not real doctors they just play Michael Cedillo MD on tv?
Reply to this comment
by tampareads June 11, 2007 10:38 PM PDT
Our nightmare happened after my now 12 year old son had his first vaccine shots when he was a little more than 1 year old. Within 4 hours his daily cooing stopped (permanently) and by the next day his 15 word vocabulary had vanished. Coincidence? Not likely. His first year in Kindergarten ended after a week because his teacher said he couldn't communicate. He couldn't even put a correct 5 word sentence together until he was nearly 7 years old. Needless to say, for my next born, we didn't allow one vaccine shot of any kind. To get my second son in school, I had to sign a waiver at the Health Department (and watch a propaganda movie) saying that for religous reasons I did not want the shot. I have no problem with this since I don't believe our "Creator" designed all of us with a need for vaccines. Now, if we are suffering from starvation and have other immune weakening events in our lives, well, then maybe vaccines may have their place. By the way, my second son, who didn't get the shot, starting putting complex sentences together at age 2 and has one heck of a personality. He also just scored in the top 15% in his 1st grade class. There needs to be a study comparing the percentage of children without vaccinations who develop autism to those with vaccinations.
Reply to this comment
by incog-nito June 12, 2007 12:12 AM PDT
Maybe it's all a coincidence, but to cite studies as evidence, many of which are funded by pharmaceuticals and by a government influenced by corporate interests, is extremely naive. Thimerosal is mercury-based. Mercury is well known to be toxic, especially to brain development in infants. There is no minimum safe level of mercury. For a time, the guidelines were changed so that thimerosal-based vaccines were administered in bunches, and this coincided with a spike in autism diagnoses. Maybe it's all a coincidence. Maybe.
Reply to this comment
by sy2502 June 12, 2007 12:14 AM PDT
sy2502, name your research source.
Posted by DRinUK at 09:44 PM : Jun 11, 2007

Absolutely!

http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=75751
has the list of the studies plus some of the pitfalls of the claim about vaccines causing autism. The web site is that of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
The lastest study is "Lack of Association Between Rh Status, Rh Immune Globulin in Pregnancy and Autism" by the University of Missouri-Columbia, and was published in the May 2007 issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics.
For a list of studies in which the CDC was directly involved, on the subject, see
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/documents/vaccine_studies.pdf
All this is in Internet, by Googling "vaccines and autism". Now why don't you do the same and give me AUTHORITATIVE scientific evidence of the contrary? No anectodal evidence, no speculation, I want to see scientifically valid studies.

Reply to this comment
by mymtldme June 12, 2007 12:40 AM PDT
The FDA is payed for by the DRUG COMPANIES!


http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMp078041
Reply to this comment
by nhokkanen June 12, 2007 1:07 AM PDT
Deniers, keep wasting time and bandwidth with online posturing.
Don't bother reading the Thimerosal MSDS and big words like "mutagen."
Skip the PubMed Thimerosal studies showing extreme neurotoxicity at miniscule levels.
Dismiss children's lab work -- the urine, hair, blood, teeth, stool samples -- that show mercury toxicity.
Then ridicule before-and-after videos of children whose health improves after chelation.
Blow off the biopsies of little children with vaccine-strain measles in lesions lining their intestinal mucosa.
Conveniently ignore the $750,000,000 paid out by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
Mislead others by failing to mention that consumers%u2019 75 cents per shot pays for that fund, rather than vaccine manufacturers.
Don't acknowledge that the recent RhoGam study was paid for by Johnson & Johnson.
Try to forget the 2001 IOM meeting minutes in which Kathleen Stratton and Marie McCormick discuss what the CDC wants them to conclude in 2004.
Insist that Thimerosal is out of vaccines since 1999, or 2001, or 2003, though it is still used daily in vaccine production and 100 micrograms are in the recently approved pandemic influenza vaccine.
Deny. Ignore. Repeat. And hope that most of the general public is as stupid as you treat them.
Reply to this comment
by gaye5 June 12, 2007 1:31 AM PDT
Of course they will say that immunization is not the cause of Autism, they couldn't afford the millions of people world wide who will sue... I wonder how much the judges will get for that..
The mild child hood diseases are being made out to be killer diseases and by whom??? Children die after immunizations but they are not counted as killer immunizations..
We have to remember that death from drugs and Dr's is the fourth cause of deaths in America so I cant for the life of me understand why people trust their babies to this... Although a babies immune system is totally covered while the mother is breast feeding the powers to be still push immunisation, WHY... could it be because that is when a mother is the most venerable???.. It has been proven that if a mother leaves immunisation until after two years old when the babies own immune system kicks in, that the mother is not as venerable and so is less likely to immunize..
If a child is immunized it only lasts until they are 12 so after that if they are not immunized again the child can then get measles naturally, when they get it naturally they are immunized for life, thus they will not get it when pregnant when it can do harm to the unborn baby... Unfortunately measles at 12 or older is pretty bad..
Reply to this comment
by gaye5 June 12, 2007 1:36 AM PDT
DRinUK said..Day after Day we hear of yet another very suspect drug of one type or another, all approved by the FDA... you are so right..perhaps this is why death by drugs and Dr's is the fourth cause of death.. and yet it takes millions of deaths before it is investigated, not so with natural medicines, if one person dies it is taken off the market by the powers to be.. hmmm
Much can be done naturally to clear the body of the posions from immunisations, no one can tell me that Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)
* Phenol also known as carbolic acid (this is used as a disinfectant, dye)
* Formaldehyde a known cancer causing agent
* Aluminium which is associated with Alzheimer disease and seizures also cancer producing in laboratory mice - -( it is used as an additive to promote antibody response)
* Thimerosal (used as a mercury disinfectant/preservative) can result in brain injury and autoimmune disease, (I believe that mercery is no longer allowed) can anyone correct me on this???...
* Neomycin, Streptomycin (used as antibiotic) have caused allergic reactions in some people, and much more... are good to inject even into a grown adult let alone a new baby...
I know of people who have gone to homopathetic Dr's or other natural products to clear their childs body from the poisons ..
Reply to this comment
by gaye5 June 12, 2007 2:02 AM PDT
forkaleb I am so sorry to hear of your child's problems, I also saved my grand daughter from dying, after her immunization she stopped breathing in my arms twice and has not been well since, but if she had of been in her bed it would just have been counted as a cot death...
We never heard of children dying of nothing when we had our children or when I was nursing... And even though we lived on the slopes of a mountain in NZ there was only one child with asthma in our very large school. When our children were born we didn't worry that there would be something wrong with them, simply because it happened very rarely...
People dont educate themselves until it is too late, and I dont blame them as when your Dr pushes you to be responsible when a mother is vonerable, it is hard for the mother..
They say that children who are not immunized cant go to a day care center because they are a danger to immunized children.. hmmm think for yourselves mums, why is an un-immunized child a danger to an immunized child???...
Reply to this comment
by gaye5 June 12, 2007 2:49 AM PDT
SusanHelit I have read that measles can also cause autism, but it happens so very rarely that it isn't mentioned...

gcouger dont you think that most of these things that you have mentioned existed over the centuries, but autism is drastically on the increase..and what do you attribute it to when it happens within a few days after immunisation, normal, happy, talking children who suddenly stop talking and playing and start doing weird things, come on gcouger.. how can low sperm effect a child only after it gets to 2 years old..
Not everyone lives in Texas, we live in Australia, and my husband has taught for 42 years. If autism was there years ago surely as a principal he would have heard of other members in the family who were autistic and he had only one child 6 years ago who was also normal until about 2 years old, but now we know of many.
Epidemics come and go, and will come again...My cousin had whooping cough and is a fit health man now..
Reply to this comment
by gaye5 June 12, 2007 2:56 AM PDT
markjessup how cruel can you get...I have know of many very sensible parents whose children have autism who have never been on anything other than good food but now live tieh the hell of a child who has a horrific problem, and what makes it worse is that these children were mostly normal, laughing happy children up until they got autism, if it was drugs etc they would be not normal from the beginning. Please dont make statements like this when you obviously dont know anything about autism, all you do is add more heartache to these poor parents and they have had enough hell from seeing their beautiful happy child sink into the pits of hell never to talk or be happy again.
Reply to this comment
by gaye5 June 12, 2007 3:21 AM PDT
susanh6 you said..I understand that having a child diagnosed with a life long disability like Autism is devastating. However, pinning the cause as the nearest event, i.e. vaccines, makes no sense.
Susan, how else can people explain that these two issues continually come at the same time..
Then you said...The good news is that the incidence of death has been steadily declining in accord with the increase in immunizations.
Susan, at the same time as immunisation we also started becoming far better hygienic, and deaths now happen that we didn't have much of before, hospitals are full of children dying or being sick from leukaemia's, cancers, diabetes, arthritis, ADD, etc etc things that we saw so little of when I was nursing years ago, in fact I never saw a child with leukaemia or diabetes, ADD, arthritis etc, ..
We will never irradiate disease, simply because countries where the drug companies dont make money are not vaccinating the children so with global travel the problem will continue..
You have to realise that there are big out breaks of these diseases in immunised children as well, I wonder why??? many getting the diseases very badly.
Reply to this comment
by drinuk June 12, 2007 6:14 AM PDT
sy2502, Very Good, and just who do you think sponsored these papers. In short, First Do No Harm. If in Doubt Kick It Out! Your interest is quite obvious.
Reply to this comment
by drinuk June 12, 2007 6:29 AM PDT
Gaye5, You are so correct, I have listed it previously but you will be interested to watch the following video on an Australian website........www.heartspring.net/flu_side_effects.html .....As well as Flu, it covers the serious effects of MMR. These people are not Quacks, they are established Australian medical professionals, who are sick and tired of Big Pharma influence over state medical authorities.
Reply to this comment
by lucasnico June 12, 2007 7:03 AM PDT
markjessup......please, just go away...studies dating back to 1930 warned repeatedly not to use thimerosal...that it caused nuerological damage, brain damage....yet Elli Lilly insisted on using it. It has devestated thousands of lives.... they need to pay, big time.
Reply to this comment
by drinuk June 12, 2007 7:56 AM PDT
Would it be possible for those contibuting on this subject and advocating the use of MMR to tell us if Japan has lifted the ban on this very suspect triple vaccine ?
Reply to this comment
See all 159 Comments
  • MOST POPULAR
  • Viewed
  • Commented
Latest News
Featured Blogs