Posted on 03/03/2006 12:37:13 PM PST by kaserkes
CONTACT: Kathryn Serkes (202) 333-3855 kaserkes@att.net
March 2, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Medical Journal: Autism Rates Decline as Mercury Removed from Childhood Vaccines Independent Analysis Refutes Institute of Medicine Claims of “No Relationship,” While Mercury Still Used in Flu & Other Vaccines
TUCSON, AZ -- A new study shows that autism may be linked after all to the use of mercury in childhood vaccines, despite government’s previous claims to the contrary.
An article in the March 10, 2006 issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons (JPandS.org) shows that since mercury was removed from childhood vaccines, the alarming increase in reported rates of autism and other neurological disorders (NDs) in children not only stopped, but actually dropped sharply – by as much as 35%.
Using the government’s own databases, independent researchers analyzed reports of childhood NDs, including autism, before and after removal of mercury-based preservatives. Authors David A. Geier, B.A. and Mark R. Geier, M.D., Ph.D. analyze data from the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and the California Department of Developmental Services (CDDS) in “Early Downward Trends in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Following Removal of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines.”
The numbers from California show that reported autism rates hit a high of 800 in May 2003. If that trend had continued, the reports would have skyrocketed to more than 1000 by the beginning of 2006. But in fact, the Geiers report that the number actually went down to only 620, a real decrease of 22%, and a decrease from the projections of 35%.
This analysis directly contradicts 2004 recommendations of the Institute of Medicine which examined vaccine safety data from the National Immunization Program (NIP) of the CDC. While not willing to either rule out or to corroborate a relationship between mercury and autism, the IOM soft-pedaled its findings, and decided no more studies were needed. The authors write: “The IOM stated that the evidence favored rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal and autism, that such a relationship was not biologically plausible, and that no further studies should be conducted to evaluate it.”
As more and more vaccines were added to the mandatory schedule of vaccines for children, the dose of the mercury-based preservative thimerosal rose, so that the cumulative dose injected into babies exceeded the toxic threshold set by many government agencies. Mercury is known to damage nerve cells in very low concentrations.
The concern about vaccines may actually be underrated, as it is generally acknowledged that the voluntary reporting of such disorders has resulted in vast underreporting of new cases. For example, the Iowa state legislature banned thimerosal from all vaccines administered there after it documented a 700-fold increase in that state alone. California followed suit, and 32 states are considering doing so. (more)
Up until about 1989 pre-school children got only 3 vaccines (polio, DPT, MMR). By 1999 the CDC recommended a total of 22 vaccines to be given before children reach the 1st grade, including Hepatitis B, which is given to newborns within the first 24 hours of birth. Many of these vaccines contained mercury. In the 1990s approximately 40 million children were injected with mercury-containing vaccines.
The cumulative amount of mercury being given to children in this number of vaccines would be an amount 187 times the EPA daily exposure limit
Between 1989 and 2003, there has been an explosion of autism. The incidence of autism (and other related disorders) went from about 1 in 2,500 children to 1 in every 166. Currently there are more than a half million children in the U.S. that have autism. This disorder has devastated families.
In 1999, on the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics and U.S. Public Health Service, thimerosal was removed from most childhood vaccines as a "precautionary" measure - i.e. without admitting to any causal link between thimerosal and autism.
The Geiers conclude that mercury continues to be a concern, as it is still added to some of the most commonly-used vaccines, such as those for flu:
“Despite its removal from many childhood vaccines, thimerosal is still routinely added to some formulations of influenza vaccine administered to U.S. infants, as well as to several other vaccines (e.g. tetanus-diphtheria and monovalent tetanus) administered to older children and adults. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) retreated from the stated 1999 goal of the AAP and the PHS to remove thimerosal from U.S. vaccines as soon as possible…As a result, assessing the safety of TCVs [thimerosal-containing vaccines] is a matter of significant importance.”
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NOTE: The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is the peer-reviewed quarterly journal of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a non-partisan professional association founded in 1943.
Prepublication copy of article posted at www.JPandS.org which includes links to the VAERS and CDDS databases.
***
People need to watch out -- there is still mercury in many vaccines, including the flu shots.
for the lady on the corner
To prevent duplication, please do not alter the heading. Thanks.
Just as many of us with autistic children suspected.
Also, radioactive fallout is not a problem....I repeat NOT a problem! < /sarc>
FOR LATER REF.
Can you say "Class Action Lawsuit?"
Okay, you've just thoroughly confused me some more. We were interviewing pediatricians just this morning and I've been doing research on vaccines all day. I'd just decided to say no to the Prevnar vaccine and yes to the others - MMR, Hep B, DPat, HIB and Chicken Pox.
Now, I'm going to have to start over from the beginning.
How do we find out which vaccines contain mercury?
Note that this says that over a 5-year period, children get 1/10th the daily exposure limit over that time.
In other words, over the 5-year period the children SHOULD, according to the EPA, be able to be exposed to almost 10 times as much mercury as they are given in the vaccines, without harm.
Also, it is not clear how they determine their date cutoffs. Mercury was removed from child vaccines in 1999, and autism dropped sharply between 2003-2004. It is not clear that this particular year would be when we would expect a drop in new autism cases. It would depend when autism is generally diagnosed.
Assuming a skewed exposure (more vaccines are done in the first year than the other years) by 2004 the people who received their 1st-year vaccines before the ban would be 5, is that when the autism is usually found? They would have only had 1 year of exposure. The children with a full 5 years of exposure would be 10 by that point.
It is a compelling data point, and I don't have an opinion one way or another on the issue, but I'm not ready to jump on the bandwagon for this one data point.
Also, I'm not sure even most of those who BELIEVE the autism link think that exposure in older children is a problem, the tie is suggested to be mercury in DEVELOPING children in their young years where the dose is higher relative to size.
Thoughtful points -- I will forward to the authors. They do explain the specifics of the dates they examined in the text of the article.
Kathryn
The easiest way to get straight answers about the contents of various vaccines is to buy a copy of the "Physicians' Desk Reference."
This contains copies of the package inserts of pharmaceuticals which includes contents. A paperback copy is only a few dollars, and is worth the investment. Otherwise, you must rely on the pediatrician to provide you with the package insert, and as many of you have found, they are not all too receptive to parental concerns a bout vaccines.
Another tremendous resource for parents is the National Vaccine Information Center at http://www.909shot.com.
My wife works at a small school for kids with autism. She never doubted the correlation between thimerisol and autism.
This is just a side remark but did you notice this clause: "no further studies should be conducted to evaluate it.” This is a first for me, never before have I read about any scientific or medical study in which "More research is needed" has not appeared somewhere in the text. Amazing.
Actually, double check about the H1B. Most say that isn't necessary, unless your child plans on shooting up on the street or using prostitutes. I heard it explained that they are giving that vaccine since 'educating' people about the dangers of blood-transfer Hepatitis has so utterly failed. In other words, they are trying to reduce future H1B among future drug users by vaccinating as many babies as they can.
Also, there's no rush to get all those shots in within a few months. Do 1 or 2 vaccines every several months, if you want. Remember, it's YOUR choice.
"Mercury was removed from child vaccines in 1999, and autism dropped sharply between 2003-2004."
Supposedly, new vaccines were not allowed to use merc. But all existing supplies could still be used until gone. Apparently, it was mainly physcians in the poorer areas that still had stocks of merc-based vaccines (free health clinics). They continued to use these, so the drop off took longer than you would think.
Neither of our families have a history of T1 diabetes, although my side does have thyroid issues. (Which, I'm told, also is related to diabetes.) Funny how I remember my mother telling me stories about the balls of Mercury she played with in the dentist's office as a child. She had a ball of her own that she'd take with her on babysitting jobs to amuse the kids. Aaaaand I find it strange that nobody in her family before her generation had autoimmune issues.
If it turns out that vaccines are responsible for the misery that my family has been put through, you can forget the lawsuit. I'll won't be happy unless I see people hang for this.
It's a requirement now for school, though. As is the chicken pox vaccine.
When we were interviewing peds. yesterday one was not flexible about when we should start the vaccines. She wanted to do the first Hep B shot at 2 weeks. I'm not comfortable with that. I think in the first couple of months the baby should just get to be a baby and adapt to life outside the womb.
We crossed that doctor off the list.
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