Autism Cases Rise Despite Vaccine Change
John Edwards. / CBS News
Autism cases in California continued to climb even after a mercury-based vaccine preservative that some people blame for the neurological disorder was removed from routine childhood shots, a new study found.
Researchers from the state Department of Public Health found the autism rate in children rose continuously during the 12-year study period from 1995 to 2007. The preservative thimerosal hasn't been used in childhood vaccines since 2001, but is used in some flu shots.
Doctors say the latest study adds to existing evidence refuting a link between thimerosal exposure and autism risk and should reassure parents that the disorder is not caused by vaccinations. If there was a risk, they said, autism rates should have dropped between 2004 and 2007.
The findings show "no evidence of mercury poisoning in autism" since there was no decline in autism rates even after the elimination of thimerosal, said Dr. Eric Fombonne, an autism researcher at Montreal Children's Hospital who had no role in the research.
Some advocacy groups blame thimerosal for the impaired social interaction typical of autism. Nearly 5,000 claims alleging a vaccine-autism link have been lodged with the federal government, which is deciding whether victims should receive compensation from a government fund.
Dr. Daniel Geschwind, a neurologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the focus now should be on exploring the causes of autism such as possible genetic links.
"Something else must be at play and we need to know what that is if we're really serious about preventing autism," said Geschwind, who had no connection with the study.
For their study, California public health officials calculated the autism rate by analyzing a database of state-funded centers that care for people with autism and other developmental disorders.
They found the prevalence of autism in children aged 3 to 12 increased throughout the study period. For example, 0.3 per 1,000 children born in 1993 had autism at age 3 compared with 1.3 per 1,000 children born in 2003. Similar trends were found in other age groups.
"These time trends are inconsistent with the hypothesis that thimerosal exposure is a primary cause of autism in California," the researchers wrote.
Results were published in January's issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. The study did not explore why there was an increase in autism cases.
Federal statistics show about one in 150 children in the United States have autism, higher than previous estimates. Researchers say it's unclear if the increase is due to changes in how the disorder is classified or whether it's an actual spike.
Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication skills. There is no cure, but early therapy can lessen the severity.
© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Researchers from the state Department of Public Health found the autism rate in children rose continuously during the 12-year study period from 1995 to 2007. The preservative thimerosal hasn't been used in childhood vaccines since 2001, but is used in some flu shots.
Doctors say the latest study adds to existing evidence refuting a link between thimerosal exposure and autism risk and should reassure parents that the disorder is not caused by vaccinations. If there was a risk, they said, autism rates should have dropped between 2004 and 2007.
The findings show "no evidence of mercury poisoning in autism" since there was no decline in autism rates even after the elimination of thimerosal, said Dr. Eric Fombonne, an autism researcher at Montreal Children's Hospital who had no role in the research.
Some advocacy groups blame thimerosal for the impaired social interaction typical of autism. Nearly 5,000 claims alleging a vaccine-autism link have been lodged with the federal government, which is deciding whether victims should receive compensation from a government fund.
Dr. Daniel Geschwind, a neurologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the focus now should be on exploring the causes of autism such as possible genetic links.
"Something else must be at play and we need to know what that is if we're really serious about preventing autism," said Geschwind, who had no connection with the study.
For their study, California public health officials calculated the autism rate by analyzing a database of state-funded centers that care for people with autism and other developmental disorders.
They found the prevalence of autism in children aged 3 to 12 increased throughout the study period. For example, 0.3 per 1,000 children born in 1993 had autism at age 3 compared with 1.3 per 1,000 children born in 2003. Similar trends were found in other age groups.
"These time trends are inconsistent with the hypothesis that thimerosal exposure is a primary cause of autism in California," the researchers wrote.
Results were published in January's issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. The study did not explore why there was an increase in autism cases.
Federal statistics show about one in 150 children in the United States have autism, higher than previous estimates. Researchers say it's unclear if the increase is due to changes in how the disorder is classified or whether it's an actual spike.
Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication skills. There is no cure, but early therapy can lessen the severity.
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Well if the government, medical establishment and media say it''s so, it must be so. I think we should all just put our complete trust in them and just be satisfied with what they say. I mean really, what do they stand to lose if they were wrong about the safety of vaccines? Well, I don''t know about you, but I trust them and I think you should too.
http://www.newstarget.com/vaccines.html
Gatagorra you said it so much better than I could.
Schools recieve monies from several different sources for Special Needs kids. Some fed some state. In Utah schools recieve monies from three different sources for Special Needs kids. I know this because the legislation regarding the Carson Smith Bill allows the public schools to keep monies from one of the sources while allowing the other two to be applied as vouchers to private schools.
Anyone who thinks a simply shy kid can be diagnosed as ASD hasn''t tried to have diagnosed a child who is boarderline. I have one fully autistic child and one who has nebulously been diagnosed with Anxiety disorder because she was too social. (THAT DAY) She did great that day other days she''d hide under the table even for friends and neighbors she had no problem talking to on other days.
I would submit that you are looking at the wrong information, check out what is being done by scientists in labratories not agencies manipulating numbers if you want the truth.
Kennersgirl I totally agree with what you are saying, I am keeping an open mind. The problem I have with all the denial by the medical establishment that vaccines might be involved is that no true studies will be done to give us a difinitive answer so we can either truly cross it off the list or accept it and tailor treatments that will work.
Mythoughtstar please read this article http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=14496. I have no doubt mercury causes autism I know this family. My son went to the same school. I helped fight for this legislation. The question is, is all autism caused by mercury. This I don''t know there could be more than one cause or a couple of factors creating the Perfect Storm which would be Autism. Not enough envioronmental research has been done. Saying that mercury causes autism is NOT the same as saying autism is caused by mercury.
No one denies that genetic are a huge factor in autism, however genetics do not move this fast. It takes GENERATIONS not thirty years to reach the numbers we are seeing now.
There never was a recall on thimerosal containing vaccines. So the vials that had been sent out that were labelled as being good until 2006 were still in use until 2006. Then you add the average age 3-4 years when a child is diagnosed as autistic then you get the years 2009-2010. THAT is when we will start seeing the numbers go down, maybe. Depending on if we can get it out of the flu shots too.
THERE NEVER WAS THIMEROSAL IN THE MMR!!!!
The MMR is a live virus the Thimerosal would denature it (kill it). The MMR controversy is a seperate one in that there has been live VACCINE STRAIN measles virus found in the digestive tract lining and cerebro-spinal fluid of a significant number of autistic kids many of whom have done well after targeting this as the cause of their autism. It is intertwined with the thimerosal controversy because it is given at the same time as shots containing thimerosal which acts on the tissues to make them more suceptible to penetration by the measles virus.
Thimerosal is still in the flu shots!!!
Rule one of discrediting the testimony or point of view of a group of people is to alter perception of character. If personifying individuals as "crazy sad" doesn''t work to undercut testimony, then try "crazy dangerous".
If anyone was paying attention, Offit''s whiney NEMJ article set off the new trend: to regard environmental injury parents as potentially dangerous, causing the CDC to have to "beef up security" (yes, he wrote "beef up"). Of course nothing''s happened to substantiate Offit''s assertions and environmental injury parents don''t seem very threatening with their pastel cell phones and medium-heeled mom shoes and the only thing in the snack bags are snacks. But ooh, they might be gluten-free. Hey, that''s an attack on the wheat industry!
But the truth doesn''t matter here. What matters is that everyone get in line with their popular culture concepts and pre-conditioned responses. Out with pity, in with tremulous anxiety and paranoia. Got it?