-
Vaccines don't cause autism, special court says
- Feb 12, 2009 at 4:26 PM
- By
- Comments (16) Total Views (485) Everyone can see this journal post.
I DON'T know if shots cause autism. However, my kids are up to date on ALL their shots. For ME, I rather my kids have autism, than them to maybe die from something that could have been stoped through a shot. Parents who stick with not giving their children shots, are just as good of parents who do.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vaccines aren't to blame for autism, a special federal court declared Thursday in a blow to thousands of families hoping to win compensation and to many more who are convinced of a connection.
The special masters who decided the case expressed sympathy for the families, some of whom have made emotional pleas describing their children's conditions, but the rulings were blunt: There's little if any evidence to support claims of a vaccine-autism link.
The evidence "is weak, contradictory and unpersuasive," concluded Special Master Denise Vowell. "Sadly, the petitioners in this litigation have been the victims of bad science conducted to support litigation rather than to advance medical and scientific understanding" of autism.
Science years ago reached the conclusion that there's no connection, but Thursday's rulings in a trio of cases still have far-reaching implications — offering reassurance to parents scared about vaccinating their babies because of a small but vocal anti-vaccine movement. Some vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, are on the rise, and last fall a Minnesota baby who hadn't been vaccinated against meningitis died of that disease.
The special court represented a chance for vindication for families who blame vaccines for their children's autism. Known as "the people's court," the U.S. Court of Claims is different from many other courts: The families involved didn't have to prove the inoculations definitely caused the complex neurological disorder, just that they probably did.
More than 5,500 claims have been filed by families seeking compensation through the government's Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, and Thursday's rulings dealt with the first three test cases to settle which if any claims had merit. The first cases argued that a combination of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine plus other shots triggered autism.
"I must decide this case not on sentiment but by analyzing the evidence," said Special Master George Hastings Jr., writing specifically about Michelle Cedillo of Yuma, Ariz., who is disabled with autism, inflammatory bowel disease and other disorders that her parents blame on a measles vaccine given at 15 months.
"Unfortunately, the Cedillos have been misled by physicians who are guilty, in my view, of gross medical misjudgment," Hastings concluded.
Attorneys for the families said they were disappointed and may appeal.
"There was certainly no scientific proof that vaccines caused autism, but that's not the standard; the standard is likelihood," said Kevin Conway of Boston who represented the Cedillos. "We thought our evidence was solid."
"Certainly those three families are discouraged with the ruling," added Tom Powers, a Portland, Ore., attorney overseeing all the claims. "It's a big step, it's a significant step but it's not the last step."
Indeed, the court's ruling will do little to change the minds of parents who believe vaccines have harmed their children, said the head of a consumer group that questions vaccine safety, the National Vaccine Information Center.
"I think it is a mistake to conclude that because these few test cases were denied compensation, that it's been decided vaccines don't play any role in regressive autism," said Barbara Loe Fisher, the center's president.
The court still must rule on additional cases that argue a different link — that vaccines that once carried the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal are to blame, if the mercury reached and damaged brain cells — and Powers said families making those claims remain hopeful. The court has given no timetable for a ruling.
But Thursday's rulings clearly gave great credence to numerous large studies that have looked for but not found any link between the measles vaccine, other vaccines and autism.
"Hopefully, the determination by the special masters will help reassure parents that vaccines do not cause autism," the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement that pledged to continue research into possible causes and better treatments.
"It's a great day for science, it's a great day for America's children when the court rules in favor of science," said Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease expert at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and developer of a vaccine for rotavirus.
"A choice not to get a vaccine is not a risk-free choice," Offit added, pointing to recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases that authorities suspect are partly due to delayed or rejected vaccinations.
Autism is best known for impairing a child's ability to communicate and interact. Recent data suggest a 10-fold increase in autism rates over the past decade, although it's unclear how much of the surge reflects better diagnosis.
Worry about a vaccine link first arose in 1998 when a British physician, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, published a medical journal article linking a particular type of autism and bowel disease to the measles vaccine. The study was soon discredited, and British medical authorities now are investigating professional misconduct charges against Wakefield.
Then came questions about thimerosal, a preservative that manufacturers began removing from all vaccines given to infants in 2001. Today it is present only in certain formulations of the flu shot.
Comments:
Children can and will recover from childhood illnesses like the measles, mumps, ruebella, ect..They are not deadly. Researching the diseases will make you made, because you will learn how ofter your Ped has lied to you and bullie dyou into making qucick profitable decisions based on fear.
I will expose my children on purpose so they can acquire natural immunities to many of these 'deadlky diseases.. .. If you would rather your child get Autism then you really don't have an idea on what Autism is.
Saying that, it sounds like you are listening to scare tactics fro your Ped, and the CDC who gets a great deal of their funding from the Pharma companies. I am so sorry that you feel Autism is so mild of a diagnosis.
Please come over to Choosing Not to Vaccinate, and meet some of the wonderful mothers we have there. Ask them why they don't vaccinate.. why their kids are so healthy.. Ask them about Autism.. See how many have injured, disabled, and dead children. It is very real. Over-vaccination is the biggest danger there is right now.
***sigh****
Coming from a mother who does not have an autistic child. I also do not have an autistic child, but I have a friend who does, and it is heartbreaking. Her little boy went from a happy, talking, playful toddler, to a screaming, flapping, non-verbal, terrified child. He literally appears scared to death all the time, and there is nothing that his mother can do about it.
The "vaccine preventable diseases" are self-limiting. Measles is a problem in third world countries where they do not have enough vitamin A; that is why there are campaingns in those countries now offering it.
Chicken pox...come on...we all had them. Pertussis, is a concern under 6 months of age, and even the very Pro-vaccine community considers this vaccine a failure. Diptheria, on a huge decline after clean water and adequate food was available. Easily treated. Tetanus, more common in third world countries where they do not wear shoes and walk in animal dung with open cuts. ERs admittedly over vaccinate for this. Let us not forget that vaccine are drugs.
Hepatitis B is essentially an STD...I really still do not understand how that one got approved for infants, even after interviewing 10 different doctors during my nursing rotation.
The list goes on. Many of my classmates in nursing school were also surprised to learn that the vaccine preventable diseases are self-limiting.
If you would like, I can send you the information, from nursing books, medical books, journals, the CDC, books written by well known, well respected doctors, etc. You might be surprised what you learn...
Don't comment on what you'd rather have until you have both for comparison! You learn by hear say not experience! I have a dd with HF Autism, and a friend who's son is on the severe end of autism. My husband's cousin is dead from the DTP after 27 yrs. of seizures from a vaccine reaction at 4 mos. (had a mild reaction to the shot at 2 mos. but dr. told the mom it was normal and convinced her to proceed with the 4 mo. injection). They were compensated in money but it could never replace their son! The complications that can accompany autism like Gastroentenstinal issues and sensory issues can be extremely painful and traumatic for a child suffering autism. So you're saying a lifetinme of suffering with a possibly painful and non-cureable disorder or possibility of death from a disease that may or may not even be deadly. Most of the diseases you vaccinate for aren't deadly. If the government would spend as much time finding better cures for these diseases rather than finding new ways to inject harmful toxins into our kids with false immunity promises than these diseases wouldn't be a problem. They'd just loose more money!
While I understand (and respect) your point of view, I disagree with it. I do not vaccinate my DD (10 months), but it's not fully because of the risk of autism. My main reason is that I do not like the ingredients in vaccines. Gluteraldehyde, formaldehyde, and latex (just to name a few) are toxic, and not designed to be IN the human body, whether it is by ingestion or injection. The Institute for Vaccine Safety has a good page that has links to the vaccine manufacturers' webpages to view the ingredients in each vaccine: http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/package_inserts.htm
The Choosing Not To Vaccinate Group also has some excellent links under the Resources sticky.
I'm not trying to tell you not to vaccinate your kids, but just giving you some links so you can get an understanding of our point of view, and that autism is not the only reason why we don't vaccinate :)
BTW, thank you for making this a non-rude and non-judgemental post!
It's easy to say that when your child(ren) are not affected. Ignorance is blind.
until YOU have a child with AUTISM then you need to just keep your thoughts about it to your self. "my children were fully vaccinated and they are fine"> REALLY? good for you!!! YOU GOT LUCKY. vaccines are like playing Russian roulette and if you dont understand that then you need to do more research.
So says a mother whose children are "fine". I have a nephew who was nearly two months premature vaxed as if he was full term, and he is not "fine".
You also speak as if the only two options are Autism or death. I assure you that my unvaxed child is alive and well; I actually had pertussis when pregnant with her and I was fully vaxed utd at the time.
30 years ago the Brady Bunch kids pretended to have measles as a prank; a means to get out of school. The reality is that a child in the Western world who is treated with Vit A is unlikely to have serious complications. Even my mother, who thinks its strange I don't vax said (about measles, mumps, and rubella) "I had them, every one I knew had them and we were fine"; when I asked her if she knew anyone with complications or who had died she said "of course not!" and she grew up in the mid 30s to mid 50s (she also had paralytic polio).
I did not choose to vaccinate. It had NOTHING to do with Autism. It was for MANY reasons. The largest of which being I was 15 when I almost died from a "normal" vaccination. My aunt wasn't sure she would ever see her teen years due to the damage her infant vaccinations did to her thyroid... After horrid treatments she is now 19... And is sick every day of her life... Without constant medication and a special diet she WILL DIE!!
More children in this country are injured BY vaccines than by the illnesses they "protect" against! And m ore children DIE from the vaccinations than from the illnesses...
Contact the CDC... Get the numbers. I have. I am one of them... The polio vaccine KILLS 1 in 10,000 kids... I realise that looks like a very low number... But now look at this one. There are on average 8 cases of polio in this country every year... if we only vaccinate 1 million kids a year we are still killing more than even got sick. And when you take in to account the fact that EVERY case of polio in the US since 1979 has been a direct cause of the vaccination... WHY ARE WE VACCINATING?
And polio is just one of MANY... numbers like that come with EVERY vaccine... Do some research before you decide that another parent has made the wrong decision... I know I made the right one!
Given to infants because those truely at risk are generally not available to be vaxed.
A vaccine for a strain of a virus that causes diarehhea; the risk of the disease is due to dehydration. One vaccine was pulled due to it causing insussipation and death. It is a live virus and can be spread by the vaxed through shedding.
Diptheria; a disease of poor sanitation. A New Zealand child who actually played in sewage only managed a diptheria isolete and not the clinical disease.
Tetanus; rare even prior to the vaccine. Difficult to contract and most of the 43 avg. people per year who contract it are over 50yrs. old.
In the United States, tetanus is primarily a disease of older adults. Persons greater than or equal to 50 years of age now account for over 70% of reported cases. An average of 43 people per year contract Tetanus and there are 0-2 deaths out of a population of 301,139,947 (over 300 MILLION) in the US. (In comparison (FEMA) estimates there are 200 deaths and 750 severe injuries from lightning each year in the U.S.). A Tetanus vax at time of injury is supposed to be a booster to those current on vax and TIG (tetanus immunoglobulin) is for the unvaxed.
From 1992 through 2000 (9 years), 15 cases of tetanus in children <15 years of age were reported from 11 states. Two cases were in neonates <10 days of age;the other 13 cases were in children who ranged in age from 3to 14 years. The median length of hospitalization was 28 days; 8 children required mechanical ventilation. There were no deaths. (I don't have info on their state of health or wound care).
It is not the rust that causes tetanus, so a rusty nail in and of itself is not the issue. Tetanus needs an anaerobic environment to thrive. A wound that has bled is not typically that environment. Keep it clean and covered.
"Keep in mind that the tetanus vaccine became available for widespread civilian use in the late 1940's. Thus tetanus mortality had declined from 205 deaths per 100,000 wounds in the American Civil War (1860) to about .4 deaths per 100,000 population in 1947 at the beginning of widespread civilian use of the vaccine. This means that sanitation, nutrition, year around nutritional improvements, general hygiene, and wound hygiene had reduced the mortality and incidence of tetanus by as much as 99.8 percent before the widespread use of tetanus vaccine." Hilary Butler 89wds
Pertussis; the vaccine does not prevent infection or transmission but tries to inhibit the proliferation of the bacteria which causes the toxin. Children under 6mo are most at risk because they cannot effectively expell mucus which can get into their lungs and cause pnumonia. Can be treated with Vit C (sodium ascorbate). Is considered to be the most reactive of the vaccines, even by mainstream medicine.
Promoted as the "meningitis vaccine" which is a misnomer as meningitis is a physical condition, like a broken leg, and cannot be vaccinated against. Prior to the vaccine, most people carried Hib harmlessly in the back of their throats from time to time. Breastfeeding is a very effective preventative and bf babes rarely become ill from the Hib bacteria. Becoming ill from the Hib bacteria does not necessarily result in meningitis. Though the vaccine is effective against Hib, the overall rates of meningitis have not gone down except in the 1-2yo range.
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route. Although around 90% of polio infections have no symptoms at all, affected individuals can exhibit a range of symptoms if the virus enters the blood stream. In fewer than 1% of cases the virus enters the central nervous system preferentially infecting and destroying motor neurons leading to muscle weakness and acute flaccid paralysis. Different types of paralysis may occur, depending on the nerves involved. Spinal polio is the most common form, characterized by asymmetric paralysis that most often involves the legs. Bulbar polio leads to weakness of muscles innervated by cranial nerves. Bulbospinal polio is a combination of bulbar and spinal paralysis.
- Influenza
-
Manufacturer’s Inserts and efficacy statements:
Fluarix-ranges between 56-80.5%
FluMist (live virus)- (Regardless of match)
All strains- ranged between 45.4-62.9%
A/H1N1- ranged between 67-97.4%
A/H3N2- ranged between 70.6-85.7%
B- averaged 16.1%, ranged between (-7.7)-34.7%* This systematic review states:
The yearly recommended vaccines had low effectiveness against clinical influenza cases: 15%(95% CI 8% to 21%) and 25% (95% CI 13% to 35%) respectively. Overall the percentage of participants experiencing clinical influenza decreased by 6%. Use of the vaccine significantly reduced time off work but only by 0.16 days for each influenza episode (95% CI 0.04 to 0.29 days); Analysis of vaccines matching the circulating strain gave higher estimates of efficacy, whilst inclusion of all other vaccines reduced the efficacy.
Authors’ conclusions:
Influenza vaccines are effective in reducing serologically confirmed cases of influenza. However, they are not as effective in reducing cases of clinical influenza and number of working days lost. Universal immunisation of healthy adults is not supported by the results of this review. - MMR
- Measles "is generally looked upon as one of the most harmless diseases"according to Kurt Elsner, M.D. in 1908
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive...619C946997D6CF
__________________________________________________
Here is the information on the Switzerland Measles outbreak:
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ew/2007/070726.asp
483 cases total for November 2006- July 2007.
Quote:
Six percent of the 445 cases for whom a detailed questionnaire had been submitted were vaccinated against measles (18 with one dose and nine with two doses), 87% were unvaccinated, and the vaccination status of the remaining 7% was unknown. There were 43 cases (10%) requiring hospitalization. Among 445 cases for whom information about complications was available, four cases were reported with encephalitis (1%), all among children, 29 cases with pneumonia (7%, median age 10 years), and 31 cases with otitis media [earache](7%). No deaths were reported.
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/edit...8/080221_1.asp
Switzerland Measles Outbreak - From Nov 2006 to Feb 2008:
"1405 cases
1319 cases for which detailed information available**
Hospitalizations** 104 -- 7.9%
Pneumonia** 63 -- 4.8%
Otitis Media (ear aches)** 62 -- 4.7%
Encephalitis** 6 -- 0.5%
The proportion of vaccinated patients has been low for all ages (Figure 4). There were 104 cases (8% of 1,319 cases for whom information about hospitalisation and complications were available) who required hospitalisation. Six cases were reported with encephalitis or suspicion of encephalitis (0.5%), all among children. No deaths have been reported." The average age is eleven.
_________________________________________________
Measles outbreak in Gibraltar, August–October 2008
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/View...rticleId=19034
_________________________________________________
Mumps: "Though it is well recognized that mumps is generally harmless and that natural infection confers permanent immunity, the ocasional severe complication led to the use of the mumps vaccine." (Romm, 63) What complication does everyone consider when thinking of mumps? Orchitis, the inflamation of a testies that may cause sterility in post pubesent males. The incidence of this is so rare that there are no statistics, and as Dr. Mendelsohn said, a male with one testicle can populate the whole world.
Rubella: "The significance of rubella is not in its effects in the childhood population but in its potential to cause congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in unborn babies whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy." (Romm 65). So you are not giving Rubella to protect YOUR CHILD but your pregnant neighbor (who should be taking cod liver oil to protect against rubella and measles).
In 1966 (before the vaccine was even introduced) there was 11 cases of CRS (congenital rubella syndrome.) In 1967, there was 10 cases reported. In 1968 there was 14 cases reported. In 1969 when the vaccine was introduced the CDC recorded 31 cases of CRS. In 1970, it went to 77 cases. In 1971, 68 cases. By 1991, while the cases of RUBELLA itself (which is pretty harmless in itself) was just at 1,401, there was still 47 cases of CRS. In 1992, rubella cases dropped to 160 however CRS still had 11 cases, which is the exact number recorded by the CDC BEFORE the vaccine was introduced.
There may be less cases of rubella itself but not of CRS. In fact the opposite was true. Since the vaccine, rubella has declined yes (and that is what they use to try to get us to get it) but the birth defect aspect INCREASED after 1969 and didnt go back down to what it was pre-vaccine for almost 30 years.
http://www.whale.to/v/rubella9.html
And here some studies from Switzerland -
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...?dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...?dopt=Abstract -
Measles: "The complications associated with measles are otitis media (ear aches), pneumonia, postinfection encephalitis, hearing loss (generally unilateral but can be bilateral), subsclerosing panencephalitis..., and death." Depletion of essential vitamins is a major culprit in complications. Administering cod liver oil (vit A) and sodium ascorbate (vit C) is important for trying to prevent this. "...it has been the use of the vaccine that has raised the incidence of disease in the most at-risk populations while decreasing it in the lowest-risk populations. (Romm 62). Measles used to be a prank on the Brady Bunch, now it is a disease of the week on shows like ER.
Varicella (chickenpox)
Does anything need to be said about the chicken pox? This vaccine was primarily developed with economic motivations; so parents would not have to take off of work to care for a sick child. Of course they'll have to take off anyway due to the spike in the fomerly elderly disease known as shingles.
Hepatitis A, is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by Hepatitis A virus,which is most commonly transmitted by the fecal-oral route via contaminated food or drinking water. Every year, approximately 10 million people worldwide are infected with the virus.The time between infection and the appearance of the symptoms, (the incubation period), is between two and six weeks and the average incubation period is 28 days.
In developing countries, and in regions with poor hygiene standards, the incidence of infection with this virus approaches 100% and the illness is usually contracted in early childhood. Hepatitis A infection causes no clinical signs and symptoms in over 90% of these children and since the infection confers lifelong immunity, the disease is of no special significance to the indigenous population. In Europe, the United States and other industrialized countries, on the other hand, the infection is contracted primarily by susceptible young adults, most of whom are infected with the virus during trips to countries with a high incidence of the disease
Hepatitis A does not have a chronic stage and does not cause permanent liver damage. Following infection, the immune system makes antibodies against the hepatitis A virus that confer immunity against future infection.
Because of the way it is spread, the hepatitis A virus tends to occur in epidemics and outbreaks. As many as 1 in 3 people in the United States have antibodies to HAV, meaning they have been exposed to the virus, but most do not become ill. The number of cases of hepatitis A in the United States varies among different communities and has not been affected significantly by the introduction of the hepatitis A vaccine since the early 1990s.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If X symptoms are Autism and an unvaxed child has those symptoms and another child only exhibited those symptoms post vax, the result is the same.
Already a member? Click here to log in
Hot Topics
- • Society Needs a Big Fat Reality Check
- • Would You Let Your Kids Play in a Parked Car?
- • NYC Plans to Ban Large Sugary Drinks
-
Featured Member Group
First Time MomsIf you are a new mom or pregnant with your first, join us to talk everything baby-related!
This was a Vaccine Court, set up in 1986 to award damages for families who are injured by vaccines. This court did not rule that there was no link.. It said that for these 3 families... there was no link found based on the data they had.
One family has a 15 yr old daughter who is still in diapers.. they have hours of video taken of her as a normal verbal, bright, functioning prior to her last dose of vaccines. Post vaccination, she withdrew and has bowel issues, (common in Autistic children) Who will take care of this child once her parents die? This is why they sued and went to Vaccine Court. So someone can change their Autistic child's diapers after they pass away.
Insurance companies do not cover Autistic children. They do not pay for therapies (they say they are experimental)So, no I would not want a vaccine damaged child with Autism when I could have a child with measles who recovers in 5-7 days.
- StarMommy77
Message Friend Invite