Opinion Talk

By Kelli Ann Davis

March 25, 2008 6:15 PM | Link to this

“We recognize that much of the success of our nation’s immunization efforts comes from the trust of parents. We do not take that trust lightly. Rather, CDC, FDA and other HHS agencies are continually working to expand efforts in vaccine safety research and science as well as clinician and parent input and involvement. Like parents, we want the best information possible when it comes to protecting and ensuring children’s health.”

Save it.

When you’ve got the VP of Merck included on your roster for the NVAC Safety Working Group along with other notable names like Marie McCormick, Elizabeth Miller, and several Public Health Officers — who all have a vested interest in promoting vaccine uptake — do you seriously think the American public is going to trust anything that comes out of that committee in regards to vaccine safety or vaccine safety research??????

By Blair Peeples

March 25, 2008 6:47 PM | Link to this

To Director of CDC, It is imperative that you implement, as you stated, intensive vaccination safety research. Parents like myself are losing faith and trust in the CDC and the “one size fits all” approach to vaccinating our babies and children.

Pregnant women are told not to eat tuna because of the mercury in it. Then, pediatricians inject ethyl mercury or thimerosol, aluminum and other live viruses in multi-dose vials to our babies and young children. Where is the logic? With a baby that has not fully developed an immune system?

The Pollings case is not some special circumstance. Many children with autism have genetic predispositions or immune system deficits that may make them more vulnerable to vaccinations. Also, it is very likely that the vaccination itself may have caused the mitochondrial dysfunction. After all, there was no sign of this disorder prior to the vaccination.

If you look beyond your cubicle, you will see that thousands of parents are implementing biomedical approaches to treating their children. They are detoxifying their children from heavy metals. Are these forward thinking specialists and physicians quacks because they understand the nature of this autism crisis? My develomental pediatrician is a fellow for the american board of pediatrics and has been honored for her work in autism, published research articles, and testified to congress? What about all the other cutting edge physicians that are working diligently to heal children that have been injured by environmental triggers including vaccinations. Is the Autism Research Institute, Generation Rescue, Autism Speaks - are all these organizations just full of crazy people that have nothing else to do with their time?

Is it better to just turn your head and watch more and more children become neurologically impaired as a result of triggers such as vaccinations?

Why is there a National Vaccination Injury Compensation Program if vaccinations ARE SO SAFE???

You said there is a connection between vaccines and encepholopathy. Are you aware that ethyl mercury promotes inflammation of the brain? And that inflammation of the brain can contribute to autistic symptoms?

The reason we do not have double blind, etc research studies on this phenomenon is because the only entities that can fund this research are the pharmaceutical industries.

Why would the pharmaceutical industries fund research into the connection between vaccinations and autism - especially when they are profitting from the multiple dose vials given to babies and children?

If vaccinations were spread out as they were when I was a child, there would not be the current epidemic. Spreading out vaccinations means the pharmaceutical industries lose money.

But, who is really losing out here?

It is the 1 in 150 children that are diagnosed; one every 60 sec with autism.

Personally, I would rather see a child have the flu or measles rather than have encephalopathy (autism).

I feel like I am writing this letter to deaf ears. If you truly believe that vaccinations are SAFE FOR ALL CHILDREN AND ONE SIZE FITS ALL, that is a sad state of affairs.

I would like for you to not allow multiple dose vials for any babies _ at risk or not - it is not safe. It is only making money for the makers of the vaccine drugs.

If you do not know how to properly screen children and babies, then spread out the vaccinations like they were in the past. At least until further research can be implemented to develop safer vaccination policies.

If the current vaccination program is so safe, then why do you find the need to vehemently defend it?????

What if autism is on the rise because children are being vaccinated at alarmingly high rates with multi-dose vials - without any type of screening to determine genetic or immune system vulnerabilites to vaccinations?

Can the CDC step back and think about that? I do not believe that vaccines cause autism but I do believe - as do many developmental pediatricians - that vaccinations can serve as one of many environmental factors that triggers the onset of autistic symptoms in a subset of the population.

Please consider this prospect!!! Thank you.

By kris toelke

March 25, 2008 8:04 PM | Link to this

Too many children are developing autism, the numbers are sickening 1 in 150, how many more children will it take before the CDC opens there eyes. Most parents take there children in for there shots thinking they are protecting them, soon after the shots many of these same parents have watched there kids go into the puzzling world of autism. Something is pushing these kids over the edge and i feel it is the vaccines. Plain and simple there are just too many parents who have seen there kids slip into autism after a vaccine

By Heidi

March 25, 2008 8:06 PM | Link to this

There is so much the CDC could have done in the past that you can never expect parents of vaccine damaged children or the people that know them to believe your fact deprived sales pitch. Just fix it. Take Hep B out of the infant schedule and move it to age 5 or beyond. Force the pharmaceutical companies to separate all combined vaccines into monovalent vaccines which can be administered one at a time. Get rid of Diptheria and Polio vaccines, the diseases are eradicated in the United States. Take the mercury and aluminum COMPLETELY out of all vaccines. For the love of Prada, tighten up the vaccine adverse reporting system so that the doctors will err on the side of caution and report ALL possible vaccine reactions. You really have no idea how bad the adverse reactions are because you never really wanted to see them. Stop pandering to the Pharmafia before Pharmageddon completely destroys the human race. Stop worrying about the consequences and tell the truth so you don’t destroy any more lives.

By SAM

March 25, 2008 8:09 PM | Link to this

“including some that have involved vaccines and encephalopathy (injury to the brain)”

which is exactly what I think happened to my son and many others. Many of these children with autism (especially the ones who regressed after vaccination) showed signs of encephalopathy. Unfortunately, when I spoke with our pediatrician about my concerns, he in no way said - ‘lets check for encephalopathy’! He said wait and see. Then he said speech delay and finally he said autism.

This, despite my sons classic signs of encephalopathy (high fever, screaming, stark personality change, loss of language) ten days after the MMR (given at the same time as 3 other shots). This is the exact time frame that even the PDR says that MMR can cause encephalopathy (of course, I had no idea at the time). Encephalopathy = brain injury = often autism.

By Wilsonny200

March 25, 2008 8:10 PM | Link to this

Now, conventional wisdom is that 1 in 4000 have a mitochondrial disorder. But what if they are more common than that? What if there are more kids that have that sort of disorder? I think they might also be more at risk of autism regression if they have that kind of problem

By Rob43@comcast.net

March 25, 2008 8:40 PM | Link to this

It’s a shame the CDC won’t admit to a startling rise in autism cases coincident with a doubling of the number of vaccinations given to young children before their brain and systems to fight the effects of immunizations are fully developed. We doubt the CDC is capable of an unbiased research effort which, if it is done, will be aimed at surveying healthy children and exonerating any effects of the too many vaccines too early in life for a significant percentage of our babies. They won’t even test for what’s in the vaccines they demand our babies receive; and take the drug manufacturer’s word for the ingredients that they contain. Neither the CDC or the FDA conducts any independent testing whatsoever…

By Karen Fuller

March 25, 2008 8:47 PM | Link to this

Those who are on the side of blindly immunizing our children always sound so convincing and so very much smarter than we parents. I am curious about something. What is the author’s opinion on what is causing 1in150 AMERICAN children to develop Autism?

By Dyson

March 25, 2008 8:53 PM | Link to this

We seem to have a new hypothesis on the block (following the failure of the thimerosal/MMR causes autism one to come up with the goods), namely the one which says that most children who have autism have it because they have an underlying metabolic or immunological disorder (…evidence please?). If these children are unlucky enough to get a febrile reaction to a vaccine this wil precipitate autism.

This must rank as one of the least credible theories the antivaccinationists have come up with in recent years. Are they suggesting that the only cause of fever in a child is a vaccine reaction? What about (god forbid) all the natural infections that an unvaccinated, unprotected child will develop through its life - you know, all those “harmless” illnesses like mumps, and measles, and chickenpox, and rubella - the things the antivaccinationists keep assuring us do no more harm than cause a few days of high fever with a rash? The fact is that fever as a side effect of a vaccine is an uncommon occurence, but fever from an infection is almost universal.

By maxwell

March 25, 2008 8:55 PM | Link to this

Ms. Schuchat: Why do you say that Mr. Kirby made many “inaccuracies” in his letter yet not say what they are? What mistakes did he make? We all would like to know. I am calling your bluff. I don’t believe he made any inaccurate statements. If anything, his statements cut you and your compadres too much slack.

The truth is far worse than what he wrote about. The truth is that you and your friends have known that thimerosal was causing the autism epidemic all along. Yet to save your own skin along with the fortunes of your industry friends, you have covered up the truth for years. This is why you lie and tell the public that thimerosal has been completely removed from all vaccines, all the while knowing that the vast majority of flu shots still contain large amounts of the mercury-based preservative. Then you began recommending the yearly flu shot during all trimesters of pregnancy and for virtually all children. You did this knowing that the infant’s brain is much more susceptible to the neurotoxic effects of mercury when in the womb.

The truth is too horrible to reveal. There is too much guilt on the line. And the punishment for such unspeakable crimes would be too much to bear. This is why you always seek to calm fears and downplay any talk of vaccine safety. This is why you can’t face the facts. The facts are too horrific. Yet the dam is nearing its capacity to hold back the flood of emotion, the flood of righteous indignation. These children cry out for justice, justice for those who have so malicously dealt these same children a life of misery. Your shame and guilt will be revealed. And your crimes against humanity brought to light. Those responsible deserve to spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

And I will say one last word to you and your thimerosal defenders at the CDC and in the pharmaceutical industry: I pray that the Lord will have pity on you, pity on someone so evil and cruel that they would knowingly harm a child.

By maxwell

March 25, 2008 9:08 PM | Link to this

Dyson, I don’t know what pharma or CDC brainwashing you’ve been through, but the thimerosal/autism hypothesis has not failed. Here’s a hypothesis for you: Mercury is a neurotoxin. Guess what? It’s not a hypothesis. It’s a fact that has been accepted and proven for hundreds of years. Do you deny that mercury is a neurotoxin? Do you believe that injection of mercury into a tiny infant is harmless? Is this the kind of pharma/CDC propaganda you buy into? Try something new: Think for yourself. How can anyone argue that we should be injecting mercury into pregnant women, children, the elderly, the chronically ill, etc? This is the insanity we have today. The CDC is actively advocating this exact notion. If you don’t believe me look at the indications for influenza vaccination, then go read a package insert for a multi-dose vial of Fluzone.

These are facts. And you can live in your nice little “ignorance is bliss” world all you want. But the truth is that we have thousands of children now that have autism as a result of being injected with relatively large doses of one of the most powerful neurotoxins on planet earth. This does not take a genius to figure out. That is why CDC incorporated is working so hard to bury the truth and cover their backsides.

By Doyle

March 25, 2008 9:11 PM | Link to this

Why is it so difficult for the CDC to believe that some children might have problems with vaccines? For some it might be the mercury (still in most flu shots), for some it might be the other preservatives (e.g. aluminum), for some in might be the live viruses, and for others it might be the vaccine schedule (children now receive triple the vaccines they received 20 years ago). Why is the CDC unwilling to look at the toxicology research involving neurotoxins in vaccines?

I watched my son regress twice, after each of his MMR shots. I watched him lose language, lose eye contact, lose motor skills, lose smiling, lose joy and curiosity. I watched him develop a seizure disorder.

And finally, with 1 in 150 kids being diagnosed with autism, why isn’t this declared a public health emergency?

By Robyne

March 25, 2008 9:39 PM | Link to this

Your organization is completely oblivious to what is happening to an entire generation of children. How long will it take or how many more children must suffer before the CDC admits the toxins that were and are injected into these helpless children has literally taken their lives away? We will never again vaccinate. The CDC, FDA, this administration and big pharma have destroyed the lives of these children and their families and unfortunatly the list is growing. Each time the CDC issues a statement like this they insult the intelligence of 100’s of 1000’s of families who deserve better.

By Terri Lewis

March 25, 2008 9:42 PM | Link to this

The CDC has been covering up a direct link between mercury (thimerosal) and neurological disorders (such as autism) for at least eight years now.

Let’s talk about what was discussed at Simpsonwood, Georgia in the year 2000, when Dr. William Weil, representing the American Academy of Pediatrics, stated, “the number of dose related relationships [between mercury and autism] are linear and statistically significant. You can play with this all you want. They are linear. They are statistically significant.”

Read some more.

You can find lots more at www.putchildrenfirst.org

It’s all a part of the public record now, and maybe now after Hannah Poling, more people will educate themselves.

We are in a real fix, but most of us have wised up: our vaccine program, taken as a whole, is pretty unsafe.

Parents are right to be afraid of some of the complications of some of the diseases we vaccinate against, but they are also right to be afraid of the vaccines.

There are too many, too soon, and they are given in combinations that are flat-out dangerous. They still contain so many toxins, most people just can’t believe it when they see it.

Mercury, aluminum, antifreeze, formaldehyde, phenol, methanol—this is a very partial listing.

You say, “Those decisions [whether or not to vaccinate]…are best made in consultation with the child’s doctor.”

My doctor thought it was perfectly fine to immunize my kids according to the standard schedule. I thought so, too.

Now I know better, and I don’t know a parent alive today who doesn’t worry that vaccines might give their own child some kind of developmental disorder, maybe a really bad one.

Lots of those parents will go ahead and vaccinate fully anyway, and fully 1% or more of the boys will become full-blown autistic, 10% of those children will develop Asperger’s, PDD-NOS, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bi-polar disorder, or something bad enough that they know their child is really, really hurting, and then they’ll be told “it’s genetic,” or “we don’t know what caused this,” or “it’s a mystery.”

On top of that, most mainstream medical doctors will still be baffled as to how to treat the child, or more likely, will show no interest in doing so.

Insurance won’t cover the treatments that do work.

And you, Anne Schuchat, write a piece of garbage like this, and tell us that this one, little ol’ isolated autism claim shouldn’t “deter” parents.

Sadly, many will still believe you.

And kids will be hurt for it.

By ThoJ

March 25, 2008 9:47 PM | Link to this

Dr. Schuchat: As the parent of a child with autism: thank you very much for this article.

It is unfortunate that a small minority (albeit a loud minority) will represent the autism community with such a shrill voice. As one small example, it is unfortunate that people don’t actually read the words Dr. Schuchat has written. People complain about the “one size fits all” approach. Read again—these decisions should be discussed with your pediatrician. She has made it very clear that the CDC is not “mandating” a single approach.

Dyson, thank you for your comments. One fact that can be pulled from considering mitochondria and autism is that some people regress—without vaccines with or without thimerosal. Fevers cause crises in people with metabolic disorders. Regression does not equate to vaccine injury.

Unfortunately, I expect the rhetoric and overall shrill tone to only get worse for the near future.

By ThoJ

March 25, 2008 9:49 PM | Link to this

Dr. Schuchat: As the parent of a child with autism: thank you very much for this article.

It is unfortunate that a small minority (albeit a loud minority) will represent the autism community with such a shrill voice. As one small example, it is unfortunate that people don’t actually read the words Dr. Schuchat has written. People complain about the “one size fits all” approach. Read again—these decisions should be discussed with your pediatrician. She has made it very clear that the CDC is not “mandating” a single approach.

Dyson, thank you for your comments. One fact that can be pulled from considering mitochondria and autism is that some people regress—without vaccines with or without thimerosal. Fevers cause crises in people with metabolic disorders. Regression does not equate to vaccine injury.

Unfortunately, I expect the rhetoric and overall shrill tone to only get worse for the near future.

By ThoJ

March 25, 2008 9:50 PM | Link to this

Dr. Schuchat: As the parent of a child with autism: thank you very much for this article.

It is unfortunate that a small minority (albeit a loud minority) will represent the autism community with such a shrill voice. As one small example, it is unfortunate that people don’t actually read the words Dr. Schuchat has written. People complain about the “one size fits all” approach. Read again—these decisions should be discussed with your pediatrician. She has made it very clear that the CDC is not “mandating” a single approach.

Dyson, thank you for your comments. One fact that can be pulled from considering mitochondria and autism is that some people regress—without vaccines with or without thimerosal. Fevers cause crises in people with metabolic disorders. Regression does not equate to vaccine injury.

Unfortunately, I expect the rhetoric and overall shrill tone to only get worse for the near future.

By Scientist Parent

March 25, 2008 9:55 PM | Link to this

ISeriously, I couldn’t even get through this article, just more CDC PR machine BS. When I scientifically looked at vaccinating my child (I’m a scientist) with the risks of adverse effects at 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 100,000, I determined the benefits of vaccination outweighed the risks of adverse reactions. Now after vaccination, my child has developed encephalopathy, autism and adhd.
The CDC has at best, misinformed parents and pediatricians and at worse, lied and covered up the reality of adverse effect of vaccinations. Thus far, the CDC has done nothing to address the growing concern over their unsafe and unhealthy national vaccination schedule. Will they defend this sinking ship till the end as more and more parents of healthy kids reject the schedule? Or will the CDC finally do what should have been done a decade ago and admit the mistakes of the past, develop tests and alternate schedules?

By Cindy Keenan

March 25, 2008 9:56 PM | Link to this

“Kirby’s column included many inaccuracies related to childhood vaccines.” Please cite the inaccuracies and provide the rationale for your position. I’m with maxwell—it’s time to call your bluff. You want the public’s trust? Earn it. Start right now. Explain the inaccuracies. Will you step up to the plate and account for your comments? I won’t hold my breath.

By Tanners Dad

March 25, 2008 10:06 PM | Link to this

“This does not represent anything other than a very special situation,” said Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Who are you going to believe the Boss doing the spin or the Judge that slipped?

The case may not be a first, said Gary Golkiewicz, chief special master for the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. He oversees the special “vaccine court” which rules on requests for payments from the vaccine injury fund. “Years ago, actually, I had a case, before we understood or knew the implications of autism, that the vaccine injured the child’s brain caused an encephalopathy,” he said. And the symptoms that come with that “fall within the broad rubric of autism.” And there are other somewhat similar cases, Golkiewicz says, that were decided before autism and its symptoms were more clearly defined

All the hysterical parents are saying is Green our vaccines. Look at the facts: 1983: Autism rate 1 in 10,000 Vaccine schedule 10 shots 2008: Autism rate in boys 1 in 70 Vaccine schedule 36 My sons last words: “My name is Tanner. My name is Tanner.” The week of his shots for school… Show me any other campaign for disinformation as wound up as this one by the medical(vaccine maker) community. Remove the Mecury, Aluminum, formaldehyde, ether, antifreeze. Reevaluate the schedule. What was the death rate from these deadly diseases in 1983 that we had to add 26shots? If there are side effects to the vaccinations all we asking for is support for therapy, respite, and recovery

By autismMom

March 25, 2008 10:11 PM | Link to this

The CDC and Dr. Gerberding failed to protect my children. I wish I would have known about David Kirby before the vaccination damage was inflicted on my kids.

Maybe you should check your facts about these so called inaccuracies.

By Richard

March 25, 2008 10:17 PM | Link to this

The governments own medical doctors conceded the vacccine autism link. CASE CLOSED

By Richard

March 25, 2008 10:18 PM | Link to this

The governments own medical doctors conceded the vacccine autism link. CASE CLOSED

By Teresa Conrick

March 25, 2008 10:35 PM | Link to this

Ms. Schuchat,

I will try to be polite. I know you are just doing your job, which appears to be attempting to defend a vaccine program that is crumbling. Do not take this personally, but you are no salesperson. The vaccine program is just really that, selling a product. Unfortunately, that product has become a monster that is harming fetuses, babies, and children.

What is enraging is that this has been coming for years. There has been hard evidence yet CDC has done nothing. We are a growing body as the vaccine harm has increased. How would you feel if your child, or maybe more than one of your children became a science experiment or callateral damage in the name of herd immunity?

Truthful and sincere efforts need to be made to clean up the vaccines and also the people who push them on to the consumer. You have not even come close to that in your writing here today.

By isles

March 25, 2008 10:44 PM | Link to this

Boy, the anti-vaccine folks are out in force. They always get stirred up when they feel threatened.

Having failed to get any traction in the world of science, they seem to think they can win the day by the sheer force of their vehemence. As charming as this is, I’m afraid it won’t work. Evidence always trumps rhetoric in the end.

It’s impossible to say much about the Poling case because the only information made public has been by the family. I doubt they would release anything that would undermine their claims. The fact that the hoopla has so obviously been choreographed for maximum PR effect ought to give pause to those who are gnashing their teeth about information being spin-doctored.

By Garbo

March 25, 2008 10:46 PM | Link to this

Gee,maybe the reason your CDC research doesn’t show the obvious connection between the increase in vaccines and the increase in autism is because your studies haven’t ever actually looked at it. The one time you did, it scared the bejeezus out of you and you massaged the results and sent the data to a warehouse, safe from prying eyes of FOIA, while your lead researcher took a cush job at a pharma co. You are so busy burying your heads (and the data) in the sand, when you should be leading the charge to ensure the vaccine safety for our nation. YOU are the CDC. It’s your JOB to CONTROL DISEASE. YOU have created an epidemic by increasing the number of vaccines without doing any safety testing of the combined schedule, and now refuse to lift a finger to help fix the problem. It’s time to pull your collective heads out of that hole and do right by the children. Do the study that you know needs to be done. Do the study that compares vaccinated and unvaccinated children. I dare you.

By Garbo

March 25, 2008 10:51 PM | Link to this

Hey everyone! It’s Isles! Any wagers on which Pharma Co. s/he shills for? Or is it a trade lobby group?

By Liz Parker

March 25, 2008 11:34 PM | Link to this

Please forgive my liberal piracy of prose from Anne Schuchat’s opinion. I felt the need to respond… David Kirby may write about autism and vaccines, but the idea he illustrates is far from novel. Parents across the world have noticed the decline in their children following vaccination for years. My mother noticed events following both mine and my brother’s MMR in the late 60’s early 70’s. I can honestly say, we both have some issues (but that is another story). More to the point, my daughter’s severe neurological event following her 3 month shots and her sister’s hospitalization following her 6 month vaccines with overwhelming asthma (now, I know both events are listed as possible “adverse events” for the vaccines they received). I am, certainly, wondering why every Government entity insists that our nation’s childhood vaccines are both safe and proven effective. When were these studies completed? Where is the data demonstrating these facts? How can this possibly be the case? The ingredients in vaccines include, among other things, known carcinogens, poisons, and heavy metals. Not to mention, 36 shots by age 6?
As a parent struggling with severe autism and its accompanying health and global developmental issues, I believe the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other agencies in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the wide range of scientists and health professionals involved in the nation’s immunization programs are either blind or too far into the pharmaceutical company’s pocket to take seriously questions and concerns related to vaccine safety. Many of the dedicated professionals from these agencies may, in fact, be involved as parents or grandparents; this is immaterial as denial is commonplace in even the most educated families. Until our pediatricians have knowledge of nutrition, health care, AND medicine, they are lacking foundation for providing good guidance. Parents who dare to ask their child’s doctors or nurses about immunizations are harassed and cowed by hurried peds and their office managers. Vaccines are given often and early in life, NOT in order to protect, but for convenience and profit. The joint immunization recommendations of CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians may recognize there are instances when a child should not receive a recommended vaccine or when a recommended vaccination should be delayed – but these recommendations are routinely disregarded by pediatricians (as was the case with my child on more than one occasion).
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation program is far from a simple, expedient, or easy remedy; and, thanks to recent changes to the law, it is the only avenue available to individuals harmed by vaccines. Further, within the last several years, this entity agreed to significantly reduce recognition of serious “adverse events” by reducing the window of time allowed for the events to manifest. The vaccines did not change, the “adverse events” are still occurring, but now only virtually immediate events are recognized.
This program is charged with determining whether a claimed injury meets pre-established criteria or if vaccination may have contributed to a child’s serious medical or health condition. Such determinations can now be made considerably less frequently, and these awards are far from timely or compassionate. In the past 20 years, about 100 million American children received recommended childhood vaccinations; now cancer, diabetes, ADD, ADHD, bi-polar disorder, autism, obesity, and other health issues have become the norm for America’s children. “SIDS” has become commonplace. One in six American children exhibits a developmental disability. Mitochondrial dysfunction is much more common than our Government agencies choose to recognize. Interesting, heavy metals cause mitochondrial dysfunction – which came first, vaccines or mitochondrial dysfunction; I argue vaccines cause the mitochondrial damage. The mitochondrial damage results in loss of brain and nervous system functions. Until it is possible to be certain vaccines will not harm an infant or child, the program should be suspended. Collateral damage should not be de rigueur. EVERY child should be entitled to good health. If Gerber or Beech Nut put baby food on grocery shelves with a touch of anti-freeze, a trace amount of mercury, and a little carcinogenic antibiotic in it there would be community outrage – where is the outrage whent these constituents are injected into our infants’ and childrens’ bloodstreams? At present, we do not know, definitively, if vaccines trigger neurological or developmental declines among children or whether vaccines can cause or aggravate mitochondrial disorders. We do know that, on rare occasions, infections can cause neurological and developmental declines in children — many parents also know childhood vaccinations cause developmental decline in their children with or without mitochondrial disorders. As a mother, I know that good nutrition and supplementation with vitamins A-C-E go a long way to enable my children to naturally defend against measles, chickenpox and influenza. The rate of death from the worst of these is 1 in 10,000 at worst; compared to the rate of 1 in 6 children with a developmental disability. Hmmm, I’ll take the pox. In the meantime, vaccine safety research is seriously lacking. When the CDC actually decides to study long-term outcomes for vaccinated children versus unvaccinated children, I will believe they truly want to uncover the reason for the rise of autism. My trust has been trampled and left in the dirt. The CDC, FDA and other HHS agencies are continually working to expand the vaccine program. Vaccine safety seems of little importance.
Our nation’s high immunization rates are probably the reason why so many of our children suffer from autoimmune diseases that had no prevalence in the past. Since the CDC is committed to maintaining a high level of “herd immunity,” a new agency must be established and charged with evaluating the impact of the CDC’s ever-increasing, toxic, vaccination program.

By Leslie Weed

March 25, 2008 11:54 PM | Link to this

Everything that was interrupted in the development of my daughter began the day her delicate skin was pierced by a vaccine and the poisons began to flow into her pristine infant body… End of Story… There is no spin that will ever hide that fact… When the poisons began to accumulate in her body her life began to spiral out of control taking all of us with her…

It is shameful how families and children stricken with autism have been shunned and criticized by the very agency aimed to protect!

The CDC is wasting precious time, money and energy spinning the truth about vaccines. meanwhile an entire generation of bright and beautiful children have been damaged. When my daughter was diagnosed in 2000 the rate was 1 in 500, I felt that was alarming so I wrote my concerns to many government agencies including the CDC, to no avail…

Public trust in the CDC has eroded, not because of stand up guys like David Kirby, it is because the CDC FAILED to protect and safeguard our children… Look at your own numbers, 1 in 150 and still NO ACTION or apparent CONCERN from the CDC.

When are we going to see some assistance and relief for America’s suffering children?

By Jeff Ransom

March 26, 2008 12:04 AM | Link to this

Kirby’s column included many inaccuracies related to childhood vaccines. Like what? How about your inaccuracies like “As the column correctly noted, vaccine injury cases are often handled through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation program administered by HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration.” often handled, often handled? How about always handled, if we could get this in a regular court room this would been over for you & the CDC a long time ago.

How about a Vaccinated / Unvaccinated study, I would love to see that study would you, I think you know what it would look like that is why you will not do that study.

By Karen Beauvais

March 26, 2008 1:13 AM | Link to this

Hearing the CDC respond to David Kirby’s award winning insight is a bit like hearing Hillary Clinton talk about dodging snipers. As a parent of a child who declined in to Autism after a double dose of Mercury laden vaccines… I recall an entirely different story. Facing a life time of care in the millions, I would have rather had risked Hep B. Unfortunately my child was vaccinated for Hep B - a disease only transmitted by unprotected sex or dirty needles. And in the process he got a boatload of brain destroying Mercury for a needless shot that was only good for 7 or so years. On the second day of his life. By the CDC’s recommendation. When we tallied his Mercury in his vaccines it toppled over 277X what the EPA deemed safe.

To this day the CDC’s advisory committee won’t even state a preference for Mercury free vaccines. But they will tell you to remove any Mercury toxic antiques from your home in an urgent press release. What is wrong with this picture???

Enough of the CDC rhetoric. “Own your mistake” as Julie Gerberding once said when the press found the CDC was manipulating hiring grants. But in this case, own the responsibility of insuring that America’s children are more important than your own gross conflicts of interest.

Any Bozo knows Mercury is the 2nd most toxic substance on earth. We can only hope young post-modern mothers are wise to this awful spin. One preview of vaccine ingredients on line and anyone should question why an infant should have 35 vaccines before age 2 and Mercury toxic flu shots. It beggars belief.

By Karen Beauvais

March 26, 2008 1:45 AM | Link to this

Isles, Riddle me this? How are parents who vaccinated to full mandated schedule anti-vaccine? So, we obey the mandates, follow the schedule, keep the wellness visits, swallow the doctor’s words that the fevers, the regression to silence, the poop smearing, the running off, the head banging, the GI pain, the refusal to eat, the neurological delays were not related to the vaccine our kid just got and we are anti-vaccine? May this never happen to your child, you selfish jerk. I hope you fail your CDC/Pharma PR internship.

By Richard

March 26, 2008 2:19 AM | Link to this

The governments own medical experts conceded a vaccine autism link. Case Closed

By Kim Stagliano

March 26, 2008 6:22 AM | Link to this

Hey, CDC, you’ve lost credibility on this important issue. Yesterday, I got another call from a young Mom whose child was due for a “well” visit. DTap, Chicken Pox and Heb B were waiting for her son. She is terrified. Her gut tells her not to give him the shots - because he has been sick all winter, on antibiotics more than once, and seems to have food allergies. She’s afraid her ped will berate her for asking if she can delay or break up the vaccines. The relationship of trust is GONE because you and AAP have ignored the creeping epidemic for so long. You got a vaccine to replace trust? Best get busy.

By Brennan's Grandfather

March 26, 2008 6:59 AM | Link to this

Ms. Schuchat - Instead of being a shrill for the CDC, why not do some real reporting. Talk to the families of autistic children. Ask the CDC why it has refused to perform a study comparing the autism rate between vaccinated and never-vaccinated children. Ask the CDC why the rate of autism has increased from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 150 during the same period that the vaccination schedule has increased from 10 to 36. Ask the CDC why it continues with it’s mindset that only the “one size fits all” vaccine program will work. Ask the CDC why it’s vaccine schedule can’t be modified to start later to allow for the childs immune schedule to mature before injecting multiple live viruses into their bodies.

I’m just a dumb, ill informed grandfather helping with the care of my grandson. I’m sure, as a reporter, you could come up with more probing questions. Do your job.

By Andrea

March 26, 2008 7:25 AM | Link to this

Why won’t believe what it sees? We have the first generation that is SICKER than the previous ones. By school age, one is six has neurological damage - autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, etc. Add to that asthma, diabetes, deadly food allergies. We have drug-resistant diseases. Now we hear reports of early onset Alzheimers. Yet we continue to vaccinate at birth, add more and more vaccines to the schedule, and deny what we see before our eyes.

If the CDC is responsible for improving public health, I give them an F. I don’t know how you live with yourself.

By Maurine Meleck

March 26, 2008 8:13 AM | Link to this

Your response to David Kirby’s piece will do nothing to allay the fears of parents about vaccinating. There is a growing number of parents that no longer will vaccinate at all because of the government’s failure to tell the truth and to provide safe vaccines for our children. You can spend from now until Christmas putting spin on the the recent events, including the Poling concession, but it will only make matters worse. We are no longer willing to sacrfice 1 in 150, one in 66 boys, to herd immunity or to keep putting money in the pockets of the CDC or the local pediatricians for a vaccine program that has failed us and made our children so much sicker than they were 20 years ago. Those old days are gone forever.

By RSBell

March 26, 2008 8:19 AM | Link to this

Government welfare scientists are engaged in desperate attempts at damage control while parents across the land slowly regain courage and confidence in protecting their children from the needles of BIG PHARMA…

When will it be that “enough children have suffered” at the hands of the vaccination paradigm? It has become painfully obvious to many that our misplaced faith in welfare scientists doing the bidding of vaccine manufacturers results in collateral damage far outweighing the theoretical benefit of limiting the expression of childhood diseases. Many thousands of children have suffered in order that we may wake from our immunologically-ignorant slumber and finally say “enough is enough.” There are so many ways to strengthen the immune system that do not involve injecting synthetic medicaments into the youngest among us. None of those other options fill the coffers of Big PHARMA or enhance the budgets of the FDA and CDC, however, so if they come along, it may be kicking and screaming. Do you know how little homeopathic nosodes actually cost with NO SIDE EFFECTS? We could reduce billions of dollars of pharmaceutical fraud and government waste just by learning about Antione Bechamp and applying what WE ALREADY KNOW about the Law of the Terrain. But nooooooo, like lambs to slaughter, those who worship at the Church of Biological Mysticism still believe in the vaccine sacrament. Is there any good news? Yes. Despite their attempts at damage control, Big Government and Big PHARMA are losing true believers at a record rate, no small thanks to the vaccine-autism link and the recent revelation that the feds finally acknowledged it. Despite this, methinks they protest too much that “they didn’t really.” Thousands of children have lost a connection to this world because parents did not wake up in time. Let it be that those children were not injured or killed in vain.

By Robin Nemeth

March 26, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this

Four or five years ago I asked my child’s health care provider to test for mercury on my mercury poisoned fifteen year old. I took a great deal of information with me for him to look at, including a letter sent in 2004 by Special Counsel J. Scott Bloch to Senator Judd Gregg and Rep. Joe Barton, describing disturbing reports he’d received about thimerosal.

My child’s pediatrician’s only response was to tell me that I was misinformed, and to hand me a printout from an American Academy of Pediatrics website. He didn’t even bother to look at what he’d printed out. The text all down the right side was truncated—I couldn’t have read it if I’d wanted to, but I only realized this after I’d taken the article home.

I did notice, though, that all of the advertisements down the right hand side of the sheet were perfectly intact.

This pretty much sums up what’s wrong with medicine these days if you ask me.

Nobody should be forced into seeking redress for harm in a ‘special’ court. This is an abrogation of the civil rights of all vaccine damaged children and their parents.

And if all of this were not bad enough, the government health regulators, doctors, and vaccine manufacturers continue to sacrifice children with their flu shots, which still contain toxic levels of thimerosal.

By Holly

March 26, 2008 8:26 AM | Link to this

Kelly Ann, you describe vaccines as being “very safe” but the CDCs own Dr. Marie McCormack describes them as “pretty safe on a population basis.”

By Jerry Watson

March 26, 2008 8:39 AM | Link to this

Some of these people who are questioning the safety of current vaccines would not be alive today if it were not for vaccines that their parents were required to take, as polio and measles. The side effects of these two diseases are death. As a baby boomer, we were vaccinated in the school lunch room and our parents were not given choices. Prior to going to Vietnam, I was given vaccines for everything imaginable and I had zero choice. There are no guarantees in this world; if you need proof, just ask the women who was sunbathing on the back of a boat in the keys when a stingray jumped out of the water and hit her on the head. Oh, you cannot ask-she is dead. Living in this country has privileges and responsibilities; these two are not mutually exclusive. If you do not want to fulfill your responsibilities, then leave and do not let your US issued passport hit you in the rear.

By Wendy Fournier

March 26, 2008 8:42 AM | Link to this

Another predictable response from CDC. “Nothing to see here, people.” Thanks so much for the reassurance, doc.
Vaccines, like any other medical product are not 100% safe for everyone. The absolute least you can do at this point is to step back and reconsider the schedule. Stop recommending vaccines that are simply not necessary, especially so early in life. Do we really need ineffective flu vaccines loaded with mercury? Why can’t we get chicken pox anymore? What’s wrong with getting natural, lifelong immunity? Do American children really need a Rotavirus vaccine? And please tell us, what were you thinking when you decided to give Hep B on the day of birth? Is that the day that you sold your souls to pharma?

By TheProbe

March 26, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this

Jerry Watson said “Some of these people who are questioning the safety of current vaccines would not be alive today if it were not for vaccines that their parents were required to take, as polio and measles.”

Jerry has hit the nail smackdab on the head. This is PRECISELY the problem. I, like Dean Swift froma few centuries ago (where most of the anti-vacs live in their minds) have a new Modest Proposal.

The parents having been required to be vaccinated interfered with Darwin’s first corollary, Survival of the Smartest, and allowed the parents to grow up and breed. This breeding produced a generation of anti-vaccination idiots who will do and say anything, in any guise, to frighten people away from vaccinating their kids.

We should end reqiring vaccines immediately. Allow those who do not want to vaccinate their children to have a separate existence and, hopefully, in a generation or two, the herd will be culled, and the smartest will survive.

By steve

March 26, 2008 9:25 AM | Link to this

The reason for the uptick in the number of children labeled as autistic is that no one is called “retarded” anymore.

I think a lot of kids that we used to called “retarded” were probably actually autistic.

By CrazyParents

March 26, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this

I am amazed at the parents that think its ok NOT to give their children vaccines. Stop giving Polio and other vaccines? That is just insane! Think of the millions that are doing great with vaccinations. I do not think there is a link to vaccines and Autism. Drug companies save millions of lives with vaccinations and medications. I bet most of those crying conspiracy are taking medications themselves.

The parents that are whining obviously suffer from munchausen syndrome.

By wow

March 26, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this

Let me guess…one of the anti-vaccine websites posted a link to this first thing this morning?

By Terramuggus

March 26, 2008 10:01 AM | Link to this

The first step in restoring trust in the government’s vaccination policies is to immediately commission an independent, third-party, un-Government-affiliated study comparing Vaccinated versus Never-Vaccinated children born in the same year. This study will show that vaccines do, in fact, cause autism, as well as asthma, diabetes, hypertension, AD(H)D, depression, bipolar, anxiety disorders, etc., etc. In other words, all manner of our modern chronic, autoimmune diseases.

The most surprising finding, though, will be the differences in IQ between the groups. Once American moms and dads realize that our incredibly vicious and aggressive vaccination schedule causes intellectual deterioration, there will be hell to pay.

By wow

March 26, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this

And who would you like to perform and pay for that study, such that it would be truly “independent”. What evidence is there to suggest that any of what you have proposed is true? For example, other drugs like oral contraceptives can cause or exacerbate most of the conditions you mentioned. Do they cause autism too?

By joe harris

March 26, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this

This research is from 1948 paid for by the American Medical Association the researchers : Dr. Morton of the Department of Bacteriology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Dr. North of the Philadelphia General Hospital, and Mr. Engley of Camp Detrick under a grant from the Council of Pharmacy and Chemistry, American Medical Association have published an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association** evaluating the use of mercurials in medicine (attached to this email saved as Bacteriostatic & Bactericidal Actions of Some Mercurial Compounds1a RESULTS OF THE STUDY THIMEROSAL is USELESS !REMOVE IT FROM EVERYHING IT IS IN DR.Engly words on KOMU if they had done what we told them to, get it out we might have missed the AUTISM epidemic THERE FINDINGS It is clear from this research supported by a grant from the American Medical Association that Thimerosal is neither efficacious nor safe, and should be removed as a preservative in prescription biologics and pharmaceutical products, as well as from topical over-the-counter products such as Butt-Balm that have Thimerosal present in their formulations as an active ingredient.

THEY DESTROYED ALL OF OUR CHILDREN AND REFUSED TO REMOVE SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT EVEN WORK

By joshua

March 26, 2008 10:18 AM | Link to this

the vitriol of the anti-vaccine posts is stunning. each is debased by the very anecdotal essence they use to legitimize their complaints. having an autistic child is sad, no doubt. it’s also a totally different thing as compared to 15 years ago. the rate of diagnosis has gone up because the disease has been expanded to include an entire spectrum of disorders. the rates of depression have gone up as well- it’s not that there are more cases, just more labeling. there is not a clearly demonstrated link between vaccines and autism so stop saying that the case is closed vaccines are a vital component of public health, and are only successful if given nearly universally. that’s why there can’t be a randomized trial- what a silly thing to write. i’m sorry to all the families of autistic children. vaccines didn’t cause your children’s problems, and money from the government/a pharmaceutical company isn’t going to help them.

By Karen Beauvais

March 26, 2008 10:22 AM | Link to this

Very interesting. Parents who fully vaccinated their children = anti-vaccine nutcases. Why? Because they question blatant, medically documented, vaccine reactions - now confirmed through the department of Health and Human Services in the Poling Concession?

One walk through an elementary school and witnessing hallways littered with adaptive equipment for the 1:5 with neuro-disorders (CDC’s own numbers not Munchausens)should be enough to scare the hell out of the polio generation. That’s a lot of sick kids!

Vaccines are not a panacea. We got 8 as a child and survived. They do not even guarantee immunity, this is validated in the titers blood test routinely given to healthcare workers and other professionals that require regular testing.

The last Mumps and Chicken Pox outbreaks were vaccinated populations. The last Minnesota Amish Polio outbreak was traced to the dreaded oral polio vaccine, still encouraged in 3rd world countries today. (The vaccinated foreigner actually infected the poor little US Amish child with contaminated polio fecal matter shed in a hospital setting.) The first Roto-virus vaccine caused bowel blockage that killed children, so now they are reintroducing in a live virus form. I was at the CDC/ACIP meeting as the Vaccine maker presented from the podium on the new Roto-virus vaccine and laughed of diaper risks from the live vaccine shedding in fecal matter. There would not be a Vaccine Court with a super fund if vaccines were infallible.

Get your head out of the sand and attend the CDC’s ACIP(Vaccine Advisory Panel)Meeting. This agency is the distribution,marketing arm of the pharmaceutical industry. No agency that promotes vaccines can effectively regulate them.

Worse yet, they have to resort to PR scams and strong arm tactics to make their case. The public is quickly losing confidence.

Every wise parent should educate themselves on inserts, ingredients and adverse affects before they offer up their children to an unchecked, unregulated,indemnified, CDC backed, vaccine industry. Georgia and many other States provide a waiver so you can vaccinate or not vaccinate as you choose. This are readily accepted at schools but rarely mentioned by health care providers profiting from vaccines.

All others who wish to live under restrictive government oppression are free to immigrate to Tibet.

By joshua

March 26, 2008 10:28 AM | Link to this

Terramuggus- what are you talking about? you have made up a series of nonexistent associations. asthma, hypertension, ADHD, depression, bipolar, anxiety disorders? what? there is no evidence that any of these has any auto-immune causation. as for your randomized trial- again, what are you thinking? vaccines are only effective if given nearly universally. your non-vaccinated group would need to be too large to still allow vaccine efficacy. a more appropriate study design would be a case-control study. admittedly this would not provide the same definitive conclusion but the essence is the same. in any event, you would be, and are, completely wrong. we are in an era now of adversity with medicine. people are encouraged to take charge of healthcare and participate in decisions but clearly the general public hasn’t the training or the thinking to appropriately analyze the data.
finally, the pediatrician’s relationship is with the child, not you. the obligation is to provide care to the child, not you. pediatricians will continue to recommend vaccinations because these provide the best opportunity for a healthy life to the child. you, the parent, can fend for yourself.

By joe harris

March 26, 2008 10:46 AM | Link to this

Hey joshua, wow, other ND’S is Pharma or the CDC paying you heartless gutless creatures to waste our time. explain the science from 1948 Dr. Engly’s research and his comment. I explain it my self this way in 1948 scientist had integrity and pride in the job being done the health of the children came before corporate greed and they took the oath to heart “FIRST”do no harm

By A doc on the side of safe-vaccines...I hope!

March 26, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this

I have been reading with great interest a number of blogs and comment sections addressing Mr. David Kirby’s revelation that the government conceded that mandated vaccines caused a little girl’s autistic condition.

I say great interest because I am a father and an uncle, and a physician - a pediatrician, actually. I have seen more and more children diagnosed with autism in my practice every year, and I’ve wondered why are we seeing so many children with these problems - what is causing them?

I have also been recommending vaccines to parents all through my career, because of my experience during my training seeing the children most severely affected by diseases that we can now try to prevent with vaccines, kids in the intensive care unit on ventilators or with their own brain damage from meningitis.

There is something going on, I know it, and I worry. I have become close with a number of the families of my patients with autism problems, and I hear their stories, and see the improvements their children make when they get biomedical therapies. I wish I knew more about these treatments, but we don’t learn about them in medical school. I don’t know why but I guess we’re just starting to do research on their effects. I learn as much as I can from the parents. I really feel for the parents even if I can’t know exactly how they must feel dealing with autism every day.

I know a lot of my colleagues worry about the number of autistic kids they are seeing, and worry about the causes of autism. Is it the vaccines? Is it some food ingredient, something in the air or the water? Maybe it’s because so many people are breastfeeding and something is getting in the breast milk…everybody used to get formulas. It is so hard for a general pediatrician to figure out.

But as I read comments, it seems like there is so much hostility and so many accusations flying back and forth, so many insults. There is so much distrust and I feel like people aren’t even listening to each other. It’s like a reader automatically decides if somebody making a comment is for or against them and then stops paying attention to the content of their comment. I know how frustrated parents who know their child was damaged by vaccines feel.

But I also know where many of my colleagues are coming from - they have been educated and trained to believe in the power of vaccines, and from the medical and professional information they read, they do not believe in the connection between vaccines and autism.

It makes me sad, though, whenever I read responses to a medical person who takes the time to comment on their own opinion and beliefs on the subject. They are coming from a place where they don’t believe that their experience has convinced them of the link, and they express their doubts or uncertainty or worry about families avoiding vaccines, because they have often seen the worts of what happens with diseases like measles or polio or whooping cough.

A lot of people on the safe vaccine side, though, jump on these people with so much anger that I think they end up losing ground in any potential debate or discussion on the vaccine-autism problem or vaccine safety.

Any doctor or even other people who comment in support of vaccines is accused of being brainwashed, or a shill for pharmaceutical companies (I can assure you that general pediatricians are not big fans of pharmaceutical companies, maybe even less so than managed care!). I imagine that most other doctors who are reading immediately must turn their backs on the safe vaccine movement, as a reaction to the anger and hostility they read. I can’t imagine having a parent say that to me in my office, or, to try to look at it the other way, that I could use the same kinds of terminology - brainwashing, being in the pocket of some company, or being a shill, to the parents who are concerned about vaccine safety.

I believe the level of anger I see, while perfectly understandable to feel, undermines attemtps at persuading the powers that be or regular doctors to listen to your concerns.

Also, I see on TV and read about people like Jenny McCarthy or Barbara Lowe Fischer, or, more to the point, I read the opposing side’s reactions to the them too.

Jenny McCarthy goes on TV and says to the head of the CDC to “suck it”. I cringed when I heard that, and I can imagine a lot of my parents may have done the same.

I guess for some people it may create a sense of “sisterhood”, “you go girl” type of feeling, but I think if I were a parent uncertain about what decision to make about vaccines, McCarthy’s behavior would really turn me off to her advice.

Then I read this thing by Mrs. Fischer, equating mandatory vaccination for school attendance with the Holocaust. As somebody who knows families affected by the Holocaust, and also somebody who has seen school-age children infected by diseases that could have been prevented with vaccines, I think it’s an extremely big exaggeration and again, could turn potential allies off to the safe vaccine idea.

Sorry for the length of the post, but this case and the discussion has caused me to do a lot of thinking about what we are doing as doctors and how we can do things better, and I don’t want to see any kind of a move for safe vaccines fall apart because of some people with a bad attitude.

By Karen Beauvais

March 26, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this

Joshua- I think you should consider avoiding the flu shot with 25mgs of toxic Thimerosal, known to cause neuron and cell death. You already have a little problem in utilizing capital letters and controlling run ons. I would hate to see an inflammatory cascade develop here, or worse yet a metal induced mitochondrial disorder- like 40% of Autistic children suffer.

At least you have a choice in the matter Josh. We as vaccinating parents were not afforded inform consent. My child had full blow Thimerosal, a known neurotoxin, deemed to cause birth defects on the Material Data Safety Sheet, in his HIB, DTaP and Hep B. 49% Mercury in 3 major shot series and no one bothered to ask me if this was OK.

In 2002, since there was no ban instituted, I requested the insert on my newborn daughter’s Hep B shot and guess what? Thimerosal was still in there. Anyone thinking Thimerosal was pulled from shelves is hallucinating. The CDC had data at their Simpsonwood meeting in the 90s that Thimerosal posed a serious developmental threat, but chose to embargo that information.

Please back up-with science-how vaccinating with oxidative neuro toxins and live viruses enhance health.

Consumers should not be mocked requesting that vaccines are made safe and non-toxic. We don’t want lead in our children’s toys or poison in shots. Parents absolutely should take charge and educate themselves. As far as I know, we are not a nanny state.

By Margaret Romao Toigo

March 26, 2008 11:09 AM | Link to this

Grab your tinfoil hats — and watch out for those black helicopters — it’s time for a swarm!

Whenever there is an online article under which readers are invited to comment about vaccines and autism, anti-vaccination activists post links to it on their websites and blogs, encouraging their fellow anti-vaccination activists to pile on — with multiple usernames — so it appears that there are more of them than there actually are.

I know these anti-vaccine folks will likely never be convinced of just how dangerously wrong they really are, but I do hope that others, standing on the outside of this issue looking in, will realize that these people are but a small fringe group and do not effectively represent the autistic community at large.

Most parents of autistic children are not cranks buying into the pseudoscience of anti-vaccination literature.

We know that vaccines do not cause autism because there is a very large body of research that found no correlation between vaccines and autism, and we do not subscribe to urban myths and conspiracy theories about vaccines — nor do we patronize quacks who use such misinformation to sell their nostrums.

We actually understand the difference between correlation and causation, and we have our kids vaccinated according to the CDC’s recommendations because we want our children to be protected against infectious diseases.

These few anti-vaccination cranks are making the rest of us look like a bunch of kooks.

By therealist

March 26, 2008 11:11 AM | Link to this

But ain’t it great that 149 out of 150 children are not dying in mass from measles, smallpocks, mumps, German fever, etc, etc, etc…

By Teresa Conrick

March 26, 2008 11:12 AM | Link to this

To dyson, isles, joshua and any I missed-

You appear to all have a similar style in your posts. Discussing vaccine safety does not make anyone antivaccine. If you want to have sincere discussions then another approach would be advisable. As it stands now, your harsh, sarcastic “evidence” does nothing for the issues being discussed and paints a picture of vaccine defenders. Those would be ignorant,possibly paid people who will attempt to push emotional buttons and try to lead the discussion away from its true destination, which is the health of children as it relates to the current vaccine schedule. Not saying you are but your posts sure indicate either a lack of understanding and/or a lack of care. Whatever the reason, your posts are ramblings that resemble bad used car commercials.

By wow

March 26, 2008 11:22 AM | Link to this

Teresa I think the reason why people become so harsh and sarcastic in defending vaccines is that the legitimate scientific evidence is overwhelming. It’s hard to keep a level head when such illogical nonsense is being posted over and over and over again. It becomes especially frustrating when people start accusing you of being paid by a pharma company or the CDC. Just because you side with science doesn’t mean somebody is paying you to do it. And it’s not like the anti-vaccine or “safer vaccine” side is exactly sticking to the Miss Manners approach. Of course, you’re not criticizing them for their vitriol.

By joe harris

March 26, 2008 11:23 AM | Link to this

wow and joshua again answer this science or shut up, and go play with your Pharma money.

By Doc Strange

March 26, 2008 11:29 AM | Link to this

Some people still haven’t seen the inaccuracies in Kirby’s opinion piece? They’re so obvious I don’t think there was a need for Ms. Schuchat to rehash them. But I guess somebody has to:

“But what if we could test children for underlying conditions that might increase their risk of vaccine injury and autism?…It’s a difficult, but not impossible, proposition. And I believe doing so would reduce the rate of autism, seizure disorders and even asthma in some children.”

This statement is rife with false hope and pipe dreams; the vague and simplistic notion of “testing for underlying conditions that may increase their risk of vaccine injury” - this is beyond difficult and if not impossible, as close as you can get; if “Dr.” Kirby has any more specific bright ideas or techniques, let the scientific community know. Then there’s the inaccuracy of the link between vaccination and autism, seizure disorders(?), and asthma (???).

“Hannah’s underlying condition was…most likely environmentally acquired. It was not some rare, grave, inherited disease that would have progressed to autism anyway.”

Absolutely 100% inaccurate. It was a genetic mitochondrial disorder; not environmentally acquired - inherited. End of story. If not a febrile reaction to vaccination, then a febrile infectious disease would have caused her neurological symptoms. I can only imagine what would have happened to a child with a mitochondrial disorder who developed pneumococcal or Hib meningitis, or a severe case of pertussis leading to hypoxia and subsequent encephalopathy. Educate yourselves by reading the mitochondrial disorders website, http://www.umdf.org/.

And then there’s: “The cause of Hannah’s mitochondrial dysfunction is up for debate, though ample evidence exists to implicate heavy metals in air, water, food and vaccines as possible suspects. “

What?!?! I previously pointed out that mitochondrial disorders are genetic (back to high school bio with you, Dr. Kirby!) I would be fascinated to see some real science to demonstrate that heavy metals in air, water, food and vaccines cause mitochondrial dysfunction. Not articles in “Medical Hypotheses”, or other long chain of transitive relationship hypotheses that people seize on as “evidence”.

Please.

By Teresa Conrick

March 26, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this

To A doc on the side of safe-vaccines-

Your post made sense and I appreciate your thoughtfulness. As a parent to a teen with severe autism, I have been around the block regarding autism. It sounds like you have listened to your families and done some of your own research. It also sounds like you have concerns and are not turning a blind eye to vaccines as a cause of autism. That is a good and honest thing and your families are lucky to have you as an ally and a doctor who is listening with his head and heart. No one has all the answers but to be able to discuss the pieces, vaccine or environmental, is what needs to continue without fearing being attacked. Thank you.

By wow

March 26, 2008 11:45 AM | Link to this

joe harris, I can’t find the reference you’re referring to, otherwise I would be more than happy to address it. I’ll try to drop by the library this afternoon and see if I can dig it up. Seems like you’re just parroting what has been posted elsewhere.

And I wish that I had some pharma money to go play with.

By Teresa Conrick

March 26, 2008 11:47 AM | Link to this

to wow-

Not sure why people don’t use a real name. Anyway, I am from the opposite belief. I read all the science, research and see a picture different from you. The major issue is that harm is being done and we are trying to figure out how to keep vaccines accessible but SAFE. How is that a bad thing?

By Kelli Ann Davis

March 26, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this

“Kelly Ann, you describe vaccines as being “very safe” but the CDCs own Dr. Marie McCormack describes them as “pretty safe on a population basis.”

Holly,

You’re confused. I never said vaccines were “very safe”.

The first paragraph is a quote from the article’s author.

Please reread what I wrote for further clarification.

By the way: Marie McCormick is affiliated with Harvard – she doesn’t work for the CDC.

Kelli

By joe harris

March 26, 2008 11:51 AM | Link to this

To DR strange

A simple Google search will net you a wealth of research, that heavy metals and toxins as ingrediants in the vaccines for example: just ethyl-mercury in Parts Per Billion comming in at 32,500 PPB. liquid toxic waste is a wopping 200 PPB it would take a fool to defend 32,500 PPB, and it can cause mitochondria dysfuntion, it would take a fool to dispute this. You see they deplete the glutathion in the mitochondria. we now know, the mechanisim that caused the depletion of our childs glutathion, it was as we thought.”Vaccinations they contain at least four neuro-toxins: mercury, formaldehyde, MSG and aluminum hydroxide. All of which can and have caused mitochondrial disorders ” my son, like thousands of others have Labs proving mercury toxicity” I wish people could understand the synergy effect of the two salts mixed, murcury by it’s self will kill cells, then these bright bunnys added aluminum, they seem to work togather and become super toxins, and the killing factor then becomes x 10 now thanks to China, we can add lead to that. Any one know what three salts mixed, causes in nuron cell death ? reason, some children that are effected start chewing everything, all toys for how long? have contained lead and those children seem to be effected, and are the most damaged now we can factor in a study on testostarone: A Yale School of Medicine study shows for the first time that a high level of testosterone, such as that caused by the use of steroids to increase muscle mass or for replacement therapy, can lead to a catastrophic loss of brain cells. WOW! with all this nuron cell death, it’s a wonder that our kids can even think, Oh! yes thats right some can’t any more. and that’s courtsey of FDA, CDC, AAP, and now the so called prestigious IOM, Seems their sacrificing their good name, for the greater good AKA keeping filthy rich corporations that poison children from paying for the damage done to american children and to the children of the world . . THIS MY FRIEND IS SCIENCE THAT PROVES MITO’S CAN BE CAUSED BY MOST ALL INGREDIENCE IN VACCINES. EVEN DR. POLLING NEURLOLGIST SAID HANNAHS MITO COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE VACCINES

By TheProbe

March 26, 2008 11:51 AM | Link to this

When will those who actually understand vaccines realize that those who question vaccines are never, ever, going to accept anything that refutes their opinions?

They are terminally gullible, or Merchants of Disease, Disability and Death.

By TheProbe

March 26, 2008 11:52 AM | Link to this

When will those who actually understand vaccines realize that those who question vaccines are never, ever, going to accept anything that refutes their opinions?

They are terminally gullible, or Merchants of Disease, Disability and Death.

By wow

March 26, 2008 11:58 AM | Link to this

Teresa, I personally choose not to use my real name because I’ve read extensively about attacks on scientists by fringe groups due to their unpopular beliefs or research interests, and that’s not a chance I’m willing to take for myself or my family.

I’m all for vaccines safety being improved, and I’ve never suggested that the current vaccination schedule is ideal. But I personally believe that the benefit of vaccination (to both the individual and society) far outweighs any real or perceived risk.

By Wondering

March 26, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this

Does “joe harris” have a mental disorder? schizophrenia? bipolar? I find it impossible to make sense of his rants.

Karen Beauvais…you mentioned your children getting poisoned by vaccines without your informed consent. Does either child fall in the autistic spectrum? I assume your son does, but how about the daughter who the doctors nearly tricked you into allowing to be injected with heavy metals?

And tell us more about “Simpsonwood”…was it held in a smoke-filled back room with Hitler, Count Chocula and Hannibal Lecter, in attendance or was it a crossover between the Simpsons and Everwood? I must have missed that one.

By J Stone

March 26, 2008 12:06 PM | Link to this

To A doc on the side of safe-vaccines: As a parent of a spectrum child I appreciate your comments, especially the voicing of your concerns. And, I am a parent who believes vaccines were the trigger that sent my son from being an early talker into silence. The harshness that your reading from many of the parents is a result of the frustration that we feel in that we have observed a connection btw the vaxs and our children’s regression.

Most of us are not anti-vaccines. In fact, neither is Jenny McCarthy. However, the studies that the CDC have done to date have all had questionable data. What should have been the most important study by the CDC, the Thimerosal Vaccine Safety Data-Link Study, turned out to have used a modified dataset from an initial study that did find a statistical relationship btw thimerisol and autism. This modification was discovered by parents through the Freedom of Information Act. During the closed meeting review of the original dataset, it was suggested by certain attending parties that these positive connection results must be hushed. So, then the dataset was modified, with what many of us suspect were poorly kept records from an HMO in dissarray, and the positive connection dissappeared.

Many of us would have believed the new report, if we could have looked at the dataset. (And please note that, by law, the dataset used was required to be saved and should have been made available for review.) However, the CDC has stated that it lost the dataset! Why doesn’t it spend the money to recreate it, if there is nothing to hide? I spend close to $75,000 per year for my son’s education and treating his colitis and other health issues. The CDC should be able to recreate the dataset for less than that.

Next, parents and professionals have repeatedly asked the CDC over the past several years to do a comparison study of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated children. The CDC’s response: we can’t find enough genetically non-homogeneous (meaning non-Amish) children. At the same time, an organization called Generation Rescue paid for a phone survey organization to call approximately 11,000 households in just two states. The survey found enough households w/o vaccinated children to be statistically significant. The results? There is a link. The CDC’s response? None.

So, parents of spectrum children are frustrated. Do we want to see the return of polio? No. Are we against all vaccines? No. Do we believe that some vaccines aren’t necessary and that the vaccine schedule should be modified? Yes.

The chicken pox vaccine? Not needed when for children. Give it to teenagers who never got the chicken pox. The HepB vax? Unless the child has HepB carrying parents, not needed. Dr. Paul Offit, in his defense of the vaccine schedule, has repeatly stated that infants are exposed to thousands of antigens each day and that receiving several vaccines at one time is of no concern. Do you believe that? Prior to two years of age, childrens’ immune systems are not fully developed. A single virus can be pretty harsh to a child. Logically, getting a second virus at the same time has got to be more taxing on the immune system.

Can I say with 100% conviction that vaccines cause autism? No. 99% conviction? Yes. Can the CDC say with 100% conviction that vaccines don’t cause autism? While they might say “Yes”, from a scientific point of view, we know they can’t. Therefore, wouldn’t it make sense to modify the vaccine schedule? The CDC probably knows it as well. Unfortunately, I believe the CDC thinks its adamant stance has put the itself in a bind — to even suggest a change in the vaccine schedule, might cause massive fear among parents and a large drop in immunization rates. I maintain it will increase the rates. Most parents want their children to be protected, but they don’t want to get that protection at too high of a risk. Modifying the schedule would reduce the risk and the perception of the risk.

By Karen Beauvais

March 26, 2008 12:11 PM | Link to this

“I know a lot of my colleagues worry about the number of autistic kids they are seeing, and worry about the causes of autism. Is it the vaccines? Is it some food ingredient, something in the air or the water? … It is so hard for a general pediatrician to figure out.”

If pediatricians really did worry. They would not lobby the NY Governor as the AAP to blockade a Thimerosal ban in vaccines. If the concern was real, they would not heartlessly dismiss patients from their practice when they requested an altered vaccine schedule. They would think twice about vaccinating children predisposed it autoimmune disease or otherwise frail. They would not medicate our beautiful kids with psych meds designed for adults, without first running basic metabolic tests. They would not “catch” children up and double wellness shots or insist on vaccinating when a child is sick. They would take reasonable precautions and not demand blind trust.

I welcome honest, civil dialog with the medical community. Anytime, any day.

Often I have gone with other parents to the CDC ACIP meeting. They would be free to sit down and discuss with me the pages of medical data I have supporting my child’s Mercury poisoning, as he declined from a doubled (wellness visit) shot series. 15 in one day, not counting strains. As I would also avail our family doctor to discuss this subsequent decline. However, the only thing our pediatrician wants to discuss is giving my immune suppressed, mercury toxic Autistic child, an ineffective, Hg filled flu shot. And the ACIP panel rarely shows up in full to listen to the public comment. This is no active discussion, only political posturing by the AAP and CDC.

We are outspoken not for the sake of argument. (Honestly, I could care less what my doctor thinks. He is a service provider and I can find a new one if need be.) Oddly one in our practice was arrested for child molestation this year. Doctors are no longer deserving of my blind trust. They are not God. If they are competent then will remain hired. No, we are vocal so parents have ownership in their children’s health care. As we parents must foot the 4 million dollar lifetime cost of raising an Autistic child.

We are outspoken and relentless because we want other parents to know the heartbreak is avoidable. Screen inserts. Educate yourself. Make an educated, well informed decision to vaccinate or not. Check that your pediatrician is supplying you with safety studies not authored or provided by the pharmaceutical industry. NEVER, EVER, VACCINATE A SICK CHILD!

Know that if a vaccine fails you you have no legal recourse unless you first file a claim in the very hostile VICP court.

Know that vaccines can have adverse effects. The government keeps a data base on this (VAERS). Taxpayers unfortunately are not free to scrutinize this data. The CDC keeps it secure with a 21 million dollar grant to Constella/Future Corp, a pharmaceutical service company with Third World subsidiaries that procure drugs for developing nations.

We as parents are not naive. We have been burned by the needle. No one is overseeing vaccine safety . It is a self regulating industry indemnified by the VICP. Consumer beware.

1:150 children today. When will we, as a nation, cry out for vaccine reform. 1:100 1:50 1:10? Who will care for these children at 18? If you are an MD, Joe Harris, I want you to know when my son started talking again… After his first dose of chelation to remove the mercury so amply supplied in his vaccines.

By Teresa Conrick

March 26, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this

wow-

You sound reasonable but we part ways on the “benefit of vaccination (to both the individual and society) far outweighs any real or perceived risk”.

The injury has always been there but obviously has increased as vaccinations have increased. It never was ok but now is illogical to continue. If you could continue to know that vaccines were available but their ability to harm was lessened would you support that?

By Karen Beauvais

March 26, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this

Wondering, All four of my vaccinated children have been medically tested by the CDC’s own standard, for mercury poisoning. All have medically documented toxic Mercury levels proven in provoked urine and porphyrin tests, as well as blood test showing no recent exposure. 1 is diagnosed with Autism the others have battled various learning disorders but are improving with treatment. My ASD child has changed the most after biomedical interventions. He speaks fluidly now and is in an inclusion classroom. He was very severe 5 years ago. He has emerged into a beautiful, intelligent kid as we lift the brain fog. He is happier and healthier with the Mercury out. It has been a long tedious process. All of my assertions are from the thousands we have personally spent traveling to specialists to get answers. You can Google Simpsonwood transcripts if you honestly want to know what they are. Good that you can have such fun mocking Autism. Some of us aren’t laughing.

I hope and pray you never experience the trauma of vaccine related regression on your child. This rhetoric about threats to doctors is bunk. The threat is unchecked, unregulated vaccines given to kids.

By joe harris

March 26, 2008 12:35 PM | Link to this

WOW what kind of scientist would defend 32,500 PPB of a neurltoxin injected in a helpless child. When liquid toxic waste is 200 PPB and must be handeled by people in space suites surley your not saying with your defending this that our kids are toxic waste sites

and again in case you just don’t understand. Just one of the toxins such as VACC. MSG can and has caused mitochondrial dysfuntion not disease. you see the favor done by the united mito foundation pres. that said vaccines don’t cause mito-disease was playing on words If you were to ask him If the ingredients would cause mito-dysfuntion unless he wanted to lie he would have to say yes because as a scientist you should know that MERCURY, ALUMINUM, MSG, all cause neuron cell death If you are a scientist surley you know this. If you are a pharma schill thenI guess you are just doing your job. keep up your work, the covering up of the poisoning of our most precious assets

By educatedparent

March 26, 2008 12:45 PM | Link to this

I would like to remind people that those of us coined “ant-vaccine” are here now because we vaccinated our kids. Wanting safer systems of doing business in not anti-anything. It is pro-safety.

Our kids ‘took one for the team’ and we are supposed to accept that, for the greater good? Wouldn’t a public health policy serve the public better if it took into its concerns all people, especially those most vulnerable?

How many posters here who think we should give kids all these vaccines for the greater good have done their civic duty and gotten the full schedule our kids get. Yeah, I thought so…

By mno

March 26, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this

This article is a joke - a bad one. It presents no facts or serious analysis at all, only the opinions of an author cozy with the very forces that are pushing vaccinations on us in the first place.

The piece does not mention Anne Schuchat’s affiliation. Look her up online to see what she stands for.

By wow

March 26, 2008 12:53 PM | Link to this

joe harris: If you would make some rational comments, I might be willing to address them. However, it’s not worth my time to figure out what it is you’re trying to say. Again, just because I think vaccines are important doesn’t mean I’m being paid by pharma.

By Media Scholar

March 26, 2008 1:03 PM | Link to this

This defense of Thimerosal is beyond maudlin. One has to question has CDC done anything relevant in terms of actually implicating vaccine zealotry and Autism?

None of the relevant government agencies have a scrap of proof that vaccines actually work. Diseases are mostly well in decline before the introduction of a said vaccine.

The media never follows up on incidents such as the 2006 Iowa Mumps outbreak. 40 odd cases were PCR’d and yet the media couldn’t tell us whether the fully-vaccinated college kids were infected with a wild or lab strain.

Editors in the media must inform the public of PCR results. In the future every story concerning an “outbreak” that doesn’t contain PCR information follow up is to be considered to be a neglect of civic duty.

By vaccines cause autism

March 26, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this

The entire piece by Anne Schuchat, is terribly flawed propaganda and leaves the Kirby piece entirely intact without meaningful rebuttal. If this is the best they have they are F**ed.

regarding this comment By wowMarch 26, 2008 12:53 PM |”joe harris: If you would make some rational comments, I might be willing to address them.” I understand his posts and his rational. Are you having trouble understanding other simple concepts? Have you been tested for Mercury or aluminum poisoning?

By DDT

March 26, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this

Vaccinate only when there’s an epidemic in your area for a dangerous disease. Vaccination doesn’t make sense in most cases. You can’t vaccinate for every known disease. There’s no vaccinations for HIV, ebola, etc. And when you do vaccinate, the viruses will mutate to the point where the vaccination becomes ineffective. Vaccinate for the “here” and “now” when the disease is dangerous, and there’s an epidemic or likelihood of catching the disease. Ebola exists, but not here. Polio existed, but not now. And only vaccinate when you KNOW the shot’s safe. If there’s a new trendy vaccine, how do you know the long term side effects of it? You can’t. These are my conclusions when weighing the “risks” and benefits” since the risks of vaccines clearly are autism if you read STUDIES for YOURSELF - not CDC propaganda or some paid off jerk’s “summary” of the studies.

By Soylent green

March 26, 2008 1:24 PM | Link to this

did you know that was also in vaccines?

Soylent green is people! It’s people, people!

By wow

March 26, 2008 1:25 PM | Link to this

vaccines cause autism: No, I do not have problems understanding simple concepts, despite being completely vaccinated. joe harris is demanding responses to studies that are 60 years old and aren’t readily available, and accusing me of defending things about mercury when I have yet to so much as mention mercury in one of my posts. His comments have been wild rants at best, and it’s not worth my time to try to dissect out whether or not he’s actually making a point or just ranting.

By breast milk

March 26, 2008 1:30 PM | Link to this

you know, maybe “a doc on the side of safe vaccines” has a point -

he mentioned the increase in breastfeeding and something going through breast milk as a potential cause for autism…i think the rise in autism incidence may pretty closely parallel the change from formula to breastfeeding as far as percentages go. something to think about…

By Garbo

March 26, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this

To Doc On the Right Side: I’m glad you are learning from your patients. I’ve been trying to teach my pediatrician too. Frankly, she doesn’t seem very interested. We recovered my son from an autism diagnosis at age 3 1/2 back into a normal kid over the course of 4 years using DAN protocols. Our mainstream pediatrician never caught his symptoms in the first place, had nothing to do with his recovery, and showed little interest in his progress along the way. We spent tens of thousands of dollars on treatments that were not covered by insurance. We copied her on test results and she never had any response. The last time she saw him, her comment was that he clearly must have been misdiagnosed in the first place; she completely discounted every bit of hard work we had done for 4 years. This is the norm, not the exception. The reason for it is the AAP, which gets most of its money from Pharma company advertising in its magazine, continues to support the CDC/Pharma vaccine schedule and disavow any possible connection between developmental & medical problems, including autism, and vaccines. Don’t you think it would be so much better if patients were able to learn from their doctors, instead of the other way around? Don’t you think that the AAP’s members should start questioning their own organization’s lack of mobilization on an issue of epidemic proportions that its members are clearly dealing with every day? Beyond platitudinous instructions that physicians should reassure parents of the safety of vaccines? Because the result of such inaction is doctors like ours, who feel they don’t have to bother thinking outside the box, or even pay attention to existing guidelines of vaccine safety — like people with egg allergies shouldn’t get certain shots. But in many cases those kids haven’t even tried solid foods yet!

By joe harris

March 26, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this

for breast milk lets see have you not read any of my post again.

A simple Google search will net you a wealth of research, that heavy metals and toxins as ingrediants in the vaccines for example: just ethyl-mercury in Parts Per Billion comming in at 32,500 PPB. liquid toxic waste is a wopping 200 PPB it would take a fool to defend 32,500 PPB, and it can cause mitochondria dysfuntion, it would take a fool to dispute this. You see they deplete the glutathion in the mitochondria. we now know, the mechanisim that caused the depletion of our childs glutathion, it was as we thought.”Vaccinations they contain at least four neuro-toxins: mercury, formaldehyde, MSG and aluminum hydroxide. All of which can and have caused mitochondrial disorders ”

By anan

March 26, 2008 1:52 PM | Link to this

ragarding this comment “By Soylent green March 26, 2008 1:24 PM | did you know that was also in vaccines? Soylent green is people! It’s people, people!

Since aborted human fetal tissue is used your post would be accurate.

By Dee

March 26, 2008 2:14 PM | Link to this

I think all these medical problems being attributed to vaccines could be due to something simpler like daycare. Most people like me grew up with MMR and a host of other vaccines administered in childhood and never had any issues. Once difference between us and children today was that we had one working parent and one parent that stayed at home to care for the children. Daycares were not in existence. Today, child immune systems are put in overdrive by stress of constant separation anxiety, and placing them all day with other sick or ill children from who knows where with who knows what.

By bort

March 26, 2008 2:31 PM | Link to this

I know you mean well poster Dee and no one knows all causes but most autism is simply poisoning.

Neurological poisoning. Even at a epidemic rate of 1/150 you would likely not know anyone affected. But it’s real and it’s caused in a large part by a dangerous one size fits all out of control vaccine policy. Greed + corrupt+incompetence(like the boob that wrote the article we are commenting on) and you have a national disaster.

By Martha

March 26, 2008 2:35 PM | Link to this

Dee, what about our childrens’ lab work that is positive for mercury toxicity? Daycare or not.

Re: aborted fetal tissue in vaccines - I guess all that ‘ethical outrage’ regading stem cell research was a bunch of BS, huh? They have no problem using it in vaccines.

By Teresa Conrick

March 26, 2008 2:39 PM | Link to this

To A doc on the side of safe-vaccines-

I just want to add that Barbara Loe Fischer and Jenny McCarthy are strong, dedicated speakers for autism and vaccine safety. I am grateful for them both and many more who have brought this into the glaring lights of the media. David Kirby’s, Evidence of Harm, was the catalyst that brought autism and the hypothesis that vaccines/components could harm into the light of day. Thanks to them all!

By joe harris

March 26, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this

One of the scientist said in an interview with KOMU, availabile on line even to this day. “that we found thimerosal toxic down to a level that’s almost unbelievable down to a millinneth of a gram it’s as toxic as you can get DR.Engly A retired chairman and professor of microbioligy at M Univ. He served on various committees and panels and has consulted for the CDC, NASA, the FDA, and EPA he did some of the first research on thimerosal you people who believe only science This was before pharma was able to paying off our cong. senate.and health care workers who question thimerosal. In his words If they would have followed our recomendations we would have missed the Autism epidemic.

By Unatutor

March 26, 2008 2:56 PM | Link to this

Da Probe, next time, take up an issue where truth is on your side. Ha Haha ha.

By Unatutor

March 26, 2008 2:56 PM | Link to this

Da Probe, next time, take up an issue where truth is on your side. Ha Haha ha.

By autismMom

March 26, 2008 3:14 PM | Link to this

Watching your children regress before your eyes immediately following vaccines is not evidence??

And now breastmilk could autism?? Please! Oh yes, because all that aluminum from formula cans is so healthy. Should have expected that one coming from a doctor.

Come on folks, don’t call me shrill or stupid until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes.

By wow

March 26, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this

As far as I can tell, Engley published one paper on the use of mercury containing compounds as antiseptics in 1950. The rest of his publications seem utterly unrelated. So why is he your figurehead for science in this debate joe harris? Mercury is a toxic compound. Got it. Are the amounts present in current vaccines given on the recommended schedule responsible for any sort of toxicity? If you have an answer, I’d like to see the references to the legitimate, peer-reviewed studies.

By George Washington

March 26, 2008 3:49 PM | Link to this

Why does Europe have a TB vaccine that is 90% effective, while America has a TB vaccine that is only 40% effective and is not recommened for routine use?

By joe harris

March 26, 2008 4:10 PM | Link to this

for WOW

a very large body of scientific evidence Seems to be shrinking, verstreaten for example his earlier work you know before he was hired by GSK found a link, then he left to go to GSK his work was changed 5 times to nothing but ticks, his work was put in the journal of ped. even with a conflict of interest imagen that, is this not why wakefeild is fighting for his career with the GMC. when Vestreaten thought he was going to be brought back to the U.S. he admitted he did not find a positive or a negative he found a neutral. so at best you have nothing with him one down. next is denmark you see we have through the FOIA act a woman from CDC saying they have searched frantically and there’s nothing in the U.S. that supports them, they will need to go over seas to denmark. And that is what they did they bought the best that your tax dollars could buy not science but lies anders hivid came here and told the biggist bull sh##t you ever heard about the numbers going up when removing thimerosal incidentally the the denmark Gov. has not put it back in. If it was protecting children from autism you would think they would change thier mind about taking it out. we have a email from denmark saying the incidence of autism and prevalance there of continue to decline. So we should be asking the CDC why the sentence before an after her statement of decline was blacked out. You see if you have not figured out by now the CDC lies more than it tells the truth. Another study the miller study from the U.K. was so screwed up she asked if she has to give back the money. so far nothing but fraud, now for the grand finally the 2004 prestiegous IOM ruling I hate to break it to you but science had nothing to do with thier decision they were orderd not to find causation we know this because of the FOIA act it seem this saves our a* a lot from a crooked agency such as the CDC, sorry, I am wrong IOM is not a Goverment agency it does not apply some one there leaked the minutes Im assuming they were frightened at the thought of more children being poisoned and that they needed to take action. This is what was said Dr. McCormick, for example, in speaking of the CDC, noted that the agency “wants us to declare, well, these things are pretty safe on a population basis then later she said walter orinstin wants this and what walt wants walt generally gets so much for all that very large body of scientific evidence.so if this is what peer-reviewed studies is you can keep it or maybe you just did know this all took place with the CDC’s peer-reviewed studies All of this below is on the prestigious IOM being bought off. can you say stacking the deck. Seems they don’t know how to play fair. This was also said “We’ve got a dragon by the tail here,” states a committee member in the transcript. “At the end of the line, what we know is - and I agree - that the more negative that presentation [the report] is, the less likely people are to use vaccination, immunization, and we know what the results of that will be. We are kind of caught in a trap. How we work our way out of the trap, I think, is the charge.” I just don’t think they thought about the opposite side of that coin is they will be poisoning more children, to keep a already failing vaccine program propped up can you say terrorist, Byron child magazine heard that it was in thier contract with the CDC an IOM not to find a link MMR or Thimerosal this is what they were told: When byronchild asked CDC spokesperson Curtis Allen for a copy of the contract that would detail the agreement between the IOM and the CDC, Allen stated that the contract would be available only in a heavily “redacted” or blacked-out format. It seems they the CDC uses that method blacked out format more than the military the CDC uses it for covering up lies The IOM stated “no comment” to byronchild about the leaked transcript or its use in the pending civil court case. Boy your large body of evidence ain’t so large any more Huh!

By Francisco

March 26, 2008 4:12 PM | Link to this

1 in 150. 1 in 150. 1 in 150. For some reason those numbers make me tremble. How high do they have to get before somebody is accountable? 1 in 100? 1 in 50? The fight to find causation and cure should be larger than gigantic, yet it is still miniscule in proportion to the emergency. Why? Maybe someone does not want us to find out. The CDC’s rethoric is redundant, and in no way debated the points expressed by Kirby. It sound like another sales pitch with no substance (we love you, we are good, just take our word for it)No straight answers. Common sense is almost extinguished. In the next few years smoking will be good for you again, and binge drinking will prolong your life. We at the CDC can make these claims because we said that unknown, and uncontrolled quantities of mercury injected into young children can be beneficial. In fact, it boosts the immune system and improves the intellect. This occurs 100% of the time in 100% of the kids…..

The weight of the evidence will be too large to bear in the near future. The CDC should be trying to fix the problem no matter the cost instead of trying to hide it no matter the cost.

By Michelle McNally

March 26, 2008 4:19 PM | Link to this

“Vaccine Benefits Outweight Dangers?” Oh REALLY!! You expect all us parents with vaccine injured children and the family and friends that love them to buy that?? Give us a break! What do you take us for? I was a sheep once long ago when I blindly followed the herd and did what was expected of me from the CDC and AAP. Now I have two vaccine injured children. Parents are finally waking up and realizing that the CDC and AAP don’t know what is best for the children in this country.

The CDC is “concerned,” about vaccine safety. Oh REALLY!! Where are all the studies you did on say mice, rabbits, monkeys what have you when you kept adding vaccines to the schedule. Did you ask the American population to step forward and volunteer for vaccine trials? What’s that I didn’t hear you? No? Oh, well than how can you say you are “CONCERNED?” If you CDC was truly concerned with public safety clinical trials would have been done first to ensure safety with each added vaccine to the schedule.

Lastly, you accuse David Kirby of misinterpretations. If you are going to accuse him of this than you better back it up with what it is you are actually accusing him of MISINTERPRETING. I can’t find one misinterpretation. Maybe someone else can point it out to me, but I DOUBT it!!

By wow

March 26, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this

joe harris, you may want to read my previous post. You didn’t address my question at all.

Michelle McNally, I and another poster discussed Kirby’s misinterpretations at length previously on another entry on this blog. There should be a link on the lefthand side. I’d be more than happy to repeat it here.

By anon

March 26, 2008 5:15 PM | Link to this

To wow - I read your posts and I just don’t see any misrepresentation in Kirby’s assertions. All I see is that you disagree with him. I think he brings good common sense questions to the table and you disagree. I think you misrepresent the vaccine safety advocates position and I find Anne Schuchats rebuttal piece intellectually vacant and condescending.

By Noelle

March 26, 2008 5:31 PM | Link to this

Why is there a National Vaccination Injury Compensation Program if vaccinations ARE SO SAFE???

Most of the comments posted here are hysteric, uneducated ranting, but this is a question I can answer. The program exists because otherwise vaccines wouldn’t exist. Pharmaceutical companies make no profit off most vaccines and therefore have no business incentive to take on any responsibility for any injuries they may cause. Any medication or medical device has the potential to cause injury, but most allow their producers enough profit to pay for insurance to cover any costs associated with such injuries. Not so with vaccines.

Without goverment funding and oversight through programs like this one, Big Pharma would simply cease to produce vaccines at all. Then we would return to the days when children were routinely crippled and killed by diseases that have been wiped out by vaccines. Ask anyone over the age of about 60 what it was like to fear for your life or the lives of your children from the annual polio season.

By Karen Beauvais

March 26, 2008 5:33 PM | Link to this

Dee,

My oldest daughter was in daycare from 6 weeks following birth until she entered Kindergarten. She did not become Autistic. My youngest son had his Wellness visit shots combined and plunged into regressive silent Autism. I quit work when he was 4 months old. He was loved and showered with attention. Prior to the doubled vaccines (15 total when you count the combined) he knew our names and sang “winkle winkle little star”. Immediately after the combined shots we have documented development decline, followed by loss of words and GI problems. (Multiple running loose stools, pain and defensive eating habits - refusing to eat food he had enjoyed prior.) Let’s see… he began to run off, burn himself unaware, refused to wear clothes, sleep w/o screaming out in pain or connect with his family.

I’m sure the other posters will have great fun exploiting this. But as parents, we were crushed to see this happen to our once happy normal baby. It was trauma to our entire family. My two older children demanded to know what happened to their little brother. We have no history of Autism in both families.

Trust me daycare had NOTHING to do with this. Only the GFCF diet and treatment for Mercury poisoning reversed this awful nightmare. Thank God we tested for this and did not assume this was just some sort of genetic fluke. Never in the history of time, has there been a genetic epidemic. It was the shots here.

Why when our kids have ear infections and sore throats do the doctors believe us? But when we say regression started after vaccines,we are nuts?

Save yourself the heartache,research before you vaccinate. Make sure you Google beyond the CDC’s ill informed website. The NVIC - National Vaccine Information center is a good place to start. Most scientists agree there is genetic predisposition with environmental triggers implicated in Autism. I’m sure our family’s history of auto -immune made my son vulnerable, but the Mercury in the vaccines pushed him over the cliff. I believe the 277X over the EPAs allowable amount of Mercury in my son’s shots was like stepping on a IED.

Be a savy vaccine consumer. Believe me I wish everyday I could step back in time. I wish I could decline on the “catch up” shots that set my kid back a decade.

By unatutor

March 26, 2008 7:04 PM | Link to this

Pharmaceutical Companies make no profit from vaccines. Ha haha ha.

By joe harris

March 26, 2008 9:02 PM | Link to this

No wow you answer me, if everything I wrote is true and you blindly follow these child poisoners after they destroyed verstreaten’s earlier work change his research 5 times to just ticks, put it in a so called prestigious journal with the CDC almost begging them at the pediatrics journal to consider this wonderful study. You see I believe If a study is to get in to a journal it needs to do so on it’s own merit but here’s the studies you asked for http://www.generationrescue.org/studies.html

Comparison of Blood and Brain Mercury Levels in Infant Monkeys Exposed to Methylmercury or Vaccines Containing Thimerosal. Environmental Health Perspectives, Aug 2005. Thomas Burbacher, PhD

Thimerosal Neurotoxicity is Associated with Glutathione Depletion: Protection with Glutathione Precursors. Neurotoxicology, Jan 2005. S. Jill James, PhD [University of Arkansas].

Neurotoxic Effects of Postnatal Thimerosal are Mouse Strain Dependent. Molecular Psychiatry, Sep 2004. Mady Hornig, MD [Columbia University].

Activation of Methionine Synthase by Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 and Dopamine: a Target for Neurodevelopmental Toxins and Thimerosal. Molecular Psychiatry, July 2004. Richard C. Deth, PhD [Northeastern University].

Led by Raymond F. Palmer of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, the study, forthcoming in the quarterly Health and Place, found an association between rates of autism and mercury pollution. Every 1000 pounds of environmentally released mercury corresponded to a 61 percent increase in the rate of autism, the study showed.

By joe harris

March 26, 2008 9:59 PM | Link to this

WOW this is for you

Email from Dales to Simpson: “Looks like a graph” June 8, 2001 Email from Dr. Loring Dales, California Dept. of Health, to Dr. Diane Simpson, Deputy Director of NIP, CDC

Dr. Simpson’s communication with the State of California (where autism data is the best in the country) produced a stunning data set, and one quickly buried. The data provided here by Dr. Loring Dales from the California Dept of Health shows the relationship between the vaccination rates of DTP by second birthdays, and the number of autism cases in California. One of Dr. Simpson’s colleagues mentions “this looks like material for a graph.” The graph is created, page 3 of the email, and there is a clear, linear relationship between the increase in vaccination rates (from 50.9% to 75.7%) and the number of autism cases per year (from 176 to 1182, a 6.7x increase) between 1980-1994. Needless to say, California was not the source of additional follow-up.

VSD Contract to America’s Health Plan Excerpt September 20, 2002 Contract signed by CDC to outsource analysis of the VSD data

The CDC outsourced the maintenance and analysis of the Vaccine Safety Datalink database to a private lobbying organization that represents health insurance companies, America’s Health Insurance Plans, in a contract valued at more than $190 million. This private outsourcing of government data, contracted in the midst of the furor over the CDC’s mishandling of Thimerosal-autism data, has served to insulate VSD data from the Freedom of Information Act ever since. As of today, no outside scientists have been able to review the American data CDC used to exonerate Thimerosal. Here is a copy of AHIP’s 2003 Annual Report on the VSD.

Interestingly, on AHIP’s website, they state their priorities for 2005-06, which includes “Thimerosal and Autism”, despite the recommendation of the 2004 IOM to no longer pursue the link between Thimerosal and autism:

Email from Granstrom to Simpson: “In the name of infants” June 22, 2001 Email from Dr. Marta Granstrom of Sweden to Dr. Diane Simpson, Deputy Director of NIP, CDC

In CDC’s effort to find data to exonerate thimerosal, they reached out to many different scientists. In Dr. Granstrom, CDC received a stern reply on the dangers of Thimerosal in vaccines:

“I am very well aware of the recent concerns in the US over thiomersal. On the expert committee of the European Pharmacopoeae I represent Sweden and had in vain tried to get Europe to ban its use in single dose vials until the US interest in the issue…I thanked Neal Halsey [AAP member who spearheaded the joint statement in 1999] in the name of European infants for the help when I met him again last year.”

Source: FOIA filing by parents.

These are not concerned public servants trying to find truth these are child poisoning dog’s trying to cover up s##t searching franticly to find something, throw it togather and wolla vaccines exonerated mercury no longer poison in fact it’s good for the IQ * GOOD PEOPLE DON’T ACT LIKE THIS TERRORIST DO*

By joe harris

March 26, 2008 10:11 PM | Link to this

The CDC had established a private off shore organization called the Brighton Collaboration, in which all vaccine safety data would be deposited, free from the prying eyes of US subpoenas … “and oversight”

sounds a lot like treason to me and you want to trust your kids to these animals good luck

By Ginger McAllister

March 26, 2008 10:51 PM | Link to this

I’v seen no mention of the fact that this years’ flu vaccine that the CDC & Drs recommend, push on the elderly & our infants/children, was totally worthless this year! We are not against vaccines, we just want to GREEN THE VACCINES! How hard is it for you to understand that any “trace” of thimerosal is a neurotoxin and causes developmental delays—-it says so on the bottle of thimerosal, along with a skull & cross bones. And we’re the crazy ones! I’m not a scientist, but even I can understand that concept. I can assure you that my children will not get boosters, they were only invented by the pharmaceutical companies to keep money in their pockets!

By Ginger McAllister

March 26, 2008 11:20 PM | Link to this

Can someone please show me the studies that prove thimerosal is safe? Thank you.

By Teresa Conrick

March 26, 2008 11:31 PM | Link to this

to wow and other vaccine defenders,

Actually wow seems on the fence which is why I kind of think he/she is more reasonable but be that as it may, do any of you take issue with wanting safe vaccines and determining if vaccination reaps benefits (good immune response, robust health/lower allergies, asthma, autism, etc, etc, you get the point) for those who receive them or not ie- a vaccinated vs unvaccinated study or are you only interested in who died from flu and who did not get that vaccine?

By Teresa Conrick

March 26, 2008 11:31 PM | Link to this

to wow and other vaccine defenders,

Actually wow seems on the fence which is why I kind of think he/she is more reasonable but be that as it may, do any of you take issue with wanting safe vaccines and determining if vaccination reaps benefits (good immune response, robust health/lower allergies, asthma, autism, etc, etc, you get the point) for those who receive them or not ie- a vaccinated vs unvaccinated study or are you only interested in who died from flu and who did not get that vaccine?

By Rich

March 27, 2008 8:41 AM | Link to this

As a person who is scheduled to have their child vaccinated on April 7th (born on Jan. 25) with DTAP, Polio, Preunar, HIB, Roda Virus (optional)……….was is the recommendation? Don’t get them? Split them up? Wait for my child to get older? What is the recommendation?

By Rich

March 27, 2008 8:42 AM | Link to this

As a person who is scheduled to have their child vaccinated on April 7th (born on Jan. 25) with DTAP, Polio, Preunar, HIB, Roda Virus (optional)……….was is the recommendation? Don’t get them? Split them up? Wait for my child to get older? What is the recommendation?

By parent of vaccine injured child

March 27, 2008 9:53 AM | Link to this

to :By Rich March 27, 2008 8:42 AM | As a person who is scheduled to have their child vaccinated on April 7th (born on Jan. 25) with DTAP, Polio, Preunar, HIB, Road Virus (optional)……….was is the recommendation? Don’t get them? Split them up? Wait for my child to get older? What is the recommendation?

Postpone the vaccinations until you know what you are doing. Statistically your childs chance of contracting any of these diseases and being harmed before the age of two is tiny-very tiny-unless you have unusual circumstances that put you child in a higher risk/exposure group. I would do anything to be able to go back in time and have the opportunity you have right now. Go to a site called Generation rescue web page, you can link to a safer vaccination schedule. check this site out as well.http://www.trackingvaccinations.com/

By Rich

March 27, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this

My wife is staying home with our 1st child and his exposure to any and all the deseases the vaccinations protect against has to be extremely minimal. My cousin’s 1st child was vaccinated and is autistic (1st in family). Their 2nd child they did not vaccinate and is healthy.

Thanks for the link.

By Liz Parker

March 27, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this

Rich -

My recommendation is to do your research, now.

Find the Prescribing information for each vaccine.

Read EVERYTHING - clinical pharmacology (pay special attention to contents of the formlation and exactly WHAT was studied — short term effectiveness vs side effects and long-term outcomes), indications and usage, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and adverse events.

Take into account your personal family autoimmune history (prevalence of diabetes, thyroid disease, lupus, thrombocytopenia, arthritis, celiac disease, allergies, asthma, etc.).

Make an informed decision whether your child has need for the shot and if you feel injecting the constituents of that shot into your child’s bloodstream presents an acceptable level of risk.

Act on your personal decision by getting the vaccines.

Or not. Know your rights, in your state, regarding refusal. In Florida, two options are to obtain a medical waiver or a religious waiver.

Whatever decision you reach, you will feel good about being fully informed.

By Rich

March 27, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this

Our peditrician has claimed they do not use vaccinations with mercury and they would be hesitant to continue seeing our child if we declined the vaccinations. Of course I am now hesitant about using the pediatrician with that comment. He has already received 2 rounds of the Hep B vaccine, which I wish I could turn back. With all the new information coming out about vaccines and side effects, and the fact that my child’s chances of getting any of these diseases is extremely minimal, I just cannot see the benefits outweighing the risk.

Does anyone know of a peditrician in GA that follows a different safer immunization schedule? Metro area preferred.

By Liz Parker

March 27, 2008 10:44 AM | Link to this

Rich -

My recommendation is to do your research, now.

Find the Prescribing information for each vaccine.

Read EVERYTHING - clinical pharmacology (pay special attention to contents of the formlation and exactly WHAT was studied — short term effectiveness vs side effects and long-term outcomes), indications and usage, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and adverse events.

Take into account your personal family autoimmune history (prevalence of diabetes, thyroid disease, lupus, thrombocytopenia, arthritis, celiac disease, allergies, asthma, etc.).

Make an informed decision whether your child has need for the shot and if you feel injecting the constituents of that shot into your child’s bloodstream presents an acceptable level of risk.

Act on your personal decision by getting the vaccines.

Or not. Know your rights, in your state, regarding refusal. In Florida, two options are to obtain a medical waiver or a religious waiver.

Whatever decision you reach, you will feel good about being fully informed.

By Rich

March 27, 2008 10:55 AM | Link to this

Liz,

I know enough to where I feel I should wait on the vaccines, but I curious as to how peditricians are reacting and are there pediatrians who follow a “safer” schedule. Specifically to GA and the metro area……..given my pediatrician decides to not respect our wishes.

By Liz Parker

March 27, 2008 11:00 AM | Link to this

We were summarily evicted from our local pediatricians’ practice after I refused the Hep B at my son’s birth. I received a certified letter the day we returned home, from the hospital, after his birth.

It was really scary for about one minute; then I realized any pediatrician who would not take each child’s case as individual and work with the parents for the child’s best outcome did not deserve the pleasure of treating my child.

We now see a perfectly wonderful pediatrician. She took over an hour, at our intake appointment, reviewing three generations worth of auto-immune and other health history. Then she listened to our medical experiences with my first two children. We worked, as a team, to decide the safest approach to good health for my son and his sisters, as well.

Look for doctors who are kinesiologists, naturopaths, or holistic. They might offer safer vaccination schedules or alternatives.

After all, my goal is not to seek as much medical intervention as possible; rather to help my family achieve and maintain excellent health.

Medical care does have its place; however, excellent health allows our bodies to do what nature intended, fight disease exposure and develop full, lifelong immunity.

By Liz Parker

March 27, 2008 11:01 AM | Link to this

We were summarily evicted from our local pediatricians’ practice after I refused the Hep B at my son’s birth. I received a certified letter the day we returned home, from the hospital, after his birth.

It was really scary for about one minute; then I realized any pediatrician who would not take each child’s case as individual and work with the parents for the child’s best outcome did not deserve the pleasure of treating my child.

We now see a perfectly wonderful pediatrician. She took over an hour, at our intake appointment, reviewing three generations worth of auto-immune and other health history. Then she listened to our medical experiences with my first two children. We worked, as a team, to decide the safest approach to good health for my son and his sisters, as well.

Look for doctors who are kinesiologists, naturopaths, or holistic. They might offer safer vaccination schedules or alternatives.

After all, my goal is not to seek as much medical intervention as possible; rather to help my family achieve and maintain excellent health.

Medical care does have its place; however, excellent health allows our bodies to do what nature intended, fight disease exposure and develop full, lifelong immunity.

By David Kirby

March 27, 2008 2:40 PM | Link to this

Hello, I will be responding to the CDC statement in a separate blog. Meanwhile, I would like to direct your attention to my latest piece on the Huffington Post, which contains much important information that is relevant to the Hannah Poling case. Thank you.

THE NEXT BIG AUTISM BOMB?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/the-next-big-autism-bombb93627.html

By Liz Parker

March 27, 2008 3:04 PM | Link to this

We were summarily evicted from our local pediatricians’ practice after I refused the Hep B at my son’s birth. I received a certified letter the day we returned home, from the hospital, after his birth.

It was really scary for about one minute; then I realized any pediatrician who would not take each child’s case as individual and work with the parents for the child’s best outcome did not deserve the pleasure of treating my child.

We now see a perfectly wonderful pediatrician. She took over an hour, at our intake appointment, reviewing three generations worth of auto-immune and other health history. Then she listened to our medical experiences with my first two children. We worked, as a team, to decide the safest approach to good health for my son and his sisters, as well.

Look for doctors who are kinesiologists, naturopaths, or holistic. They might offer safer vaccination schedules or alternatives.

After all, my goal is not to seek as much medical intervention as possible; rather to help my family achieve and maintain excellent health.

Medical care does have its place; however, excellent health allows our bodies to do what nature intended, fight disease exposure and develop full, lifelong immunity.

By Liz Parker

March 27, 2008 3:06 PM | Link to this

Try this link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/the-next-big-autism-bombb93627.html

By liz Parker

March 27, 2008 3:16 PM | Link to this

Trying again - the program is removing the underlines…

“http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/the-next-big-autism-bombb93627.html”

By Liz Parker

March 27, 2008 3:35 PM | Link to this

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/the-next-big-autism-bombb93627.html

By painfull

March 28, 2008 1:13 AM | Link to this

I followed my Dr’s recommendations and got a tetanus booster, just to be “up-to-date”. I wasn’t fully informed of the risks - we never are - such as too MANY boosters are likely to raise the chance of a reaction, and if you smoke, your chances of a reaction increases as well.

I had a SEVERE reaction, horrid pain, nerve inflammation muscle atrophy and paralysis. No Dr mentioned the vaccine during all the testing. When I finally brought it up the possibility was completely DENIED. When I persisted, as there was no other logical cause, I was treated badly, by my Dr and by colleagues he sent me to. Monkey see, monkey do.

I filed for the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. It is not quick OR compassionate. 2/3 of cases are disqualified on tecnicalities and never see court. The FDA is represented by lawyers from the Justice Department whose aim is to WIN at all costs - and take as long as possible doing so. Perhaps they hope that the emotional strain or a health crisis will wrap the matter up before a Special Master does.

I was 41 when I was injured. I survived chickenpox and scarlet fever just fine back in the 1960’s, but since my injury I have seen many Drs trying to figure out the “why” of it all. Those who helped most were specialists, and not local. It turns out I have an inherited connective tissue defect, which is why I am hypermobile. Defective connective tissue is more permeable, and the blood/brain barrier is also bypassed easier. Given 2-3 previous Td boosters, a mouthful of dental amalgams and years of smoking, this last booster sent my body burden well over the deep end for mercury and other toxic chemicals.

But given my connective tissue disorder, what wd have happened to me if I had been given today’s schedule of immunizations, or the one the CDC approved in the ‘90’s, back in the 1960’s? I think I would have still been vaccine-injured, just decades earlier.

The poisonous substances HAVE to come out, the schedule has to be made SAFE based on BEST SCIENTIFIC PRACTICES, not what’s best for Big Pharma, and proper screening for vulnerable populations MUST be put into place to bring this program up-to-date, to justify mandating immunizations at all, to show true compassion for ALL citizens, and to protect the rights of parents to make informed healthcare decisions for their children.

The CDC must also be truly open about the number of adverse events associated with vaccines and the true risk/benefit picture, and stop adding unnecessary, even frivolous vaccines to the childhood vaccine schedule. They should also request improved versions of those vaccines long associated with high numbers of reactions. These are not unreasonable requests, unless you are a Pharma CEO or major stockholder, or greatly beholden to them - rather, they are things the country should expect from the agency entrusted to oversee the safety of the vaccine program.