A big autism bomb went off yesterday, about how US medical personnel had determined that vaccines had aggravated a little girl's mitochondrial disorder, resulting in autism. Now, the American people are left to interpret what it all means.
Here is a handy guide. You can:
A) Blindly trust what government officials are saying (or not saying)
or
B) Invest 30 minutes in the future of your nation's young people (do it now, over a nice, warm latte!) and go Google for yourself.
OPTION A:
Yesterday, Dr Paul E. Jarris, Executive Director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) sent an email to his colleague, Anna DeBlois, on how officials should respond to the glaring headlines emanating from Atlanta.
"You may have seen the recent media interest in a vaccine-autism lawsuit which was settled by the federal government," he wrote. Apparently, someone in the federal government had reached Dr. Jarris and told him to pass on the following (internal) explanation:
The case was settled because the vaccine worsened the child's underlying and previously undiagnosed disorder, causing impaired brain function. These symptoms of impaired brain function then led to an autism spectrum disorder. The federal government maintains that vaccines do not cause autism, and that this case does not indicate any change in their position on the issue.
TRANSLATION (An Anti-Syllogism): "Vaccines cause brain impairment, and brain impairments cause autism. Therefore vaccines do not cause autism."
Meanwhile yesterday, back in Washington, Bush administration officials would not comment on the case, saying they needed permission, "from the person who submitted the information" to the court.
TRANSLATION (Auto-Censorship): "We really, really want to explain WHY we folded like a tent without so much as a whisper of a defense, but that would require asking permission from our lawyer (the DOJ), which we are unwilling to do.
And most recently, CDC Director Julie Gerberding told the media that the American people need to "set aside this very isolated, unusual situation," even though "the court apparently made the decision that it is fair to say that vaccinations may have been one of the precipitators."
TRANSLATION: (Middlebrow Bureaucratese) "I am either an exceedingly ignorant, untruthful or misleading Director, because there is no evidence at all that this situation is 'isolated and unusual' (indeed, the evidence points to the opposite), and because the court 'decision' was not made by the court at all, but rather by medical doctors who work for the US Secretary of Health and Human Services," otherwise known as Dr. Gerberding's boss.
OPTION B)
Google "autism and mitochondria," (96,900 hits) and then Google "mercury and mitochondria," (169,000 hits) and draw your own, informed conclusions.
Now, enjoy your coffee (and your good citizenship).
PS: The next time someone tells you that this girl does not have autism, but only the "symptoms" of autism, you tell them that the definition of autism is having the symptoms of autism. Period. Hannah Poling has autism as defined by every medical book, on every shelf, in every library -- including at the colleges where all these government officials received their degrees.
It's possible to point out a logical fallacy or false statement without resorting to personal attack. I too will try to be more repectful.
In the spirit of team building, political solidarity, and reconciliation, I would like to offer four simple statements that I think we can all agree on.
1. Anecdotes are unreliable
2. The scientific method is the best way that we know for separating the wheat of truth from the chaff of nonsense
3. Correlation is not the same as causation
4. Health care fraud is a serious problem, and the bad guys prey on people who don't understand the first three points.
Discuss.
My only concern is the focus on mercury preservative as the basic culprit. The toxins that vaccines are made out of can cause all the devlopmental delays and leaky gut that happens, without the intrusion of thimerosol.
For a run-down of vaccine ingredients and to find out what the drug manufacturers do not want us to know, check out http://vaccinerisksreport.com.
Thank you again to David Kirby for keeping a good eye on the government goings on, without which we may not have found out about the amazing result in the Hannah Poling case.
I love your posts. Thank you for sharing such great content with us.
I linked to one of your posts on my own blog (hope that is ok), as vaccines are a huge interest and passion of mine.
Thankfully a loved one caught my interest on the vaccine controversy, and studied up on it before my first was born. Both of my children are vaccine-free, and it is my intention to keep them that way.
The posts that you make keep me encouraged, and lead me to believe that I am doing the right thing. For that, I thank you.
http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080307/LIFE/803070318/1004
and
http://www.washingtonindependent.com/view/recent-vaccine
Thank you so much for covering this story and for all that you do. Thank you for standing up and speaking out on this.
One of our twin boys was recently diagnosed with ASD on Aug 13 2007 shortly after they turned 4 years old. This is how WE learned about Autism:
http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/664709
If I could only turn back the hands of time and had the courage to demand they spread out the vaccines that were given to the twins. Recently I had to take Cameron in because his cold worsened. The Kaiser Dr raked me over the coals for not having the the twins given the "tainted" Flu Vaccine.
I said "I know the difference, and this is NOT the flu" She replies back "Well we'll see about that!" She checks him and says "Oh ok, he has pneumonia and a slight ear infection"
I snapped back saying " So your FLU VACCINE would NOT have prevented this! Right?"
I have no clue if this has something to do with ALL the many vaccines given to him that slowly but surely changed our son. All I know is the diagnosis is AUTISM and that our insurance coverage either barely covers or will NOT cover much of the needed therapies he needs. I recently called to question their clause LIMIT OF "20 therapy visits per calendar year, per family member " Even their pediatrician has recommended many of these therapies for Cameron.
Kaiser Membership services replied "Well there is no cure for Autism"
I was livid and said, "Well there is no absolute cure for Cancer, AIDS and Diabetes, but you still cover for those treatments!"
Just ticks me off that month after month, year after year, of paying for Health / Medical Insurance that we RARELY ever used, but now when we need to use it for Cameron, they refuse to help.
I am so sick of being bullied, threatened, must do as they say or else crap with these vaccines.. like the recent run in with that Dr. on the Flu Vaccine. We've felt like WE have no say in any of this and that we must go with the flow and not cause waves or else.
Keep up the awesome work David!
WE THANK YOU!
Cindy, Chris, and the Twins: Andrew & Cameron
The CDC is the only government agency specifically allowed by Congress to accept individual payments from the companies that benefit from their public policy decisions. Of course they maintain that there is no connection. However, if you had been paid extra "honorarium" for years for speaking engagements on behalf of a company wouldn't it influence your trust of the company and public policy decision making that would keep the checks coming.
Meanwhile, their decisions affect our kids. If they seem quick to react to this story - it is not just because of public health concerns. The CDC is immensely worried the gravy train is coming to an end.
One was the Thimerosal question. The other was the number of vaccines administered (nine) at Hannah's 18 month visit. Many of us are quite concerned that infants and toddlers are receiving dozens of vaccines before the age of three. We're questioning if this is asking a young, underdeveloped immune system to create too many antibodies too fast. ( Not to mention America's obession with cleanliness - which studies have shown to lower our natural immunity, the kind Mother Nature designed for us, not the kind the comes in vaccines.)
We are also asking about the other ingredients in the shots and the volume of those ingredients.
I recently read the Gardasil literature from Merck - it states that the vaccine was not tested with the eighteen other vaccines with which it could be given at an office visit. The young woman might need a Tetanus booster (25mcg Hg) or a Hep B for travel or a Meningitis vaccination for college. Gardasil was studied and tested in a vaccuum.
A pediatrician will tell a Mom, "Tylenol is safe. Motrin is safe. But alternate the doses, don't give them together." That's reasonable. But vaccines, sometimes 7, 8 or 9 in a visit go in all at once. And no one knows if this is a problem because it hasn't been studied.
So the Thimerosal is in question, as are several other ingredients and vigor of the schedule itself.
Best,
Kim Stagliano
HuffPo blogger
Managing Editor www.ageofautism.com
THIMEROSAL is not OUT of vaccines.
How do we know?
Because the AUTISM rate is going haywire.
Why dont we get exact analyses of mercury in vaccines?
They just pulled one load of vaccines and admitted they had little faults.
Like destroying your HEART.
But the best is yet to come.
The stocks they are destroying go back for DECADES.
So how do we know mercury is out after a mere 3 years?
We MIGHT just get rid of mercury vaccines by 20 20.
And WE might get perfect vision of why we got AUTISM sky high in the 1990 - 2010 period.
And I wasn't being sarcastic. I really would like to see where you got your information.
No wonder the brain shuts down. I think these doctors have forgotten what these innoculations do to the body and that a 5 year old doesn't have a fully formed brain to with stand the onslot of that many vaccines at once.
Please read this article from the Simons Foundation website which is finally dealing with a different aspect of autism more directly than before: http://www.simonsfoundation.org/news/father-s-advanced-age-feeds-autism-risk
process the paradox that a product intended to improve health is hurting some
children. I think this all changed on March 6th 2008.
Drug commercials routinely list side effects as well individuals who, with certain health issues should not take the drug. Why would vaccines be any different? The Government concession indicates the one size fits all recommended vaccine schedule may need to be re-examined.
I thought of this when on Larry King live, Sanjay Gupta was questioning the vaccine schedule and the use of multiple vaccines like the MMR. The AAP rep was shaking his head, but then they went to commercial......
The following Plavix ad described its benefits but then predictably went to on to side effects, then described conditions (read "underlying disorders") that would indicate "this medicine is not for you".
When they show came back on Larry King asked the AAP dude why he shook his head he basically said vaccines we safe for everyone and impied there are no conditions that would contradict this.
I think the average parent watching this may not believe that anymore...............
The Poling Family are heroes, especially beautiful Hannah.
Tim Kasemodel
This is your interpretation. Can you tell us what the rep's exact word are? That way some people can make up their own minds rather than count on another person's filtered message.
And don't say it's because of flu shots. Only 20% of the 3-5 yr olds had a flu shot before the age of three.
Back in 2005, Mr. Kirby said that if autism rates don't decline by Jan., 2007, then he would have to rethink the thimerosal hypothesis. That day came and went, and Mr. Kirby is still rethinkin'. That's why the Hannah Poling case is so exciting for him. It's his chance at redemption. We can all just forget about the California numbers now, and Mr. Kirby can get back to what he does best - junk science and fuzzy math.
I can't believe HuffPo hasn't seen through this guy. The only thing progressive about David Kirby is that each of his posts get progressively more ridiculous and unfounded. And the worst part of it is - Kirby knows he's selling nonsense.
1) Even though the Vaccine manufacturers have been asked to remove Thimerosal Mercury Poison vaccines "voluntarily", they never recalled the the vaccines that were made. As a result, Vaccines with Thimerosal Mercury Poison in them were given until 2004.
2) The vaccines given to Pregnant moms still contain harmful levels of Thimerosal Mercury Poison.
3) Flu shot, that is administered to millions of kids still contains Thimerosal Mercury Poison .
That means Thimerosal Mercury Poison was there and is there all along.
In 2004, I personally took a vial of DTaP containing 25 micrograms to my State Capitol in Florida to prove to legislators Thimerosal was indeed still in the pipeline.
The ban in California did not go into effect until 2006, based on that fact, there should NOT be a decline in autism until 2009/2010. In 2002 Thimerosal was REINTRODUCED into the schedule with the mercury laced flu vaccines recommended to pregnant women, (exposing mercury to the fetus) and infants.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) own website,(www.fda.gov/CBER/vaccine/thimerosal.htm ) mercury remains in one formulation of the DTaP vaccine, the pediatric version of the Hepatitis B vaccine, and three of the four formulations of the influenza vaccine normally administered to children and pregnant mothers – and in amounts that exceed FDA and Environmental Protection Agency safety guidelines.
In terms of all of the 43 currently manufactured U.S. licensed vaccines, mercury remains in 15 of them.
Sad, but true...
Leslie,
Mother to Lanier (9) who was repeatedly injected with bolus doses of mercury without her mothers knowledge.
Lanier has never uttered a word since she was16 months old...