CDC Vaccine Data Leads Scientists to Shocking Discovery, Possible Vaccine/Mercury/Autism Link

Yahoo.biz ^ | 02.09.04

[Coleus]

CDC Vaccine Data Leads Scientists to Shocking Discovery
Monday February 9, 9:20 am ET

CHILDREN 27-TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP AUTISM WITH EXPOSURE TO MERCURY- CONTAINING VACCINES, FINDINGS REVIEWED AT TODAY'S IOM MEETING IN DC

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Institute of Medicine will hold a one-day meeting to review important new research on the link between thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative in vaccines, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. One of the larger studies under review comes from the CDC's own Vaccine Safety Datalink. Under independent investigation, CDC's data concludes children are 27-times more likely to develop autism after exposure to three thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs), than those who receive thimerosal-free versions.

The findings are not only disturbing to government officials like U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon, M.D. (R-FL), who is also scheduled to speak before the IOM panel, they suggest autism via TCVs has a higher relative risk than that between lung cancer and smoking, which according to the American Cancer Society is only 22 for men and 11 for women. "This absolutely confirms what parents have been saying for years," says Jo Pike, President, National Autism Association. Like Pike, thousands of parents have reported sharp regressions in their children following a TCV and many of those children have gone on to receive a label of autism. An easy mistake to make since the symptoms of autism and mercury poisoning are almost identical.

Dr. Mark Geier is the lead investigator in the discovery. A medical doctor with a Ph.D. in genetics, he, along with fellow researcher, David Geier, will discuss their findings of the CDC data in front of an IOM panel. Among a host of other physicians and researchers presenting will be Dr. Jeff Bradstreet. He will discuss the results from his peer-reviewed study which concluded that urinary mercury concentrations were six times higher in children with autism vs. normal-age/vaccine-matched controls.

The presentations will begin at 8:00 AM at The National Academy of Sciences, Auditorium 2100 C Street NW. Dr. Mark Geier and David Geier are scheduled to present their findings at 12:15 PM. Weldon speaks at 8:00. Bradstreet at 4:00. For an agenda, go to: http://www.iom.edu/event.asp?id=17047. For information about the National Autism Association, go to www.nationalautism.org.

[js1138]

Don't be too harsh. It is very difficult to accept that something in the genetic makeup you passed along to your child could be the cause of his/her problems.

I have a nephew with schizophrenia. Looking at his parents, which includes my sibling, I can say not that thy probbly shouldn't hav gotten maried. they are both perfecty competent, but have some personality traits that are a bit eccentric, and both have the same traits. the lesson here is don't marry someone too much like yourself.

[oceanview]

i still do not understand why they cannot be sure that NEWLY PRODUCED vaccine does not have the mercury additive.

[oceanview]

January 2003? I thought it was well before that.

[Marie]

ANd if your child were to have, say, half of these symptoms, what would you do?

[stanz]

Thanks. If they're on over the weekend, I could listen, but not weekdays.

[cupcakes]

So if there is a link and it can be proven in the INDIVIDUAL child, then the hell with us dealing with a child with autism. We should just shut the hell up and get over it because you are sick and tired of lawsuits? I'm sick of lawsuits too, but if there is some culpability at any level, I think I deserve to know and so does my child who may never lead a normal life. If a preservative in a vaccination, one I didn't know was there or was presented in the info I was given before signing for the vaccine, has kept my son from leading a normal life, you are damn straight I expect those culpable to help improve his chances at a normal life that they helped destroy. ABA programs cost 40-75K a year and are not covered by your average IEP state funded deal. who pays for that? Who is culpable here?
I did not volunteer my child to be a guinea pig. If I had done so, I would accept responsibility for his autism if it resulted from a vaccine that was experimental. Not only were we told it was safe, we were told it was required if he had to go to school, daycare, preschool, camp, etc.

[cupcakes]

We have a son who behaved like this after the shot and is now autistic. Our second son is on the way and we will be spreading the shots out as well as making sure we are given a mercury free shot for our newest son.
I don't want to know to collect for my current son, but I want to know why and if there is any damage that can be corrected, I would like those responsible to help out with repairing that damage *if* the vaccination was responsible. I just want to know damn it. We have really beat ourselves up wondering what we did wrong. It hurts to know that our child may have been normal save for one small prick he got one morning at the pediatricians office. That decision to vaccinate haunts us *if* of course it is linked.
BTW, we have an almost 6 yr old daughter, fully vaccinated, with no disabilities or issues.

[vetvetdoug]

I wonder if the vaccines today are grown on human cell lines instead of CEE cell lines and there is an autoimmune phenomenon involved now? Twenty years ago cat vaccines were grown in CEE(Chick egg embryo) and now are cultivated on feline kidney cells and there is evidence now of an autoimmune phenomenon that involves the kidneys of felines that is associated with vaccine production. In a short, the vaccine protects against the disease and sensitizes the kidneys to autoantibody. Human diploid cell lines began to be used for human vaccine production about twenty years ago which coincides with the increased incidence of autism in pediatrics.

[cupcakes]

And folks don't believe it. I have video tape of my son in his first year. I mean this child was laughing a lot, responsive to his sister when she played and with us, babbling. At 12 months he sat like a zombie for his yearly pictures. He's almost 4 and only recently has he started to be responsive to his sister in play again. This after some intense therapy the last few months--basically having to force feed him behaviors the average child picks up easily. Fortunately, he has been fairly affectionate with us all so we have something to build off of. He has another round of shots due since he's four. We are spacing them out and making sure they are thimerisol free.

[MineralMan]

"We have a son who behaved like this after the shot and is now autistic. Our second son is on the way and we will be spreading the shots out as well as making sure we are given a mercury free shot for our newest son.
"

I'm so sorry to hear that. My wife and I have a good friend who has two sons who are affected. They have wondered for years what they might have done wrong.

Of course, this does not affect all children the same. There may be different concentrations of thimerosol in different batches of vaccine, and even, perhaps, in different shots drawn from the same vial.

Sadly, it seems unlikely that there will be any way to collect damages in this instance. Since the government mandates vaccination, it's unlikely that you'll ever be able to sue anybody responsible. Indeed, nobody knew this might happen. The thimerosol was used to make sure no infectious agents got into the vaccine. The reasoning was good, but apparently it wasn't tested well enought.

BTW, thimerosol was commonly used as an antiseptic. It was either in mercurochrome or merthiolate. I can't rememember which, but I remember using both when I was a child on cuts and scrapes.

[MineralMan]

Hi,

I checked. It was Merthiolate that contained thimerosol, not Mercurochrome. It was really common as an alternative to iodine, which was once commonly used to treat small wounds.

[cupcakes]

Paul, thanks so much for your comments. My son was just diagnosed a few months back and in special ed, speech therapy, and is being evaluated soon for occupational therapy. I wish we could afford ABA, but we can't. They do a bit of those methods in his class and he is quite receptive to learning and responsive to ABA type of stuff since reading more on it, it is what we have done at lone and he has some basic skills thanks to that constant reinforcement, thank goodness, but it takes time for him.
Example I can think of is throwing things away. At first he always needed an affirmation when he threw things away, now he will do it on command and will come to our hands if he wants the affirmation, which isn't often.
You are right it is a hell. Teaching an autistic child basic things a normal child learns easily. Knowing that save for one shot, this child may have been normal.

[cupcakes]

And if they are to have no liability, how can the government justify forcing us to vaccinate our children in order to go to school?
_____

Agreed, this is my point. You aren't left with much of choice.

[Wurlitzer]

"Is all this the 'good science' or the borderline hysteria-based stuff?"

The brother of a woman who worked for me has been involved in the research of this for over 10 years. He claims that 3/4 years ago they suspected mercury preservatives but withheld judgment until further statistical data was available. He is a firm believer as of now for what it is worth.

[cupcakes]

Very cavalier of you to say when not dealing with an autistic child. Don't you think folks should at least know if there is a link so they can make an informed decision for themselves?
God, I hate this you should be happy to deal with your autistic child because so many other children have been saved by the same shot crap. Frankly I could give a damn about the kids saved by the shot when I am having to straddle my 4 yr old son during one of his rages because he will hurt himself or destroy the house. You should show a little gratitude yourself to the children damaged by this vaccination in the interest of helping protect the community at large.
I'm sorry I'm emotional about this. I am typing this in tears, but for you to say we should somehow be grateful to have damaged children because so many other kids now won't get MMR is callous to say the least.

[cupcakes]

Not to mention they are discouraging pregnant women from eating tuna now because of the mercury content, but the mercury used to preserve vaccines doesn't damage that same infant just months out of their mother's womb--yeah right.

[redhead]

"The findings are not only disturbing to government officials like U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon, M.D. (R-FL), who is also scheduled to speak before the IOM panel, they suggest autism via TCVs has a higher relative risk than that between lung cancer and smoking, which according to the American Cancer Society is only 22 for men and 11 for women. "This absolutely confirms what parents have been saying for years," says Jo Pike, President, National Autism Association. Like Pike, thousands of parents have reported sharp regressions in their children following a TCV and many of those children have gone on to receive a label of autism. An easy mistake to make since the symptoms of autism and mercury poisoning are almost identical."

This is what caught my eye.

[cupcakes]

Genetic link with an environmental trigger. Either way, it would help if those predisposed could have known WHAT was in the vaccine so they could make their own decision.

[_Jim]

He is a firm believer as of now for what it is worth.

Yet, indications are/the word is: the mercury compound used has been removed ...

So what gives?

Are those persons still claiming mercury is the cause just not paying attention (more likely I think) or is there still come mercury content in some vaccines (less likely I think)?