Can vaccines contribute to the onset of autism in some children? I believe that contention is not only possible, it is plausible. More research is needed.
But anyone willing to make such a statement in public opens themselves up to the wrath of science. But the problem is, there is simply no such thing as "scientific consensus" when it comes to vaccines and autism.
Any scientist who tells you that this case is closed is either stupid, lying, or shockingly unwilling to acknowledge the facts on the ground.
Of course, many scientists want this issue to "go away," as they believe it is settled. But their "belief" is counterweighted by the beliefs of other scientific and health policy authorities, who beg to disagree.
The list is significant, and growing (see below). And to it, should be added Dr. Peter Fletcher, former Chief Scientific Officer at the Department of Health in the UK - (which, if I'm not mistaken, is roughly the same as our head of the FDA).
An editor at the Age of Autism site, Anne Dachel, wrote to Dr. Fletcher to seek his reaction to the stories about reportedly high rates of autsim among Somali children in Minneapolis.
Here was his reply:
"I have always thought since I first heard about the Somali children that this really proves the causal role of vaccines. The Amish children who have no vaccines have no autistic-like disorders and the Somali children who are newly exposed to aggressive vaccine programmes have exceptionally high levels! What more evidence is needed?"
So there you have it. A leading scientist talking about "proof" of a vaccine-autism connection -- only you won't see this statement in The New York Times or on ABC News.
This seems to be a step forward for Dr. Fletcher, who said in 2006 that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine might be implicated in autism. According to a report in the Daily Mail:
Dr Peter Fletcher, who was Chief Scientific Officer at the Department of Health, said if it is proven that the MMR jab causes autism, "the refusal by governments to evaluate the risks properly will make this one of the greatest scandals in medical history".He added that after agreeing to be an expert witness on drug-safety trials for parents' lawyers, he had received and studied thousands of documents relating to the case which he believed the public had a right to see.
He said he has seen a "steady accumulation of evidence" from scientists worldwide that the measles, mumps and rubella jab is causing brain damage in certain children.
But he added: "There are very powerful people in positions of great authority in Britain and elsewhere who have staked their reputations and careers on the safety of MMR and they are willing to do almost anything to protect themselves."
And to you, angry scientists out there getting ready to trash me for this post -- just remember: You are not trashing me, you are trashing one of your own. And he is hardly alone.
NOTE:
During 2008, all of the following groups and individuals have advocated or considered exploring possible links between vaccines and autism:
1) Both Presidential Candidates
2) Director of the CDC
3) Former head of the NIH and American Red Cross
4) Chair of the U.S. House Science Subcommittee on Investigations
5) Dr. Jon Poling, Pediatric Neurologist
6) HHS Vaccine Safety Working Group
7) CDC Vaccine Safety Research Agenda
8) Medical personnel at HHS Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
9) Members of the Strategic Planning Workgroup of the IAC Committee
10) Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment Network - CISA
11) Autism researchers at Johns Hopkins University Medical School
12) America's health insurance companies
13) Autism Speaks
14) The United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation
15) Dr. Peter Fletcher, former Chief Scientific Officer at the UK Department of Health
Loading comments… 
Please keep up your work.
Seems like that list "all of the following groups and individual
A simple Avagadro’s number calculatio
Mercury kills brain cells.
And flu vaccines recommende
The USEPA banned it as a preservati
We thank you David - for your reporting and for your persistenc
How far we have come since that cold. bleak day in DC in Jan of 2003 when we had so few speakers on our side. Bravo to you, to our autism acommuntiy
maurine meleck
As I understand it, most of the countries in the same area of Africa are familiar with autism. Why would Somalia not be? As I also understand it, not epidemiolo
At the moment, all we have is more conjecture
I think you might be reading a bit too much into these statements
Sounds like Dr. Fletcher has fallen victim to Dan Olmsted's flawed "Amish anomaly" reporting. Do us a favor, David - set the record straight. Call the crypticall
I don't know him personally either but he's definitely saying silly things this time (and the last time) if he's claiming as truth that Amish kids who don't vaccinate don't get autism - based on what?
I think the rate you *see* existing in Minneapoli
My own opinion is that these kids might have something to tell us about autism but I don't know what and I think we're leaping to conclusion
I SOOOO hope I am the first to catch this......
You finally got it right for once when you say:
"Amish children do vaccinate and do have autism"...
I could not have said it better myself! As Dan Olmsted himself found out, most Amish children who have autism WERE VACCINATED
You winced? I guess so, it must feel like a sharp stick in the eye when reputable experts (you can hardly argue Dr. Fletcher is not an expert) give an opposing opinion that has a hell of a lot more credibilit
For years many like you have been usingh the worthless links you post here now - Pub Med????
Gee, next thing we know you will be posting links to the AAP to support your point.
David,
This thankgivin
Tim
Dr Fletcher is not a public figure over here and I would imagine that only people involved in manufactov
2005 - Dan Olmsted assumes the Amish don't vaccinate, then "finds" only two children with autism in Lancaster County, PA.
A few months later - Olmsted learns about the mysterious
2008 - Tim Kasemodel declares that the Amish have autism because they vaccinate.
Did the mother live near a coal burning plant when you were pregnant? Did she have a large number of mercury amalgam filings when you were pregnant? Did she have any dental work or vaccines when she was pregnant? Did she eat a lot of fish when she was pregnant (I saw a woman, on Montel Williams' show I believe, who ate tuna fish every day when she was pregnant -- and had autistic twins, diagnosed shortly after birth)? Did your nephew get any other thimerosal laced vaccines before he got the MMR? Was he sick around the time of any of these other shots? These are the kinds of questions your husband's sibling should be asking themselves -- IMHO.
And speaking of twins. We live in Oregon. I have 5 year old twin boys (NOT identical)
Heck if it were not for Kaiser shoving us off onto the public school system for help, we would have never known about Early Education, IEP's etc. And although Oregon now has a mandated law as of Jan 2008, HB 2918, for Persuasive Developmen
Bugs me how strangers ask me, why does your one twin son have Autism and not the other?
But recently I found a great news story recently that boggles my mind about IDENTICAL twin boys! One has autism, and the other does not:
http://www
WOW! This is just another nail in the coffin. I especially love this quote: "Any scientist who tells you that this case is closed is either stupid, lying, or shockingly unwilling to acknowledg
we need to check and recheck the data...mea
d