The Autism-Vaccine Debate: Anything But Over

Memo to those who wanted the autism-vaccine contretemps to just go away: You lost.

Exactly five years ago, I began research for my book Evidence of Harm, which looked into the possible link between mercury, vaccines and the tsunami of autism that now overwhelms our education system.

Along the way, I have encountered many people -- in the government, in medical circles, in the media, on the Internet - who are furious at my attempts to shed light on this controversy, and utterly contemptuous of parents, doctors and anyone else who supports research into the hypothesized link between autism and vaccines.

Many of these people, incredibly, still insist that autism is purely a genetic disorder with no known "cause" and probably no cure. They blithely claim that autism has always been with us, in the same epidemic numbers we see today, (If you're the parent of a young boy in New Jersey, by the way, you now face 1-in-60 odds of a diagnosis), we just never noticed, or else counted those kids as "quirky," or possibly retarded.

Even officials at the CDC, who traced an e-coli outbreak to a single patch of California spinach within months, cannot say if autism is actually on the increase or not.

Some experts, however, are beginning to understand that autism is clearly on the rise and, thus, must have an environmental component, coupled with a genetic underpinning. But they insist that vaccines or their ingredients (ie, mercury, live measles virus, aluminum) have nothing to do with the epidemic.

They really, really want this vexing vaccine chatter to cease. But it won't.

Buried beneath the usual tumultuous headlines of recent days were three tidbits of news that clearly underscore why this raging, sometimes vitriolic debate is not ending any time soon. In fact, all three reveal significant cracks in the federal government's hitherto impenetrable fortress of denial of any vaccine-autism link whatsoever:

1) The CDC granted nearly $6 million for investigators at five major research centers to study 2,700 children over the next five years, in what the Contra Costa Times called "the largest-ever U.S. study aimed at solving one of the most perplexing mysteries of modern times: the cause of autism."

Lisa Croen, the study's principal investigator in California, told the paper that, "What's become very clear is that autism results from a combination of having a genetic predisposition or genetic susceptibility, plus the added extra exposures from environmental factors or other kinds of lifestyle factors."

Among the "factors" to be studied are family history, events during pregnancy, maternal medications, parental occupation, ambient pollution around the house, and "a child's vaccination history," the paper reported.

Oddly, the study will not look at the mercury-based preservative thimerosal. According to the FDA and the Institute of Medicine, the last batches of thimerosal containing vaccines for infants and immune-globulin given to pregnant women expired in late 2003 (except for the flu shot, which is still given to infants and pregnant women).

The new study will only study children born from September 2003 to August, 2005.
But the question remains, and I think it's legitimate: If an association between vaccines and autism has been completely "ruled out," then why are we spending taxpayer dollars to study autistic children's vaccination history?

2) The Department of Health and Human Services announced the formation of a new federal panel, the "Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee," which will help set public and private research priorities into the cause and treatment of autism, as mandated by the recently passed Combating Autism Act.

Among those named to the panel by HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt were Lyn Redwood, president of the Coalition for Safe Minds (and chief protagonist in my book), and a leading advocate of the mercury-vaccine-autism connection, and Lee Grossman, president and CEO of the Autism Society of America, another staunch supporter of the hypothesis.

Which again begs the question: If the debate over vaccines and autism is over, then why did the Feds appoint two people to this important new panel who will relentlessly push for more taxpayer dollars going into research of vaccines and autism?

3) Lawyers for the US Justice Department and HHS are conceding an autism case that was to be tried in the so-called federal "Vaccine Court," (officially known as the Autism Omnibus Proceedings of the US Court of Federal Claims), according to papers filed on the court's on-line docket.

Nearly 5,000 autism cases are pending in Vaccine Court, though a small number of "test cases" are being tried, in which attorneys for the families attempt to link the symptoms of autism to thimerosal and/or the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (or MMR, which never contained mercury). It was a pending test case that the government conceded.

According to my source, however, the government is NOT conceding that mercury or vaccines cause autism. "In this case, the DOJ conceded that vaccines significantly aggravated a child's pre-existing autistic symptoms," my source said, "but the autism itself was caused by a congenital mitochondrial disorder that is entirely genetic."

And, the source noted, "By conceding 'significant aggravation,' I think DOJ is trying to avoid ever having this case go to hearing on the underlying causation issue."

In other words, this was likely going to be a slam-dunk, and the Feds knew it. Rather than risk having the case become a "test" for thousands of other claims, it looks like the DOJ opted to fold and pay out damages to the family, without actually admitting that vaccines can cause autism.

This entirely unreported event raises several interesting questions, I think. To begin with, if the federal government has conceded that vaccines can cause "significant aggravation" to the (even preexisting) autism symptoms of even just one child, shouldn't the public be notified?

And if the government has conceded that this child would be better off today had he or she not been vaccinated -- in other words, that vaccines made the symptoms of autism go from bad to worse - couldn't it be possible that vaccines might also, say, make symptoms go from mild to bad?

And if the government concedes that vaccines aggravated the symptoms of autism in at least one child, shouldn't parents of children with the disorder be informed of this, and shouldn't they be allowed to opt out of future vaccinations, on medical grounds, if they wish?

And if the government concedes that vaccines can aggravate the symptoms of autism, then shouldn't that same government also earmark funds to research how and why that occurs?

And of course, why on earth would parents concede that there is "no evidence of an association between vaccines and autism," when the government has just conceded that there was an (albeit not causal) association?

Finally, to all those who are going to post comments about the autism rates in California not coming down, following the removal of thimerosal from most vaccines: You are right. The most likely explanation is that thimerosal was not responsible for the autism epidemic. But that does not mean that it never harmed a single child.

And keep in mind that, of the record 1000+ additional autism cases recorded in California last quarter, some 75% of them were children who were six years of age or older, and thus born well within the "thimerosal generation." There is evidence that many factors could conceivably be keeping the California numbers higher than the national average, including aggressive early intervention and outreach to low-income families, increased immigration from countries that still use thimerosal (and immigrant children who are routinely re-immunized upon arrival) and migration of families from less progressive U.S. states eager for California's relative public largesse.

And remember that the CDC, wisely, does not conduct autism prevalence studies on children until they reach the age of 8, to account for any late stragglers entering the database. If thimerosal did not come out of vaccines entirely until 2003, then it won't be until 2011 before kids in that birth cohort are studied by the CDC, so vindicating thimerosal entirely might still be a tad premature.

All that said, thimerosal may well not be a factor in a single case of autism. But what if one day, we discovered it had caused, say, one percent of all cases? With estimates of autism as high as 1.5 million in the country, that would mean 15,000 Americans who were ravaged by thimerosal (not to mention everyone overseas).

But if thimerosal is vindicated, or shown to be a very minor player, then what about other vaccine ingredients? And what about the rather crowded vaccine schedule we now impose upon families of young children? And what about reports of unvaccinated children in Illinois, California and Oregon who appear to have significantly lower rates of autism? Shouldn't we throw some research dollars into studying them?

You can answer that, no, we shouldn't, because the vaccine-autism debate is over.

But I am willing to wager that it has only just begun.

Comments

[Christschool]

David,

Are you ready to talk to autistic adults now? No shame in admitting you made a mistake. I've made thousands. One of them was believing that something was wrong with me.

CS

[Scote]

Sigh...

Ok, so you got mercury removed from childhood vaccines based on no credible evidence. Autism hasn't gone down. And yet you aren't dissuaded at all!! No, instead you are now hemming and hawing about other trace amounts from flu vaccines, or wheat gluten!

Woudn't it be nice if autism were cused by avoidable mercury or wheat? Then it would be completely preventable. To bad reality isn't so simple and that kind of science through naive wishful thinking doesn't actually work.

Now, if we could get back to real science that might actually make a difference--the kind based on dispasionate review of the facts and peer reviewed research--and not medieval witch burning disguised as science, then maybe we can actually get something done....

[realitytrumpsbull]

Nevermind the autism, how about this third arm that keeps growing out of my neck? They said that the shots were ok...right? Right?

LOL

[lightandlove]

First of all I want to appreciate carolh for her excellent research on and helpful references to the glutamic acid/MSG link in this matter. Next I just want to point out that another source of mercury, esp. for foetal effect, is the leaching from amalgam fillings. Last I want to mention the recent publishing of a scientific study warning that wireless communication technology "may be responsible for accelerating the rise in autism". A link:
http://tinyurl.com/2ymg2g
Study published in the peer-reviewed Australasian Journal of Clinical Environmental medicine (J.Aust.Co­ll.Nutr.&E­nv.Med, 2007; Vol.26, No.2 pages 3-7. Quote: "These findings tie in with other studies showing adverse cell-membrane responses and disruptions of normal cell physiology. The EMR apparently causes the [heavy] metals to be trapped in cells, slowing clearance and accelerating the onset of symptoms."- Dr. George Carlo, an expert on EMR & co-author of the study. They detoxed autistic children "in an environment that was mitigated with regard to sources of EMR including mobile phones and WiFi" and got measurable results. In short, Dr. Carlo's theory is that informatio­n-carrying radio waves (ICRW5) in the low-hertz frequencies specific to mobile phones and their masts can interfere with normal cell function, causing the cell membrane to shut down in self-defense. Thus, glutamate may not be the only culprit in hindering these predisposed children from being able to clear heavy metals like mercury. We have more work to do in this field. No thanks to the experts who haven't wanted to look in this direction.

[rmoffi]

The reason two well-known proponents of the vaccine-autism link were appointed to the board may be the same reason LBJ appointed a well-known critic of his policy to a board.

When asked why LBJ would appoint this critic, LBJ responded "I'd rather have him inside the tent pi....g out, than outside the tent pi....g in".

[suz422]

Okay, people of the United States , are all of you non believers really so dumb that you think that ANYTHING other than THIMERISOL, poisoned over 2 million kids in the world? MERCURY/thimerisol, the world's 2nd most toxic substance? What else did ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL these kids get at the same time between the ages of 0-3 yrs old? It's not tuna, it's not pesticides, it's not aspartame, it's not ANY of this stuff talked about. The ONLY thing they ALL got was Thimerisol in the vaccines. Genes or not,bad immune system, or lack of detox abilites or NOT!!?.. IF they did not EVER have the vaccines at all, we simply would NOT have all these sick kids- It is just NOT ANYTHING ELSE- this is just one big damn lie, to say anything different. I have sat, trapped in my home, with a 24/7 care child, for 12 years, and read every nite, for over 7,000 hours on the net about my son's autism. I have watched him suffer. It's the vaccines, and it will be proven, and the drug companies will go down for it someday. Susan in calif

[sis2lis]

And what about my 52 year old sister, Mr.Kirby, who is severely autistic and was BORN that way? What vaccine caused that? Or perhaps it was the lack of a vaccine, as I was a very, very ill 3 year old during the time my mother was pregnant
with my sister, with meningitis. If I'd been vaccinated against that illness, perhaps I wouldn't have become ill, and my sister would have been perfectly normal, and my mother's autoimmune system wouldn't have attacked my sister in utero in fighting off the virus that I had. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater - you may condemn that baby in the process. Vaccines are one of the triumphs of modern medicine. Idiopathic reactions happen, and I'm afraid always will. As do coincidences. We now know that schizophrenia, like autism, is a developmental disability, one that appears in adolescence. Do you next plan to argue that, say, acne meds cause schizophrenia? I doubt it. It's just that when the brain in certain individuals reaches a point in its development, schizophrenia manifests itself. Isn't it just possible that the same thing is true of a form of autism, that it manifests itself at 18-24 months of age, at the same time that many vaccinations are given?

[Olerist]

We watched our son change in the first 24 hours after he received 4 vaccines.

Mercury, aluminum, glutamic acid, junk RNA left over from the host material, mutated viral strains or the combinations of all those factors...something from those vaccines triggered the change in him and caused considerable damage.

Funny how the AAP tells doctors to demand controlled double-blind and replicated studies when telling parents what treatments to use for autism but dont hold that same standard to the vaccines they give out or the psychiatric drugs used to "manage" autism.

No double blind studies comparing vaccinated to unvaccinated populations on any of the vaccines.

No long term studies looking at the effects from vaccinating.

Why do vaccines and their components not receive the same scrutiny as other medications?

[NYCBear]

This is just like the problems with vinegar in the late 1800s.

At the time, local American vinegars were thought to be safe, but today we know the truth. Nearly 100% of Americans who ate pickles made with American vinegar in the late 1800s died; the correlation of vinegar use with death on a mass scale is incontrovertible.

Heinz and other pickle manufacturers refuse to address this serious food safety issue, but facts are facts.

[Quaoar]

"If the debate over vaccines and autism is over, then why did the Feds appoint two people to this important new panel who will relentlessly push for more taxpayer dollars going into research of vaccines and autism?"

Global warming deniers have been appointed to high level positions, and creationists have been appointed to state education boards. Appointments are often made on a political basis, not a scientific one. I don't think that the composition of a panel has anything to do with scientific reality.

[Gatogorra]

Last of 3 part post:

(Continued) The drugs can't explain the autism epidemic. But it could explain possibly a small piece of why the numbers aren't dropping as predicted at the supposed removal of thimerosal from vaccines. Take out a little thimerosal but add a slew of other potent neurotoxins and what happens? Add in the other small or not-so-small pieces, such as flu shots in pregnancy and for infants, the influx of children to California from other, less-progr­am-generou­s states and from countries with full hg vaxes and the other factors mentioned in Mr. Kirby's illuminating post and it gets interesting.

Antidepressants, anxiolytics and particularly stimulants and neuroleptics can all cause gross brain malfuctions, brain cell death (they all do this, which is part of why behavior initially may appear to improve on the drugs: a side effect of apoptosis is euphoria), damage to language and social development, robotic behavior, flattening of affect, psychosis, akathisia, insomnia, eating disorders, obsessions, self-harm (cutting, head-banging, hair pulling, suicidality, violence), impulsiveness, blood-brain and gut permeability (neuroleptics and stimulants and some say SSRIs), gross ticks, minor ticks, reduction in empathy, seizures, changes to neurendocrines and glucose metabolism and the list goes on. Sound familiar?

[Gatogorra]

2 of 3 part post:

(Continued) The effects of these policies are evident. Activist Ben Hansen, for example, did an FOIA request of Michigan Medicaid and uncovered a 100% increase in psychiatric drug-induced movement disorders among children within a ten month period in 1996. This is very much in line with what Carole Keeton-Strayhorn, Texas comptroller, discovered among over-drugged Texas foster children as young as three, all casualities of the corrupt Texas Medication Algorithm Program (T-MAP) begun under Bush’s New Freedom Initiative. Also, there's evidence that the 40 fold epidemic in bipolar disorder is at least partly due to polypharmacy- or the practice of attributing psychiatric drug-induced mania to the patient-bl­aming/drug­-defending theory that the drugs actually "uncover underlying inherant disorder".

Strange the most cases of mental illness were "unipolar" prior to the use of antidepressants in institutions in 1959, when rates of bipolarity suddenly went through the roof. I do think that sub-clinical forms of vaccinosis are misdiagnosed as “bipolarity” and I know for a fact that autistic children are diagnosed with “comorbid” bipolarity even prior to drug treatment (as this is often the excuse to drug), and that this accounts for at least a portion of the so-named “bipolar epidemic”. But again, it’s important to bear in mind that the epidemic of prescription drug-induced mania was growing prior to and preceeded the autism epidemic.

With more and more children being psychiatrically drugged at younger and younger ages for the merest (and subjectively determined) stereotypies, compulsions and behavioral or sleep disorders- children who may not have qualified for a classic autism diagnosis prior to the addition of drugs- I've wondered if this isn't reducing the number of kids that might have, without the drugs, gotten a bit better or a lot better on their own or through alternative medical interventions. (continued)

[Gatogorra]

1 of 3 part post:

I’m not ready to give up on thimerosal as a prime trigger because of questions I’ve learned to ask from posts by David Kirby and Dan Olmstead: where’s the independent testing of vaccines to see how much hg has actually been “reduced” or “removed”? How does prenatal thimerosal exposure from flu shots effect the rates? What’s the uptake on flu shots in pregnancy?

When something like an autism epidemic happens, the logical thing to look for is what’s changed in children’s exposures, of course. I also think that, when an epidemic is not decreasing as predicted by the best available science, it’s also logical to look for what’s changed. So we can't forget psychiatric drugs. The government could accurately aim its reductionist "makes it worse" argument at some of the drugs being given to children, particularly children with "symptoms of autism", at alarming rates.

Afterall, Risperdal was approved in children for the “symptoms” not just the disorder itself, a fact which not only profitably increases the niche market but has encouraged an increase in the off-label prescribing of antipsychotics and other drugs in anticipation that they will all eventually be approved for children anyway- and approved for the very youngest of children. It's already in the works. (continued)

[TimKasemodel]

David,

Great article. As expected the misinformed (misinforming???) are on the job. Doxyluv13 is an prime example of those who either speak before researching or choose to omit the facts to fit their beliefs.


"1. There has not been a decrease in autism since thimerosol was removed from children's vaccines. This is epidemiologically a huge nail in the coffin of the "mercury hypothesis".


Mercury has NEVER been removed from the infant vaccine schedule. Melinda Wharton from the CDC was very careful in her response to such a question recently - she mentions "the PRESERVATIVE thimerosal" was removed from the "childhood" vaccines - a true, but misleading statement, considering the questioner asked why "thimerosal" was removed. Public Health officials are very good at this doublespeak. Babies continue to get vaccines such as Tripedia and Hep B containing trace level mercury even today - PROVE ME WRONG IF YOU CAN. The Flu vaccine was heavily promoted for pregnant women and infants at the same time as preservative level infant vaccines were running low, and we know how many of those were 25 mcg mercury.

"2. Outreach and screening programs are identifying kids with autism earlier when they've had fewer vaccinations."

FEWER VACCINATIONS???? What planet do you live on???

"3. 90% of autistic people have close genetic relatives with the disorder, pointing to predominately genetic cause."

My wife and I come from big families. From each of our maternal and fraternal gradparents on down to the newest of my cousin's kids and grandkids there are nearly 400 of us. EXACTLY ONE CASE OF AUTISM. There is one with down syndrome, one with a depressive disorder and one case of "recovered" ADD. Maybe anecdotal, but I would like to see where doxyluv came up with "90%" - I have done a lot of research and never came up with that one....

[Stagmom]

A beautiful blonde woman with a big mouth and a NYT best seller will make certain that the path you've hacked out of the forest of obfuscation remains clear and well traveled. I mean Mizz Jenny McCarthy, of course.

The train has left the station and you, dear David, are the man who put the "tiger in the tank" (showing my age!) with Evidence of Harm. We'll never forget that. Thank you, David.

Kim Stagliano
HuffPo Contributor
Mom to 3 girls with autism
Managing editor:
www.ageofautism.com