Hannah Poling

Until now, estimates of mitochondrial disease rates have held steady at about 1-in-4000 people. A new study shows that 20 times that number have genetic mutations that could cause the disease.

As someone who refuses to concede that there is no link between vaccines and autism, I now have a semi tongue-in-cheek response to my once and future critics: "Go tell it to Dr. Healy."

A new, additional theory of causation is about to be introduced in Vaccine Court: Vaccines can trigger a chain of events in children with mitochondrial dysfunction that causes autism.

No matter who is President next year, top government researchers will be examining the role of vaccines in autism and other childhood illnesses.

The real problem here is the track record and credibility of the CDC to continue conducting any vaccine safety studies at all.

Hardly a month passes without another news report questioning the credibility, scientific independence, and integrity of the nation's premier health agency.

An autism diagnosis knocks our kids so far out of the medical realm that they lose many of their rights to proper investigative medical care. Every behavior is attributed to "their autism" and virtually dismissed.

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.