|
|
| The simple, and not very helpful, answer is no one knows for sure if this vaccine causes the onset of autism. There is a scientist from England, named Andrew Wakefield, M.D., who has done research studies on the subject. In a nutshell, his study has revealed that when children are given the MMR vaccine (which are 3 live viruses), the measles vaccine has the capability to live in the gut and mutate. The gut is composed of two nervous systems. His study suggests that the vaccine can act as an immunologic trigger. Since the gut has a nervous system, and the brain is a nervous system, he concludes that there can be a connection between the measles affecting both the gut and the brain. He has found that an overwhelming number of children with autism also have gut problems (i.e. irritable bowel syndrome). His research is not yet complete, but just based on anecdotal evidence from his many patients, he believes there may be a link between the MMR shot and autism. Furthermore, a well respected neurologist, Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, has eloquently laid out the neurological damage that can occur due to the toxic nature of all vaccines which cause the constant activation of the immune system. However, on the flip side, scientists who are pro-vaccination (and mostly funded by the pharmaceutical companies) have recently conducted their own studies and concluded that the MMR vaccine does not cause autism. So, as a parent, my best advice to you would be to research, research, research. Vaccines do not have to comply with the schedule dictated by the CDC. If you are at all worried, there are a couple of things you can do: 1) decline the vaccine completely 2) delay the injection until your child is older 3) have your pediatrician give one vaccine at a time, spaced 6 months apart (i.e. get the measles vaccine, wait 6 months, get the mumps vaccine, wait 6 months and get the rubella vaccine). Like I said, research is the key. You know in your heart what is right for your child. Just because a vaccination schedule has been established does not mean you cannot deviate from it. If you're worried about your child not getting into day care or school without having all of the required vaccinations, don't. Most states have situations in which the parent can opt out of having their child receive the vaccine and still attend day care/school. I posted earlier that there were 3-4 discussions on vaccinations on the Stay At Home Moms website (you'll have to go back a ways to find the posts). I encourage you to read over these posts. I feel most of the moms who participate in these posts do a good job at presenting both the pro's and con's of vaccinations. Good luck to you and whatever decision you make. |
| posted by Allison on 09/30/2008 01:21 AM
|
|
|
|
|
| I believe that the harm that can possible be done without the vaccine is a much more serious risk. If a baby were to contract measles, mumps or rubella; it could be deadly. I didn't want to worry about that versus the possibility of maybe a slight chance of developing autism. Just my opinion. |
| posted by Erica on 09/30/2008 09:26 AM
|
|
|
|
|
| I have talked to many nurses and there has been no reall corolation between the mmr shot and autisim. It just so happens that around the time that the mmr shot is given, it is also the same age when autisim is noticed in a child if they have it. Those that do not give their children the shot not only are putting their child at risk for horrible diseases that are coming back in 10 fold, but they are putting those around them at risk as well. |
| posted by Marie on 09/30/2008 12:18 PM
|
|
|
|
|
My son is due to get his MMR in a month. I have already been talking to the Dr. about it.
My thought is, everyone tells you to do what you feel is best for you child, to follow your heart. This is said with everything other than the MMR shot. You are suppose to just take your kid in and say here he or she is do what you want. Some Dr. have been known to refuse to continue seeing kids that do not have the shots. Well I say FOLLOW YOUR HEART. I do not think the MMR causes autism, but I don't know that for sure of course. But I do have this little voice in the back of my head saying I don't feel comfortable with the MMR. I do beleive in vacinating, and I have talked to my son's Dr. about giving them seperate. She does not have them that way and looked into getting them for me. But she said they were sold in lots of 10, and she has noone else asking for the shots this way, so that would be extra shots that she would have sitting there and no use for. She told me to try the health dept. and I still have yet to call them. I am in no hurry, and don't know what I am going to do if the health dept. will not give them individually. But I am not going to give the MMR. I do feel that it is just to much to give to such a little ammunsystem.
But I am with you on this. I just don't know where to go and what to do. It does not seem like there are very many people willing to help with this subject. Like I said they all just kind of act like just shut up and bring your kid in and trust us. But again I am doing what I feel is right and I am sticking to it. I just simply do not feel comfortable giving the MMR, so I am not going to. Just follow your heart. Don't do anything with you child that you have reservations about. |
| posted by Kim on 09/30/2008 02:55 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| Erica, may I respectively disagree with you when you say the risk of not giving the MMR vaccine is more harmful than the chance of developing autism. According to the CDC website, MMWR Weekly, August 22, 2008, it states that from Jan 2008 - July 2008, 131 cases of measles have been reported...with NO DEATHS. I'm not saying that this disease cannot be deadly, but so can a simple cut on the finger infected with the MRSA bacterium. Here are some statistics according to the Autism Society of America: 1/150 births develop autism (1/93 for boys); this equates to 1.5 million Americans living with the disorder. It is the fastest growing developmental disability. So lets look at the odds, risks and benefits of measles versus autism. There are 47.3 million (birth to 18 years) children in the US. If 131 of the 47.3 million contracts measles this equates to 1/361,068 catching the virus. So this is where I have to disagree with you that the risk of not vaccinating and catching the measles is greater than the risk of autism. If you read my first post, I clearly concede that no one is sure what exactly causes autism. Some studies point to the MMR vaccine, others do not. The rise in the rates of moms choosing not to vaccinate is because they have seen, first hand, their children deteriorate into autism after receiving this vaccine. Maybe it was the MMR shot, maybe it was just a coincidence. But the stories are so compelling and serious that mothers are willing to risk their child contracting measles, mumps, or rubella ( and other childhood diseases) rather than dealing with a lifetime of a child with autism. I don't know if any of you mothers out there know any children/adults with disabilities, but they can be challenging. My aunt was born deaf, but was in a car accident when she was 21 years old. She was left profoundly brain damaged. While not autistic, she still has many challenges in life. She can never live on her own, hold down a job, or live a 'normal' life. She is, for the most part, a very sweet lady, but her temper can flip on a dime and she may come after you with swinging fists. She is completely incapable of telling the truth, so we would always have to reassure the neighbors when I was in high school that I was not pregnant, or that my dad did not sexually abuse her, or beat my mother. She shoots the bird at every stranger who looks her way. If she's in the supermarket with you, watch out, she may lift your dress up over your head, or squeeze your private parts (and she is now 58 years old). So, what's the point to my big long rant...I have lived a large portion of my life with someone who has a neurological deficit. I am not 100% sure that the MMR vaccine causes autism, but there is enough speculation out there to warrant deep concern. Over half of the parents with autistic children believe vaccines are to blame for the development of the disorder. We all make choices in our lives that best suit our families. Since 1/150 children acquire autism (in the 1970's and 1980's when we were only given roughly 10 vaccines, the autism rates were 1/2000) I will take my chances and not innoculate my child with toxic substances (as ALL vaccines contains toxic substances). |
| posted by Allison on 09/30/2008 03:33 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Let me say this in addition to what I have already said about vaccines...There has never been a large scale study conducted comparing neurological deficit rates of vaccinated versus unvaccinated children. I am cutting and pasting the following study conducted by the private group Generation Rescue:
The Age of Autism: Study sees vaccine risk
By Dan Olmstead
WASHINGTON (UPI) -- A new, privately funded survey finds vaccinated U.S. children have a significantly higher risk of neurological disorders -- including autism -- than unvaccinated children.
In one striking finding, vaccinated boys 11-17 were more than twice as likely to have autism as their never-vaccinated counterparts.
The telephone survey of parents representing a total of 17,000 children appears to be the first of its kind -- and contrasts starkly with several government-backed studies that have found no risk from vaccines.
"No one has ever compared prevalence rates of these neurological disorders between vaccinated and unvaccinated children," said J.B. Handley, father of a child with autism and co-founder of Generation Rescue, which commissioned the $200,000 survey conducted by SurveyUSA, a respected marketing firm. "The phone survey isn't perfect, but these numbers point to the need for a comprehensive national study to gather this critical information.
"We have heard some speculation that unvaccinated children would be difficult to locate," Handley said. "But we were able to find more than enough in our sample of more than 17,000 children to establish confidence intervals at or above 95 percent for the primary comparisons we made."
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., reintroduced a bill first submitted last year calling for the National Institutes of Health to conduct such a study.
"Generation Rescue's study is impressive and forcefully raises some serious questions about the relationship between vaccines and autism," Maloney said. "What is ultimately needed to resolve this issue one way or the other is a comprehensive national study of vaccinated and unvaccinated children.
"The parents behind Generation Rescue only want information. These parents deserve more than roadblocks, they deserve answers. We can and should move forward in search of those answers."
Both Maloney and Handley said their efforts were sparked by Age of Autism columns that found anecdotal, unscientific evidence of less autism among the Amish, who have a lower vaccination rate. The column also reported on Homefirst Health Services in Chicago, whose director said there is no autism or asthma among several thousand never-vaccinated children who were home-delivered and remain patients of the family practice. The U.S. autism rate is 1 in 150 children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A spokesman for the CDC, which recommends the childhood immunization schedule and has conducted studies that found no link to autism, said the agency has not seen the Generation Rescue data.
"We look forward to learning more about the survey," spokesman Curtis Allen said. "It's important to note that self-report surveys on topics like this often have significant limitations, so one must be cautious with respect to interpreting the findings."It's also important to note that previous studies involving hundreds of thousands of children have failed to find an association."
Generation Rescue's Handley, however, said those studies never compared vaccinated with unvaccinated American children. He also said his survey took its cue from the CDC's own phone-survey approach to estimating the incidence of such disorders among American children.
"Listening to the CDC talk about the reliability of parent reporting, we thought there's a quick way to get a proxy for whether or not there's any truth to the hypotheses that vaccines and all these neurological disorders are related," Handley said. His organization believes that mercury, including a type used for decades in routine childhood immunizations, is a major factor in the ten-fold increase in reported autism cases over the past 20 years.
Handley said the survey, conducted in nine counties in Oregon and California, asked parents "whether their child had been vaccinated, and whether that child had one or more of the following diagnoses: attention deficit disorder, ADHD, Asperger's syndrome, Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, or autism."
Results highlighted by Generation Rescue:
- "Among more than 9,000 boys age 4-17, vaccinated boys were 2.5 times (155 percent) more likely to have neurological disorders, 224 percent more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and 61 percent more likely to have autism."
- "For older vaccinated boys in the 11-17 age bracket, the results were even more pronounced. Vaccinated boys were 158 percent more likely to have a neurological disorder, 317 percent more likely to have ADHD, and 112 percent more likely to have autism."
Handley said he believes the higher results for the older boys are probably more complete because not every child in the younger age group would have received a formal diagnosis.
Concern that vaccines are linked to the rise of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders has been largely dismissed by public health officials and mainstream medical groups, especially since a 2004 report by the respected Institute of Medicine found no such evidence -- and suggested research money go to more "promising" areas.
But parents -- some of whom say they watched their children regress into autism immediately following physical reactions to vaccines -- have continued to press the issue. A U.S. vaccine court in Washington is currently hearing argument over whether nearly 5,000 such claims should be paid by a federal vaccine injury compensation fund.
Handley said the fact that his organization could produce such a study on a relative shoestring while the U.S. government has not suggests it is hesitant to confront the possible ramifications.
Two years ago CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding told UPI that "such studies could and should be done" but offered several reasons why they might prove difficult, including the variability of autism diagnoses, possible genetic differences in the Amish and the small number of never-vaccinated children in the United States.
"They haven't lifted a penny since then," Handley said.
Full results of the study are at www.generationrescue.org/survey.html.
(e-mail: dolmsted@gmail.com)
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
Site Map | Privacy Policy © GENERATION RESCUE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
|
| posted by Allison on 09/30/2008 04:08 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| Don't worry Amanda your daughter will be perfectly fine. Their are other mother's that get their child the shot and they are fine and healthy. Autism starts to manifest at this age so instead of mother's blaming genetics they just pin the blame on the shot. For some it makes them feel better, for other's they believe that nothing could be wrong with their genes so they have to blame the autism on something. They think, why not blame it on a vaccine? |
| posted by Alisa on 09/30/2008 05:39 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Alisa, I don't think your info is correct. If you can back up what you posted with research, I'll be willing to reconsider. The information posted below is from a meeting consisting of scientists and physicians who research the subject of vaccinations and neurological disorders.
The official title of the meeting was the "Scientific Review of Vaccine Safety The Datalink Information." This conference assembled 51 scientists and physicians of which five represented vaccine manufacturers (Smith Kline Beecham, Merck, Wyeth, North American Vaccine and Aventis Pasteur).
The report is over 200 pages long. However, one important part relating to autism and genetics is the following:
"Several of the participants [of the meeting] tried to imply autism was a genetic disorder and therefore could have nothing to do with vaccines. On page 24, Dr. William Weil, a pediatrician representing the Committee on Environmental Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics put that to rest with this comment, "We don't see that kind of genetic change in 30 years."
In other words, how can we suddenly see a 300 percent increase in a genetically related disorder over such a short period?"
He continued, "It is also known that there are two forms of autism, one that is apparent at birth (genetic) and one that develops later in childhood (acquired). The former (apparent at birth) has not changed in incidence since statistics have been kept. The other (develops later in childhod) is epidemic."
--So here you have it. One of America's top pediatricians explaining that if a disease/disorder is genetic, there is no way for it to increase as drastically as autism has over the past decades. I will reiterate his last statement. Genetic autism rates have not changed at all since the statistics have been recorded. Acquired autism has increased 300% in the last 30 years. No other disorder in the US has increased this drastically (that I know of), and this is why autism is considered an epidemic. There is some outside source causing the increase in this disorder. Since over 50% of mothers claim their child was fine until a round of vaccinations, this seems to be a good place to start the investigation. The problem is that the CDC has been reluctant to do any real investigational studies (which is what the Generation Rescue article refers to). |
| posted by Allison on 09/30/2008 08:16 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| I believe in having my child vaccinated...mainly because I haven't been convinced that their is a correlation. Statistics can say many things....I've had a lot of research projects in stats and many classes. I've read articles both against and for vaccinations. I believe that there are a lot of different things out that cause many of the problems we are experiencing today....ie: today's cartoons and add/adhd. Many disorders are actually being diagnosed today because of different types of diagnosis and more people bringing their children in to the doctor. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong in their decision...I'm not completely sure that I want my child playing with someone who hasn't been vaccinated--look at daycares to see how fast something can be spread. |
| posted by on 09/30/2008 11:15 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics may say many things, but when there is a 300% increase in a disorder like autism, faulty statistics cannot be to blame. If the margine of error was +/- 2-4%, I would agree with you in that statistics can be tricky/faulty, or even manipulated; but this is clearly not the case with autism. I do agree with you, however, in that the exact cause of autism is not completely understood. But when vaccines increase from 10 injections in the 1980's when autsim rates were 1/2000, to 36 injections injections in 1990's-2000's, and the autism rates shoot through the roof at rates of 1/150...there has to be strong suspicion that there is some sort of correlation. I've said this a million times in my posts; I'm not 100% convinced vaccines are the sole cause of acquired autism. There could be many suspects in this case: foods, environmental pollutants, plastics, pesticides, personal metabolic intolerances, etc...If you combine all of these things, along with injecting an infant/toddler with 36 vaccines, bad things are likely to happen to some of the children. The pharmaceutical companies have just gone crazy with the types of illness for which they create vaccines. Come on, vaccines for the flu, chicken pox, rotavirus? Totally unnecessary if your child is healthy. And hep B vaccines in infants? The only way an infant can contract hep B is if the mother already has the disease, or if the infant is sexually active and/or an IV drug user (basically the same way one would contract HIV). I do believe some vaccines are necessary and do a service to society (but I also think they should be toxin free). Unfortunately, because of the large numbers of vaccines recommended today, and the CDC's unwillingness to provide proper research on the subject, most mothers' only recourse is to delay/refuse vaccinations for their children. |
| posted by Allison on 10/01/2008 12:10 AM
|
|
|
|
|
Alison, exactly what kind of doctor are you? I have seen you state before that you are a doctor and I was just wondering of what.
I have 4 friends that have autistic kids and none of them blame the MMR and EVERYONE of them say they would do it again. I myself, as stated before, am not giving the MMR, but individually.
I have worked with mentally handicaped people, many with autism, and they can be challanging, but you just have to accomidate your life for them, just as you would for your child anyway. There are several diferent severities of autism and a child can live a very normal life with autism. They can graduate high school, hold a job, even drive. I think you need to check a little more into this subject before scaring some mothers. I do not think your tantums are very profesional at all.
Just my thoughts and opions. |
| posted by Kim on 10/01/2008 02:14 PM
|
|
|
|
|
I agree that I am just giving my opinion and what I feel is best for my son. If I had the time and energy I could go and find statistics that say the MMR shot has nothing to do with autism. I am only stating my opinion.
Amanda: you have information from both side of the spectrum. As a mother, you have to make an informed decision for your child. I strongly suggest talking to your doctor and family and making the best decision for you. |
| posted by Erica on 10/01/2008 07:29 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| Amen Kim! |
| posted by Marie on 10/01/2008 08:12 PM
|
|
|
|
|
I figured the CDC might know what's going on.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/mmr_vaccine.htm
"Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccine
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is a combination vaccine that was licensed in 1971 to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella. These diseases are serious and can be potentially deadly. Each year in the United States, nearly 10 million doses of the vaccine are distributed. CDC continues to recommend two doses of MMR vaccine for all children: dose 1 at ages 12-15 months and dose 2 at ages 4-6 years.
Due to high vaccination rates, outbreaks of measles, mumps, and rubella in the U.S. are not as common as they were before the vaccine began being used. However, these diseases still appear in the U.S. and people who decide not to vaccinate their children because of religious or personal beliefs put their children and others at risk for getting these diseases.
* The MMR vaccine protects against dangerous, even deadly, diseases.
* Real risks of MMR vaccine are rare.
* The most common adverse events following the MMR vaccine are pain where the vaccine is given, fever, a mild rash, and swollen glands in the cheeks or neck.
* No published scientific evidence shows any benefit in separating the combination MMR vaccine into three individual shots.
* Measles outbreaks can occur in communities with a high number of unvaccinated people. Maintaining high overall MMR vaccination rates is needed to continue to limit the spread of measles.
Because signs of autism may appear around the same time children receive the MMR vaccine, some parents may worry that the vaccine causes autism. Vaccine safety experts, including experts at CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), agree that MMR vaccine is not responsible for recent increases in the number of children with autism. In 2004, a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that there is no link between autism and MMR vaccine, and that there is no link between autism and vaccines that contain thimerosal as a preservative.
MMR Vaccine Safety Research
Many carefully performed scientific studies have found no link between MMR vaccine and autism. These studies include:
* A September 2008 case-control study published in Public Library of Science (PLoS) was conducted in 2004-2008 to determine whether results from an earlier study that claimed to find measles virus RNA in the intestinal tissue of a specific group of autistic children could be confirmed. The results could not be confirmed, and no link between MMR and autism was found.
* An April 2006 study conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of NIH and the CDC assessed data from 351 children with autism spectrum disorders and 31 typically-developing children. The study did not find a link between MMR vaccination and autism. The results were pubished in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
* A February 2004 case-control study examined the possible relationship between exposure to the MMR vaccine and autism in Atlanta, Georgia. The results were published in Pediatrics.
* A November 2002 study by CDC and the Danish Medical Research Council that followed more than 500,000 children over 7 years and found no association between MMR vaccination and autism. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
More Information
* CDC's Autism Information Center
* Autism Information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
* Mercury and Vaccines (Thimerosal)
* Frequently Asked Questions about Vaccines and Autism from CDC's Autism Information Center
* National Immunization Hotline:
o English (800) 232-2522
o Spanish (800) 232-0233
* MMR Vaccine Information Statement
* MMR Vaccine Questions and Answers for Health Care Professionals
* Articles about the MMR Vaccine Published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Other Organizations
* American Academy of Pediatrics*
* American Medical Association*
* Autism Society of America*
* Immunization Action Coalition: MMR vaccine does not cause autism*
* National Network for Immunization Information*
* The MMR Decision Aid* from the National Centre for Immunisation Research & Surveillance, Australia
*Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links."
Since the CDC doesn't make any money and has few, if any, connections to pharmaceutical companies, I doubt that they are in anyone's pockets and wouldn't be influenced like that. |
| posted by Alisa on 10/01/2008 08:24 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| I am a primary care physician, but am not currently practicing because I want to stay home with my son and I have another child on the way. This gives me ample time to sort through medicals journal and alternative resources to find information on autism and possible links with vaccines, foods and other environmental sources. I deeply resent the fact that you call me unprofessional. We are completely innundated with information from the CDC that vaccines and the toxins they contain are safe, but rarely see or hear information to the contrary. I feel that I am giving mothers out there credible, researched, and documented information regarding vaccinations so that they may make up their own minds about the subject. Am I passionate about the out of control rise in autism...you bet (especially because I have a son and another on the way). If you read my posts here on this site and the Stay At Home Mom's site, I clearly state that I am not 100% sure that vaccinations cause autism, but there sure is enough anecdotal evidence from parents with autistic children and pediatricians who see their patients decline into autism after vaccinations to warrant proper investigation into the subject. As the Generation Rescue article clearly states: the CDC has not put in the time and effort to look at vaccinated versus unvaccinated children and the propensity for neurological disorders on both sides. If you go back up to that article, CDC director Julie Gerberding concedes that these studies must be done, but the CDC has not offered up any money to conduct these kinds of studies, and from what I understand, has no plans to do so in the near future. These studies on vaccinated versus unvaccinated children and resultant neurological disorders must be conducted to find out what the link to autism may (or may not ) be. The big question here is, "Why do so many more vaccinated children acquire neurological disorders versus non-vaccinated children?" Questioning the scientific status quo is not unprofessional, it is the way we have made some of our best medical discoveries over the years. It takes that 'quack' doctor to pose a 'crazy' hypothesis on why a certain disease/disorder occurs, and then perform the research to prove (or disprove) the hypothesis. Once a doctor knows what causes a disease/disorder, he/she is better equiped to deal/cure it. So once again, if giving mothers out there reputable, documented (so any one can go to the original document for themselves), research articles on the flip side of vaccinations is unprofessional...then I guess I'm very unprofessional. I would just want to know from you (Kim, I think it was), who your sources are for your information, and where they get their research. I don't completely discount when someone quotes from the CDC, but as I stated above, the CDC concedes more research needs to be done on the subject of autism and vaccinations. One more thing...I don't think I ever told anyone in this forum not to vaccinate their children. I did give an alternative schedule and informed mothers that they can always opt out of vaccinating their children, but I don't think I ever told anyone not to vaccinate. My personal position is that I do not vaccinate. This subject of vaccinations keeps coming up on these forums because mothers are genuinely frightened. It's not me that's freaking everyone out, I'm just disseminating information from scientists and physicians who are dedicating their lives, practices and research to this subject. It would be completely unprofessional to not have this 2 way discussion and pretend that 1/150 children with autism is not a problem. |
| posted by Allison on 10/02/2008 12:40 AM
|
|
|
|
|
| One more question Kim, why are you delaying the MMR vaccine in your child? You must have some concern about it. |
| posted by Allison on 10/02/2008 12:42 AM
|
|
|
|
|
| Oh, and Alisa, for as many research articles the CDC has on the MMR not causing autism/neurological disorders, I can counter those with research articles that do prove a correlation between vaccines and neurological disorders. I'll have to do that later though, my son needs to go to bed. |
| posted by Allison on 10/02/2008 12:46 AM
|
|
|
|
|
Alison
I am not delying the MMR. My son is only 11 months. I am not going to give the MMR though, yes. The reason is just simply as a mother I do not feel comfortable. Not for autistic reason. Reasons for giving three live viruses at once. And the fact that no one can tell me, state, or quote for fact that it is not harmful.
As far as where I get my facts from, I have not stated any facts, or such. Anything closly realted that I may have stated comes from personal experience with working with mentally handicaped adults for 5 years, 1 on 1, and then going back to school and before having my son working for a neurosurgeon. Whom, I might add, has given his child the MMR, his daughter will be 2 in Dec. I also share the same pediatrician with him.
I just feel that if this is just a discussion between mothers then leave it at that. I think it is uprofesional by stating that you are a doctor and posting stuff that can VERY well help make some mothers minds up about something. If you are stating that you are a doctor then they have a stronger sence of trust. From my job I know a lot of doctors and they would never state about something that is so contriversial, as to not influence. That, again is what I feel is so unprofessional. When you state that you are a doctor and your personal position on a subject numerous times you are showing your passion about your opion, and that is what is unprofesional. It then goes from a discussion between mothers to a doctor making statements.
As far as the rate of vacinated kids being diagnosed with autisum compaired to those not vacinated. Of course it is going to be higher. There are more vacinated kids. My PERSONAL opion about unvacinated people, not just kids, is this is why these diseases are not irradicated. As with these recent outbreaks. If they were vacinated then there would not have been an outbreak. It would have been contained. |
| posted by Kim on 10/02/2008 03:34 AM
|
|
|
|
|
| Wow thank you all so much for your replies. I'm going to look into getting the vaccines seperatly. You've all really eased my mind about this. I am very much for getting my child vaccinated, i didn't know that you could get MMR seperatly tho. I've been told that my daughter is advanced for her age, so i think if she was autistic we would have noticed, and our daycare lady, and her dr. would have noticed, if something were different with her. Again thank you all so much for posting the research for me!! |
| posted by Amanda on 10/02/2008 02:37 PM
|
|
|
|
|
This is a discussion board between mothers, and I happen to be a mother who is a physician. Does this mean that anytime a discussion about health comes up that I should have to keep my mouth shut? I feel it would actually be a disservice to mothers out there if I did that. Since I am a doctor, I do have access to medical journals and articles that the mainstream public does not (or does not know where to find this information). And, just for the record, I have never had anyone on any of these posts comment back to me, “Oh, you don’t vaccinate Allison…and you’re a physician? Then I’m not going to vaccinate either.” However, I have had people reply to a post, and have over 50 personal emails sent to me thanking me sharing the information I have posted because they were not able to find the information on their own. Amanda just posted after you that she did not know that the MMR vaccine could be broken up, and is now looking into getting her child vaccinated this way. I was the one who let her know this was possible in my first post to her. What should I have done? Read her post and just sit here with my fingers crossed and my mouth taped up, hoping some other mother would reply to her that the vaccine could, indeed, be broken up? Sorry, I just couldn’t do that. I am not on this board stating my opinion time after time; I know that wouldn’t accomplish anything or be prudent. I rarely give my opinion when participating in these discussions. I have voiced my choice not to vaccinate my children, just as other mothers have voiced their choice to vaccinate their children (and you let me know the neurosurgeon [doctor] you worked for did vaccinate his children...were you trying to influence anyone with this info? I didn't take it that way). What I try really hard to do is to stick to the facts and credible research. If you re-read my posts, I feel that 99% of what I post is fact and not opinion.
Here are the opinions (or non-research related items) I posted in each post:
-Post #1: Urged Amanda to research and read pasts posts on vaccinations
-Post #2: Related the personal story about my aunt and stated I will not inoculate my child with toxic substances
-Post #3: no opinions from me
-Post #4: I claim that I think there is some outside source responsible for the rise in autism
-Post #5: I claim I think it is silly to vaccinate for the flu, chicken pox and rotavirus, but do think certain vaccines are necessary and benefit society (but they must be clean and toxin free). I also state I think the pharmaceutical companies have gone overboard with the amount of vaccinations now available
Other than this, all the information I have related is from research articles, or scientist and physicians who study the subject. So, once again, if this is unprofessional, then I am unprofessional. Maybe you and I are just totally different. But, if I had a question concerning my son, and you were an expert on the subject (or worked in the field in question), I would certainly want your input, advice, research articles and credible websites to help me with my concerns, or to make a decision. I just find it funny that you are willing to chastise me for the information I post on this forum, but you are not vaccinating your child for the same reasons that I post about (i.e. that no one can assure you that this vaccination is not harmful).
And, finally, you ended your post with this statement, “As far as the rate of vacinated kids being diagnosed with autisum compaired to those not vacinated. Of course it is going to be higher. There are more vacinated kids.” This statement is not true. In conducting research, if you have a population of 1000 on either side of the issue (vaccinated versus non-vaccinated), then you would expect the incidence of autism to be 1/150 (or the equivalent) in the non-vaccinated population. This did not turn out to be true with the Generation Rescue research.
So please, if there are specific areas in which you feel I have unprofessionally interjected my opinion, let me know. I feel I am a fair and concerned mother (and doc) trying to do the right thing in passing on information that other mothers cannot find, as opposed to throwing tantrums concerning this subject.
|
| posted by Allison on 10/02/2008 04:32 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Again I will say that I am vacinating my son. I am just doing it individually. You have said twice now that I am delaying or not doing it. Anyway, I do agree with a lot of your statements, not all, but most. As you have said, I have my own reservations. But you are not going to tell me that you are that naive that you really beleive that telling people that you are a doctor will not infuence them. I have not said that you literally told someone what to do. But again you know you influence them. And I think it is pretty childish that we have sat on here and argued back and forth, but then again I am not the one defending my profesionalism. Touche. But I am sure it has been somewhat entertaining to some.
I have absolutly nothing against you personally. And as a mater of fact I have looked at the pictures you have on here of your son, and wanted to tell you he is very handsome. I am sure you and your husband are very proud. |
| posted by Kim on 10/02/2008 06:43 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Sorry about misquoting you, but in your first post you mentioned giving the vaccine individually, but in the second you said you were not giving the MMR (maybe you were implying all at once). Sorry for the misunderstanding.
Maybe I am naive to think that me being a physician doesn't influence people. If this were the case, I would think moms would just take the advice of their pediatricians and vaccinate without any question (because most peds do recommend vaccinating). Instead, many come on this site asking for comments and advice on the subject because they do not feel they are given information on both sides of the subject.
I don't think there is a 'touche' moment involved where my professionalism is concerned. You questioned it, and I defended it. I think anyone who is called out in a situation like that would do the same thing. I mean, you did say I was throwing tantrums on the subject. I had no recourse but to defend myself, which is ok, I'm a big girl.
Also, I did not bring up the fact in this discussion that I was a physician, you did. I have been on this website for about a year, and in one post, one lady commented on the fact that I had a lot of knowledge about the subject in question. Then she asked me what my profession was. This was the first time I mentioned being a physican. I have, since that time, (and since the cat was out of the bag) commented on things that happened in my practice, or referenced certain things I saw during rounds in medical school...but don't think for a moment I busted on this scene shouting "I'm a doctor, listen to me!!!"
Anyway, I'm assuming our back and forth in over. I checked out your page, too, and it looks like you have a really nice, good-looking family. I read your story and congratulations on even being able to conceive. I think we're both in Phoenix; I hope I don't have to look over my shoulder at the park wondering if you're gonna come after me : ) |
| posted by Allison on 10/02/2008 07:29 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| Oops, sorry Kim; you're not from Phoenix. I'll take back the wig and sunglasses I just purchased. |
| posted by Allison on 10/02/2008 07:54 PM
|
|
|
|
|
You are safe. I do not live in Phoenix. I live just outside of Chicago. But anyhow, no you would not have to be looking over your shoulder. I am just a strongly opionated person and can't keep my mouth shut sometimes.
And thank you on the congratulations. It does really mean a lot. With being a mother yourself I am sure you can understand my overwhelming joy. You live the majority of your life thinking you will never be a mom, and then out of nowhere it happens. So again it means a lot to me. My ovaries are full of disease. They are the size of eggs and discolored, and full of scar tissue. I actually had asked for a (here let me see if I can impress you) hysterosalpingo-
oophorectomy since I was about 20, and could not find anyone to do it. So thank God I never did. And the touche was just ment as an obvious dig. |
| posted by Kim on 10/02/2008 07:58 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| Fair enough...truce! Let's go enjoy our families instead of developing carpal tunnel from these darn computers. |
| posted by Allison on 10/02/2008 08:06 PM
|
|
|
|
|
This is the last post I will make on this subject, but I told Alisa I would put research on this site contrary to what the CDC has reported. The info below is from generationrescue.org. Anyone can go to this site and click on the actual reasearch articles to read how the research was conducted. But first, here is an interesting piece of info:
"Parents should know that vaccines are never tested for their "combination risk", despite the fact that children may get as many as 6 vaccines in a single visit to the doctor. And, when it comes to vaccines, how can it be possible that one size fits all? What may present as no risks for one child may present enormous risks for another."
Autism Studies
Evidence: Published Studies
It is confusing for parents to read many of the comments in the mainstream media about autism and other neurological disorders ("NDs"). Typically, these NDs are described as having "no known cause and no known cure" and any link between vaccines and NDs is typically said to have been "disproven".
In fact, the evidence supporting the position that NDs are environmental illnesses with vaccines as a primary trigger is well documented, published in peer-reviewed journals, and growing every day.
Please note that most of the published science deals with autism, which we feel is equally relevant for a child with ADD/ADHD. What can parents learn from the existing science today? Generation Rescue believes the following has been proven to be true:
1. The prevalence of neurological disorders amongst children is growing, which means the environment must be playing a role (because genetic conditions can only grow at the rate of population growth).
We cite four published studies that support this position:
Report to the Legislature on the Principle Findings from The Epidemiology of Autism in California: A Comprehensive Pilot Study
MIND Institute, UC Davis, Oct 2002.
Robert Byrd
Using data from California, the state perceived to maintain the best data on autism, this report demonstrates clearly that the rise in autism is not due to improved diagnosis and expanded diagnostic criteria, but is rather a REAL rise for which some external factor must be playing a role. Excerpt:
"There is no evidence that a loosening in the diagnostic criteria has contributed to increased number of autism clients...we conclude that some, if not all, of the observed increase represents a true increase in cases of autism in California...a purely genetic basis for autism does not fully explain the increasing autism prevalence. Other theories that attempt to better explain the observed increase in autism cases include environmental exposures to substances such as mercury; viral exposures; autoimmune disorders; and childhood vaccinations."
National Autism Prevalence Trends From United States Special Education Data.
Pediatrics, March 2005.
Craig J. Newschaffer, PhD [Johns Hopkins University].
This study shows that the rise in the incidence of autism is real and that the greatest increase took place between 1987 and 1992, which matches the timing of the near-tripling of vaccines given to our children and the tripling of mercury within those vaccines.
The Changing Prevalence of Autism In California
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, April 2003
Mark Blaxill, MBA
This study helps to refute the supposition made by some researchers that autism's epidemic may only be due to "diagnostic substitution". Excerpt:
"They have suggested that 'diagnostic substitution' accounts for an apparent increase in the incidence of autism in California that is not real. This hypothesized substitution is not supported by proper and detailed analyses of the California data."
What's Going On? The Question of Time Trends in Autism.
Public Health Reports, Nov-Dec 2004.
Mark F. Blaxill, MBA.
This detailed analysis of reported rates of autism in the United States and United Kingdom serves to further refute the assertion made by some that the "epidemic" of autism is nothing more than better diagnosis.
2. When environmental toxicity in children with neurological disorders is measured, it is meaningfully higher than neurotypical (normal) children.
We cite five published studies that support this position:
Porphyrinuria in Childhood Autistic Disorder: Implications for Environmental Toxicity
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 2006.
Robert Nataf, Corinne Skorupka, Lorene Amet
This new study from France utilizes a new and sophisticated measurement for environmental toxicity by assessing porphyrin levels in autistic children. It provides clear and unequivocal evidence that children with autism spectrum disorders are more toxic than their neurotypical peers. Excerpt:
"Coproporphyrin levels were elevated in children with autistic disorder relative to control groups...the elevation was significant. These data implicate environmental toxicity in childhood autistic disorder."
A Case Control Study of Mercury Burden in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Journal of American Physicians and Surgeon, 2003.
James Adams, PhD [Arizona State University].
This recent study shows, through active chelation with DMSA, that autistic children excrete significantly higher levels of mercury than their neurotypical peers, leading to the conclusion that autistic children bear a much higher load of mercury in their bodies and that chelation may be an effective treatment for removing the mercury. Excerpt:
"The data from this study, along with emerging epidemiological data showing a link between increasing mercury doses from childhood vaccines and childhood neurodevelopmental disorders, increases the likelihood that mercury is one of the main factors leading to the large increase in the rate of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. It is hoped that removing thimerosal from all childhood vaccines will contribute to a decline in the numbers of new cases of autistic spectrum disorders."
A Case Series of Children with Apparent Mercury Toxic Encephalopathies Manifesting with Clinical Symptoms of Regressive Autistic Disorder
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, 2007
David A. Geier, Mark R. Geier
This study reviewed the case histories and medical profiles of nine autistic children and concluded that eight of the nine children were mercury toxic and this toxicity manifested itself in a manner consistent with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Excerpt:
"...these previously normally developing children suffered mercury toxic encephalopathies that manifested with clinical symptoms consistent with regressive ASDs. Evidence for mercury intoxication should be considered in the differential diagnosis as contributing to some regressive ASDs."
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and blood mercury level: a case-control study in chinese children
Neuropediatrics, August 2006
P.R. Kong [Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong].
This study demonstrates that blood mercury levels are higher for children with ADHD. Excerpt:
"There was significant difference in blood mercury levels between cases and controls, which persists after adjustment for age, gender and parental occupational status. The geometric mean blood mercury level was also significantly higher in children with inattentive and combined subtypes of ADHD. CONCLUSION: High blood mercury level was associated with ADHD. Whether the relationship is causal requires further studies."
Reduced Levels of Mercury in First Baby Haircuts of Autistic Children
International Journal of Toxicology
Dr. Amy S. Holmes, Mark F. Blaxill, Boyd E. Haley, Ph.D.
March 14, 2003
This recent study demonstrates that the levels of mercury in the birth hair of autistic children were significantly lower than their control peers. While this may at first appear contradictory, it highlights one of the critical insights to understanding mercury poisoning and autistic children: many autistic children are non-excretors of mercury. This means their capacity to excrete mercury is significantly lower than their neurotypical peers and contributes to their condition.
3. The brains of children with neurological disorders are experiencing severe oxidative stress and inflammation, suggesting an environmental cause.
We cite four published studies that support this position:
Large Brains in Autism: The Challenge of Pervasive Abnormality.
The Neuroscientist, Volume 11, Number 5, 2005.
Martha Herbert, MD, PhD [Harvard University].
This study helps refute the notion that the brains of autistic children are simply wired differently and notes, "neuroinflammation appears to be present in autistic brain tissue from childhood through adulthood." Dr. Herbert suggests that chronic disease or an external environmental source (like heavy metals) may be causing the inflammation. Excerpt:
"Oxidative stress, brain inflammation, and microgliosis have been much documented in association with toxic exposures including various heavy metals...the awareness that the brain as well as medical conditions of children with autism may be conditioned by chronic biomedical abnormalities such as inflammation opens the possibility that meaningful biomedical interventions may be possible well past the window of maximal neuroplasticity in early childhood because the basis for assuming that all deficits can be attributed to fixed early developmental alterations in neural architecture has now been undermined."
Neuroglial Activation and Neuroinflammation in the Brain of Patients with Autism.
Annals of Neurology, Feb 2005.
Diana L. Vargas, MD [Johns Hopkins University].
This study, performed independently and using a different methodology than Dr. Herbert (see above) reached the same conclusion: the brains of autistic children are suffering from inflammation. Excerpt:
"Because this neuroinflammatory process appears to be associated with an ongoing and chronic mechanism of CNS dysfunction, potential therapeutic interventions should focus on the control of its detrimental effects and thereby eventually modify the clinical course of autism."
Evidence of Toxicity, Oxidative Stress, and Neuronal Insult in Autism
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Nov-Dec 2006.
Janet Kern, Anne Jones
"This article discusses the evidence for the case that some children with autism may become autistic from neuronal cell death or brain damage sometime after birth as result of insult; and addresses the hypotheses that toxicity and oxidative stress may be a cause of neuronal insult in autism..the article discusses what may be happening over the course of development and the multiple factors that may interplay and make these children more vulnerable to toxicity, oxidative stress, and neuronal insult."
Oxidative Stress in Autism
Pathophysiology, 2006.
Abha Chauhan, Ved Chauhan
This study provides a helpful overview of the growing evidence supporting the link between oxidative stress and autism. Excerpt:
"Upon completion of this article, participants should be able to: 1. Be aware of laboratory and clinical evidence of greater oxidative stress in autism. 2. Understand how gut, brain, nutritional, and toxic status in autism are consistent with greater oxidative stress. 3. Describe how anti-oxidant nutrients are used in the contemporary treatment of autism."
4. Children with neurological disorders are often suffering from severe gastrointestinal distress and inflammation. A trigger of this inflammation and the resultant behaviors is the MMR vaccine.
We cite four published studies that support this position:
Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children
Lancet 1998 Feb 28
Wakefield AJ, Murch SH, Anthony A, Linnell J, Casson DM, [University Department of Medicine, Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine, London, UK]
This study demonstrates that the MMR vaccine triggered autistic behaviors and inflammatory bowel disease in autistic children. Excerpt:
"Onset of behavioral symptoms was associated, by the parents, with measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination [MMR] in eight of the 12 children, with measles infection in one child, and otitis media in another… We identified associated gastrointestinal disease and developmental regression in a group of previously normal children, which was generally associated in time with possible environmental triggers."
The Significance of Ileo-Colonic Lymphoid Nodular Hyperplasia in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.
European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, August 2005.
Andrew J. Wakefield, MD [Royal Free & University College Medical School, London].
This study demonstrates that, to a much higher degree, children with an autism spectrum disorder suffer from Ileo-Colonic Lymphoid Nodular Hyperplasia (LNH) a serious disorder of the intestinal tract. Excerpt:
"Both ileal and colonic LNH are significantly more prevalent, and of greater severity, in ASD children compared with developmentally normal controls."
Detection and Sequencing of Measles Virus from Peripheral Mononuclear Cells from Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Autism
Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 2000
Hisashi Kawashima, Takayuki Mori, Yasuyo Kashiwagi, Kouji Takekuma
This study shows that the measles in the bowels of autistic children is from the MMR vaccine. Excerpt:
"Additionally, a new syndrome has been reported in children with autism who exhibited developmental regression and gastrointestinal symptoms (autistic enterocolitis), in some cases soon after MMR vaccine. It is not known whether the virus, if confirmed to be present in these patients, derives from either wild strains or vaccine strains. ...The sequences obtained from the patients with ulcerative colitis and children with autism were consistent with being vaccine strains. The results were concordant with the exposure history of the patients. Persistence of measles virus was confirmed in PBMC in some patients with chronic intestinal inflammation."
Dysregulated Innate Immune Responses in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Their Relationship to Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Dietary Intervention.
Neuropsychobiology, 2005.
Harumi Jyonouchi, MD [New Jersey Medical School].
This study examines the link between autistic behaviors and gastrointestinal disorders and notes a possible link "between GI and behavioral symptoms mediated by innate immune abnormalities."
5. One preservative used in vaccines, Thimerosal (mercury), enters the bloodstream of the child and ends up in the brain after being administered.
We cite two published studies that support this position:
Iatrogenic Exposure to Mercury After Hepatitis B Vaccination in Preterm Infants.
Journal of Pediatrics, May 2000.
Gregory V. Stajich, PharmD [Mercer University].
This study measured mercury levels in infants before and after the administration of a Hepatitis B vaccine containing Thimerosal and found that a "comparison of pre and post-vaccination mercury levels showed a significant increase in both preterm and term infants after vaccination."
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 [University of Washington].
This study demonstrates clearly and unequivocally that ethyl mercury, the kind of mercury found in vaccines, not only ends up in the brain, but leaves double the amount of inorganic mercury as methyl mercury, the kind of mercury found in fish. This work is groundbreaking because little is known about ethyl mercury, and many health authorities have asserted that the mercury found in vaccines is the "safe kind." This study also delivers a strong rebuke of the Institute of Medicine's recommendation in 2004 to no longer pursue the mercury-autism connection. Excerpt:
"A recently published IOM review (IOM 2004) appears to have abandoned the earlier recommendation [of studying mercury and autism] as well as back away from the American Academy of Pediatrics goal [of removing mercury from vaccines]. This approach is difficult to understand, given our current limited knowledge of the toxicokinetics and developmental neurotoxicity of thimerosal, a compound that has been (and will continue to be) injected in millions of newborns and infants."
6. Higher levels of environmental mercury has been shown to produce higher rates of autism.
We cite one published study that supports this position:
Environmental mercury release, special education rates, and autism disorder: an ecological study of Texas.
Health & Place, 2006
Raymond F. Palmer, University of Texas Health Science Center
This study demonstrated the correlation between environmental mercury and autism rates in Texas. Excerpt:
"On average, for each 1,000 lb of environmentally released mercury, there was a 43% increase in the rate of special education services and a 61% increase in the rate of autism. The association between environmentally released mercury and special education rates were fully mediated by increased autism rates. This ecological study suggests the need for further research regarding the association between environmentally released mercury and developmental disorders such as autism."
7. The preservatives in vaccines, most notably Thimerosal (mercury) and aluminum, are highly toxic and damaging to the nervous system and immune system of a developing child, and reactions to these toxins may vary greatly by child.
We cite nine published studies that support this position:
Thimerosal Neurotoxicity is Associated with Glutathione Depletion: Protection with Glutathione Precursors.
Neurotoxicology, Jan 2005.
S. Jill James, PhD [University of Arkansas].
This recent study demonstrates that Thimerosal lowers or inhibits the body's ability to produce Glutathione, an antioxidant and the body's primary cellular-level defense against mercury. Excerpt:
"Thimerosal-induced cytotoxicity was associated with depletion of intracellular Glutathione in both cell lines...The potential effect of Glutathione or N-acetylcysteine against mercury toxicity warrants further research as possible adjunct therapy to individuals still receiving Thimerosal-containing vaccines."
Uncoupling of ATP-mediated Calcium Signaling and Dysregulated IL-6 Secretion in Dendritic Cells by Nanomolar Thimerosal
Environmental Health Perspectives, July 2006.
Samuel R. Goth, Ruth A. Chu Jeffrey P. Gregg
This study demonstrates that very low-levels of Thimerosal can contribute to immune system disregulation. Excerpt:
"Our findings that DCs primarily express the RyR1 channel complex and that this complex is uncoupled by very low levels of THI with dysregulated IL-6 secretion raise intriguing questions about a molecular basis for immune dyregulation and the possible role of the RyR1 complex in genetic susceptibility of the immune system to mercury."
Aluminum adjuvant linked to gulf war illness induces motor neuron death in mice
Neuromolecular Medicine, 2007
Christopher Shaw, Ph.D. [Department of Ophthalmology and Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada]
This study demonstrates the extreme toxicity of the aluminum adjuvant used as a preservative in vaccines. Excerpt:
"testing showed motor deficits in the aluminum treatment group that expressed as a progressive decrease in strength measured...Significant cognitive deficits in water-maze learning were observed in the combined aluminum and squalene group...Apoptotic neurons were identified in aluminum-injected animals that showed significantly increased activated caspase-3 labeling in lumbar spinal cord (255%) and primary motor cortex (192%) compared with the controls. Aluminum-treated groups also showed significant motor neuron loss (35%) and increased numbers of astrocytes (350%) in the lumbar spinal cord."
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].
This study demonstrates how Thimerosal inhibits methylation, a central driver of cellular communication and development. Excerpt:
"The potent inhibition of this pathway [methylation] by ethanol, lead, mercury, aluminum, and thimerosal suggests it may be an important target of neurodevelopmental toxins."
Neurotoxic Effects of Postnatal Thimerosal are Mouse Strain Dependent.
Molecular Psychiatry, Sep 2004.
Mady Hornig, MD [Columbia University].
This recent work by Columbia University Doctors explores whether genes are important in determining if mercury exposures akin to those in childhood immunizations can disrupt brain development and function. It is the first known scientific study done specifically on ethlymercury administered in a way similar to the vaccine schedule. Dr. Hornig discussed the study before Congress in September 2004. Excerpt:
"The premise of our research is that if mercury in vaccines creates risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, genetic differences are likely to contribute to that risk. Earlier studies, however, did not use the form of mercury present in vaccines, known as thimerosal, and did not consider whether intramuscular, repetitive administration during early postnatal development, when the brain and immune systems are still maturing, might intensify toxicity. Our predictions were confirmed. Using thimerosal dosages and timing that approximated the childhood immunization schedule, our model of postnatal thimerosal neurotoxicity demonstrated that the genes in mice that predict mercury-related immunotoxicity also predicted nuerodevelopmental damage. Features reminiscent of those observed in autism occurred in the mice of the genetically sensitive strain."
Thimerosal induces DNA breaks, Caspase-3 Activation, Membrane Damage, and Cell Death in Cultured Human Neurons and Fibroblasts.
Toxicological Science, 2003.
David S. Baskin, MD [Baylor College of Medicine].
This study demonstrates the potent toxicity of Thimerosal on brain cells.
Organic Mercury Compounds and Autoimmunity.
Autoimmunity Review, 2005.
Said Havarinasab, MD [Linkoping University].
This study demonstrates the clear link between ethylmercury [from Thimerosal] and autoimmune responses.
Mercury and autism: Accelerating Evidence?
Neuroendocrinology Letters, Oct 2005.
Joachim Mutter, M.D. [Freiburg University, Germany].
This recent study from Germany summarizes many of the recent scientific advances. Excerpt:
"The causes of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders are unknown. Genetic and environmental risk factors seem to be involved...Repetitive doses of thimerosal leads to neurobehavioral deteriorations in autoimmune susceptible mice, increased oxidative stress and decreased intracellular levels of glutathione in vitro. Subsequently, autistic children have significantly decreased level of reduced glutathione. Promising treatments of autism involve detoxification of mercury, and supplementation of deficient metabolites."
Retrograde Degeneration of Neurite Membrane Structural Integrity of Nerve Growth In Vitro Exposure to Mercury.
NeuroReport, 2001.
Christopher Leong, MD [University of Calgary].
This study shows how mercury damages brain cells.
8. The symptoms of autism and the symptoms of mercury poisoning appear to be very similar.
We cite one published study that support this position:
Autism: A Novel Form of Mercury Poisoning.
Medical Hypothesis, 2001.
Sallie Bernard, Albert Enyati, Lynn Redwood, RN, Teresa Binstock, PhD.
This simple but groundbreaking work spelled it out for the layperson by demonstrating that the symptoms of autism and the symptoms of mercury poisoning are identical. Excerpt:
"Due to the extensive parallels between autism and mercury poisoning, the likelihood of a causal relationship is great. Given that possibility, Thimerosal should be removed from all childhood vaccines and the mechanisms of mercury toxicity in autism should be thoroughly investigated."
9. The Government Reform Committee of the U.S. Congress has published reports on the relationship between mercury and autism and on the conflicts in policy-making for the national immunization schedule.
We cite two studies by the Committee on Government Reform of the U.S. Congress:
Mercury in Medicine - Taking Unnecessary Risks
Congressional Record - Extensions of Remarks
Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN), Committee on Government Reform
May 21, 2003
This extensive report was prepared by the staff of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness and was the result of a three-year investigation. The Committee on Government Reform, chaired by Congressman Dan Burton, initiated the investigation and compiled the testimony of hundreds of researchers and physicians, as well as representatives from the FDA and CDC, who presented to the committee. Excerpt:
"Mercury is hazardous to humans. Its use in medicinal products is undesirable, unnecessary and should be minimized or eliminated entirely. Manufacturers of vaccines and thimerosal, (an ethlymercury compound used in vaccines), have never conducted adequate testing on the safety of thimerosal. The FDA has never required manufacturers to conduct adequate safety testing on thimerosal and ethlymercury compounds...Thimerosal used as a preservative in vaccines is likely related to the autism epidemic. This epidemic in all probability may have been prevented or curtailed had the FDA not been asleep at the switch regarding injected thimerosal and the sharp rise of infant exposure to this known neurotoxin. Our public health agencies' failure to act is indicative of institutional malfeasance for self-protection and misplaced protectionism of the pharmaceutical industry."
Conflicts of Interest in Vaccine Policy Making
Majority Staff Report, Committee on Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives
June 15, 2000
"Members of the advisory committees are required to disclose any financial conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from participating in decisions in which they have an interest. The Committee’s investigation has determined that conflict of interest rules employed by the FDA and the CDC have been weak, enforcement has been lax, and committee members with substantial ties to pharmaceutical companies have been given waivers to participate in committee proceedings."
|
| posted by Allison on 10/03/2008 03:35 PM
|
|
|
|
|
okay, so maybe now we should talk about politics. ha ha
Religion?
Gay marriages?
So on, I am sure we can find another topic just as contriversial as the MMR shots to debate about.
Just trying to be funny. |
| posted by Kim on 10/03/2008 05:21 PM
|
|
|
|
|
This was an interesting study in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and also in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Has anyone else read this too?
What interested me was the data collected before the MMR was used, during, and after the government stopped using it again. (The gov stopped the MMR vacination not because of autism, but for a concern of meningitis and the time period offered an opportunity to compare autism incidences before, during, and after the MMR vaccination.)
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
" No effect of MMR withdrawal on the incidence of autism: a total population study
Hideo Honda 1 , Yasuo Shimizu 1 and Michael Rutter 2
1 Yokohama Rehabilitation Center, Yokohama, Japan
2 Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
Copyright 2005 Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry
ABSTRACT
Background: A causal relationship between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and occurrence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been claimed, based on an increase in ASD in the USA and the UK after introduction of the MMR vaccine. However, the possibility that this increase is coincidental has not been eliminated. The unique circumstances of a Japanese MMR vaccination program provide an opportunity for comparison of ASD incidence before and after termination of the program.
Methods: This study examined cumulative incidence of ASD up to age seven for children born from 1988 to 1996 in Kohoku Ward (population approximately 300,000), Yokohama, Japan. ASD cases included all cases of pervasive developmental disorders according to ICD-10 guidelines.
Results: The MMR vaccination rate in the city of Yokohama declined significantly in the birth cohorts of years 1988 through 1992, and not a single vaccination was administered in 1993 or thereafter. In contrast, cumulative incidence of ASD up to age seven increased significantly in the birth cohorts of years 1988 through 1996 and most notably rose dramatically beginning with the birth cohort of 1993.
Conclusions: The significance of this finding is that MMR vaccination is most unlikely to be a main cause of ASD, that it cannot explain the rise over time in the incidence of ASD, and that withdrawal of MMR in countries where it is still being used cannot be expected to lead to a reduction in the incidence of ASD."
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118735419/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
--
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
"MMR-Vaccine and Regression in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Negative Results Presented from Japan
Japanese Study Finds No MMR Autism Connection
Evidence to support a connection between the MMR vaccine and incidents of autism is hard to come by. An epidemiological study in Japan found no connection. Tokio Uchiyama, Michiko Kurosawa and Yutaka Inaba, in a July 2006 study, found no evidence to support a causal relationship between the MMR and autism:
Abstract It has been suggested that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) is a cause of regressive autism. As MMR was used in Japan only between 1989 and 1993, this time period affords a natural experiment to examine this hypothesis. Data on 904 patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were analyzed. During the period of MMR usage no significant difference was found in the incidence of regression between MMR-vaccinated children and non-vaccinated children. Among the proportion and incidence of regression across the three MMR-program-related periods (before, during and after MMR usage), no significant difference was found between those who had received MMR and those who had not. Moreover, the incidence of regression did not change significantly across the three periods."
http://www.springerlink.com/content/aq0470t874jwm686/
|
| posted by Jackie on 10/09/2008 02:14 AM
|
|
|
|
|
I found this website useful for knowing which vaccinations contain Thimerosal. It gives the brand name and manufacturer.
http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm
|
| posted by Jackie on 10/09/2008 03:17 AM
|
|
|
|
|
| Yesterday was our 4 month check up and I ask my pediatrician about what I had read and her repsonse is I'm so tired of hearing about that. The study about Autism and MMR came out 10-15 years ago and 3 of the 4 authors have recounted their claims. The vaccinations don't have thimericol ...which that chart obviously shows and the mercury in it is completely different than the mercury is say a thermometer...theres been extensive testing on the mercury in the shots. She vaccinated all her children as well. From what I've read there really is no proof that there is a correlation at all....the original study was over 15 kids...and now they've done research on thousands. |
| posted by on 10/09/2008 09:00 AM
|
|
|
|
|
I started out on this post indicating that as many research articles that can be found linking the MMR to autism, there are just as many (if not more) out there refuting the correlation.
I personally have nothing against the MMR vaccine. I do have a problem with the number of vaccines given before entering school (36), the toxic ingredients they contain (and I can list them, along with the side effects for anyone interested), the mode of delivery, and not knowing what each child's individual biological response will be to the vaccines.
I agree 100% with Generation Rescue's suggestion that vaccinated children vs. unvaccinated children, and the subsequent neurologic deficits, must be researched. There has never been a research study of this type conducted. Thus far, researchers have taken a vaccine, given it to a population of children, and then determined whether or not that vaccine caused any neurologic damage. I believe this is an approach that has kept vaccinations the main culprit as the cause in autism. Take both populations and finally rule vaccinations out as the cause of autism to end this debate. If vaccinations are not the culprit, one would expect to find the incidence of autism to be the same among both groups.
This line of research is not unique, and, in fact, is being used to try to find what causes breast cancer so science can find a cure. I wrote the following to someone in an email today:
Dr. Susan Love is an active crusader in finding a cure for breast cancer. She was the doctor who discovered that synthetic hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women made breast cancer rates sky rocket. Her latest suggestion regarding finding a cure for breast cancer is to evaluate women who have breast cancer versus women who do not have breast cancer. This has never been done before. Scientist just keep on evaluating the women who have cancer thinking they can find out what causes the disease by researching in this manner. The logic for researching women with breast cancer versus women without breast cancer would be to find out what the differing variables are so we can work on curing/eliminating this sort of cancer.
This same research methodology (researching vaccinated versus unvaccinated children) is what needs to occur when it comes to vaccinations and neurological disorders. So far, the CDC has been extremely resistant in funding this kind of research. This is why Generation Rescue stepped in and did their own small scale study on the issue. They set out to prove that if they could do it with a $200,000 budget, the CDC could definitely do a larger scale study with an 800 BILLION dollar a year budget.
A lot of people on this site quote the CDC when it comes to vaccine safety. What a lot of people don't know is that the CDC and the pharmaceutical companies were indeed working hand in hand for a long time. The CDC actually shared ownership of some of the patents for the vaccines, members owned stock in the vaccine companies, got paid for research, and were given money to monitor vaccine testing (just to name a few of the problems considering the CDC is supposed to be an unbiased agency). A good article to google and read is entitled, "Lawmakers sever ties between CDC and Big Pharma." This article gives a great indepth explaination on the problems that were occurring with the CDC overseeing vaccinations.
In saying all this, there are two populations that are interesting to look at when it comes to neurological disorders and vaccinations: The Amish and children cared for at the Homefirst Health Services in Chicago. These are the largest non-vaccinated populations, and neither have the average autism rates that one would suspect if vaccines DID NOT play SOME role in the neurological disorders.
I'll begin with Homefirst: (you can google Homefirst Health Services Chicago Autism to find the full article)
"We have a fairly large practice. We have about 30,000 or 35,000 children that we've taken care of over the years, and I don't think we have a single case of autism in children delivered by us who never received vaccines," said Dr. Mayer Eisenstein, Homefirst's medical director who founded the practice in 1973. Homefirst doctors have delivered more than 15,000 babies at home, and thousands of them have never been vaccinated."
"Eisenstein stresses his observations are not scientific. "The trouble is this is just anecdotal in a sense, because what if every autistic child goes somewhere else and (their family) never calls us or they moved out of state?"
"In practice, that's unlikely to account for the pronounced absence of autism, says Eisenstein, who also has a bachelor's degree in statistics, a master's degree in public health and a law degree."
"Schattauer [another physician in the practice] seconded Eisenstein's observations. "All I know is in my practice I don't see autism. There is no striking 1-in-166," he said.
In speaking of the type of patient's the practice sees: "They tend to be better educated, follow healthier diets and breast-feed their children much longer than the norm -- half of Homefirst's mothers are still breast-feeding at two years. Also, because Homefirst relies less on prescription drugs including antibiotics as a first line of treatment, these children have less exposure to other medicines, not just vaccines."
"Schattauer said Homefirst's patients also have significantly less childhood asthma and juvenile diabetes compared to national rates. An office manager who has been with Homefirst for 17 years said she is aware of only one case of severe asthma in an unvaccinated child."
"Sometimes you feel frustrated because you feel like you've got a pretty big secret," Schattauer said. He argues for more research on all those disorders, independent of political or business pressures.
The asthma rate among Homefirst patients is so low it was noticed by the Blue Cross group with which Homefirst is affiliated, according to Eisenstein.
"In the alternative-medicine network which Homefirst is part of, there are virtually no cases of childhood asthma, in contrast to the overall Blue Cross rate of childhood asthma which is approximately 10 percent," he said. "At first I thought it was because they (Homefirst's children) were breast-fed, but even among the breast-fed we've had asthma. We have virtually no asthma if you're breast-fed and not vaccinated."
**As for the Amish (google 'Age of Autism, Olmsted The Amish and Autism', for the entire article):
One of the defining contributions to autism journalism in recent years has been our colleague Dan Olmsted’s pioneering work with the Amish. Dan made the simple observation that, given the controversy over autism and vaccines, it would make sense to compare autism rates in vaccinated populations with populations in which vaccination was less common. If autism was less common among less vaccinated populations, that would lend support to the concerns of many parents over the link between their child’s regression and the intensive early childhood vaccination schedule now recommended by the CDC.
Dan has accomplished a great deal with his coverage of autism and the Amish. He has raised awareness of the apparently low incidence of autism in less-vaccinated populations. Without the resources required to conduct and publish a conventional scientific study, Dan has made the Amish autism rate a regular topic of conversation among practicing scientists. Perhaps most notable of all, there’s now a bill in front of Congress co-sponsored by Manhattan Congresswoman Carol Maloney (Dem.) and Nebraska Congressman Tom Osborne (Rep.) (some have called it “the Amish bill”) that proposes that Congress fund the investigation of the simple question Dan asked from the beginning: what is the rate of autism in unvaccinated populations?
What we’ve learned so far has generally provided strong support for Dan’s original hypothesis. There are a few, but not many, autistic Amish. The Amish don’t vaccinate their children nearly as much as the rest of us, but their vaccination rates are rising. Interestingly, most of the Amish families Dan found with autism did in fact vaccinate their children: in those cases, the parents report what non-Amish parents often report, that an autistic regression followed their vaccinations. It’s also important to point out that not every case of autism that Dan learned about was vaccinated. However, in those few cases where he came across a small cluster of autism cases in an unvaccinated Amish population, their doctor argued that he had found clear evidence in these children of environmental mercury exposure, especially their close proximity to a coal-burning power plant. In light of the recent report from Ray Palmer and his colleagues at the University of Texas showing an elevated autism risk near such power plants (for a report on this study, see HERE), this makes a lot of sense.
Over all this time, Dan has gathered evidence from most of the major Amish population centers. There are just a few of them in the US, including 22,000 in Lancaster County, over 35,000 in and around Goshen County in Indiana and over 50,000 in Holmes and Geauga counties in northeastern Ohio. Out of a national population of close to 200,000 Amish (over two thirds of which reside in these three states) if we had applied the best current estimate for autism prevalence of 1 in 150, we would have expect to find quite a large autistic populations, well over a thousand, but so far Dan has identified only a small handful of cases, a minute fraction of the autism population size one would expect to find. In his most aggressive possible count of autistic Amish, Dan has identified less than 20 cases, which would give us a rate of no more than 1 in 10,000. Dr. Heng Wang, Director of the Clinic for Special Needs Children in Ohio told Dan that the rate of autism in the Amish in Ohio was 1 in 15,000. In Dan’s words from a June 8, 2005 column, “He means that literally: Of 15,000 Amish who live near Middlefield [Ohio], Wang is aware of just one who has autism [Note: the child was vaccinated]. If that figure is anywhere near correct, the autism rate in that community is astonishingly low…'I take care of all the children with special needs,' he said, putting him in a unique position to observe autism. The one case Wang has identified is a 12-year-old boy."
Despite what appears to be quite consistent picture, Dan is neither a diagnostician nor an epidemiologist so he can’t make, nor has he attempted to make, any definitive conclusions regarding the Amish autism rate. He’d simply like to see it studied, just as he’d like to see other unvaccinated populations studied as well. As families dealing with autism know well, there are a number of unvaccinated children with autism, which at the population level makes the problem of autism causation not one of simple black and white answers. But the possible role of vaccine exposure risk is so obvious, especially among regressive cases, that the subject demands attention.
As with all powerfully simple ideas, Dan’s work has also elicited criticism, some of it quite severe. Criticism has come from many sources, including the CDC who have argued to dismiss the finding because the Amish are genetically different [which is why Homefirst, the first article, was looked into].
--So ladies, maybe we should stop posting these conflicting articles on whether or not a single vaccine caused autism. What we should be doing is rallying the CDC to do the research mentioned above. I think this sort of research would provide us with much more information. It could absolve vaccines of any culpability in neuro disorders, include vaccines, or maybe show they are just the 'straw that broke the camel's back' in an already fragile and susceptible child.
|
| posted by Allison on 10/10/2008 10:52 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| Wow i really didn't expect this much response and debate on this. The only reason that i brought this subject up was because, ha i was watching GMA, and there was Jenny McCarthy talking about her son's autism and the MMR shot, and it piqued my curiosity. I did some digging of my own before posting this question and was having a hard time finding a straight answer. obviously something like this will not get me a straight answer from anyone, well because there isn't one. Thank you for your information, and as i've stated before I fully intend to get katie's MMR in 3 doses instead of one. *thanks allison* |
| posted by Amanda on 10/12/2008 10:25 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| No problem Amanda. Sorry the conversation veered off course for a while, but a least you got a lot of info on both sides. Good luck to you in the decisions you make concerning your beautiful daughter! |
| posted by Allison on 10/13/2008 10:02 PM
|
|
|
|
