Vaccines, Infants and Court

Numerous scientific studies have proven that there is no link between vaccines and autism. However, sound science has not prevented people from claiming vaccines caused their child’s autism. Vaccine Court, or the Federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, settled two separate cases to children suffering various conditions earlier this year.  Although the cases had no merit, they have been misinterpreted because they were settled.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS), which is the defendant in vaccine court, conceded the cases because they couldn’t dedicate any more resources to defending them.

Huffington Post and the website VacTruth reported the case of Ryan Mojabi, a ten-year old boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Ryan received the MMR shot in December 2003 and left days after the shot for Tehran.   While in Tehran, he was admitted to the hospital with measles like rash, high fever and other symptoms.  The doctor in Tehran said the symptoms were most likely the result of the MMR vaccine.  It was determined he had encephalitis, a swelling of the brain, and later he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The case was unpublished, so the information surrounding Ryan’s vaccination and autism struggle is limited.  However, it was noted that despite his adverse reactions to the December 2003 vaccine and subsequent hospitalization while overseas, that he continued to receive vaccines through 2005.  It was also noted that he had adverse reactions following all of the vaccinations.  These two statements raised a lot of questions for Vaccine Watch. 

The second case involves a little girl named Emily Moller.  Her case has been in court for the last ten years, since her mother claimed that the DTaP vaccine Emily received at 15 months led to a seizure disorder, encephalitis and later, a diagnosis of ASD.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes that autism is an urgent health concern and supports comprehensive research.  CDC is focusing on understanding ASD, advancing research for causes and treatments, and improving early detection.  There are still many unknowns about autism, including if encephalitis and autism are linked.

Natural Society reported a third case, where a family was awarded $475,000 after their daughter died from an auto-immune disease they claim was caused by the hepatitis b vaccine.  Natural Society argues that the hepatitis b vaccine should not be given because there are too many risks.

The CDC website states that 12.5 million Americans have been infected with hepatitis b at some point in their lifetime.  This serious virus can lead to chronic liver disease and liver cancer.  Lifelong infections are more probable in those infected during infancy. 

CDC states that vaccination continues so that diseases can’t make a comeback. While autism is more common than it once was, numerous studies have proven that vaccines and autism are not linked. Parents should discuss any concerns they have with their child’s pediatrician.

Jenny McCarthy and The View

ABC News made headlines this week when they announced that anti-vaccine advocate Jenny McCarthy is joining the popular daytime show the View as a host in September. McCarthy has been linked to the anti-vaccine movement for over ten years, claiming a vaccine caused her son’s autism. 

McCarthy has been so outspoken on the topic that a website tracking the number of illnesses and deaths caused by the anti-vaccine movement has the domain name www.jennymccarthybodycount.com. With 1,170 preventable deaths between June 3, 2007 and June 22, 2013 and over 118,000 preventable illnesses, vaccine advocates are concerned about McCarthy’s new platform to spread her views.

The View caters to mothers and the credibility of host Barbara Walters and others influences the decisions many people make.  Over twenty studies have proven that there is no link between vaccines and autism. On the contrary, vaccines are the most effective instruments of public health. However, talented speakers like McCarthy can spread their scientific illiteracy through media quickly; McCarthy already has a book and will now regularly have television as another venue.

Michael Specter of The New Yorker states, “It is understandable that people would suspect vaccines are a cause of autism; parents often first notice developmental problems when their children are about eighteen months old, the same time they often receive several vaccinations. Causation and correlation are often confused, however as many studies have demonstrated. (Assuming that events that happen at the same time are connected can lead to serious misconceptions: over the last decade, for example the rise in the sales of organic food in the United States has mirrored the growth in autism rates almost exactly. No sane person would suggest that those facts are related.)”

“By preaching her (McCarthy’s) message of scientific illiteracy from one end of this country to the other, she has helped make it possible for people to turn away from rational thought. And that is deadly,” Specter concludes.

The anti-vaccine movement has been blamed for recent outbreaks of measles and whooping cough. Communities across the world are working to increase education and vaccination rates. Wendy Sue Swanson is a pediatrician in Seattle and believes it will take decades to recover from the anti-vaccine movement. “In the medical community, we’ll work to undo myths around vaccine safety for the rest of our lives, in part because of Ms. McCarthy,” she states.

Vaccine Watch encourages parents to make their decisions about vaccines with the help of pediatricians and sound science, not Hollywood.

New Study: Autism and Vaccines Not Linked

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new study in March that proves there is no connection between the number of vaccines a child received and his or her risk of autism spectrum disorder. The study also showed that even though more vaccines are administered, today’s vaccines contain fewer substances that provoke an immune response.

Frank DeStefano is the director of the Immunization Safety Office of the CDC and led the study. The CDC researchers compared the vaccine histories of 250 children who had autism spectrum disorder with those of 750 typical kids, looking at antigens. Antigens are substances in vaccines (also naturally found in bacteria or viruses) that cause the body to produce antibodies, proteins that help fight off infections.

DeStefano noted that the antigens from vaccines received during the first two years of life weren’t related to the development of autism spectrum disorder. It was also proved that there are fewer antigens in today’s vaccines. In the late-1990s there were several thousand antigens in vaccines, but today’s vaccine schedule only contains 315, because vaccines have become much more precise.

“The sad part is, by focusing on whether vaccines cause autism spectrum disorders, they’re missing the opportunity to look at what the real causes [of autism] are. It’s not vaccines,” states Ellen Wright Clayton, a pediatrics professor at Vanderbilt University who works with the Institute of Medicine.

Geraldine Dawson, the top scientist for Autism Speaks, an advocacy and research group, noted that the study results should clear the way for research on other potential causes of autism. Other causes of autism may include: nutrition (which can affect a baby’s brain development in the womb), medications and infections during pregnancy, or an infant’s exposure to pesticides or pollution.

Dawson concludes: “As we hone in on what is causing autism, I think we are going to have fewer and fewer questions about some of these things that don’t appear to be causing autism.”

Vaccine Watch encourages parents to carefully review the CDC study and consult with their child’s pediatrician to make informed choices.

Review of Vaccines and Autism

In February, the Liberty Beacon posted about a scientific review on the theoretical causes of abortion. Citing the 2011 article in the Journal of Immunotoxicology entitled “Theoretical aspects of autism: Causes—A review” written by Helen Ratajczak, the post claims that vaccines and autism are related.

Ratajczak is a retired senior scientist from a pharmaceutical firm who reviewed the body of published science since autism was first described in 1943. She states that autism is the result of genetic defects and/or inflammation of the brain, and discusses vaccine-related culprits. One culprit, she claims, is that the immune system is tricked into associating harmful viruses with human DNA.

“Because it’s human DNA and recipients are humans, there’s homologous recombinaltion tiniker. That DNA is incorporated into the host DNA. Now it’s changed, altered self and body kills it. Where is this most expressed? The neurons of the brain. Now you have body killing the brain cells and it’s an ongoing inflammation. It doesn’t stop, it continues through the life of that individual,” Ratajczak states.

The article in the Journal of Immunotoxicology continues that 92% of children have been given vaccines made using aborted fetal cell lines. According to Liberty Beacon, the polio, measles, mumps and rubella, chickenpox, hepatitis A and rabies vaccines all contain aborted fetal tissue.

Dr. Jay L. Wile counters this argument: “…it is impossible for vaccines (or any other injected medicine) to contain human tissue. The reason is simple: if you are injected with anything containing tissue from another person, your body will immediately recognize it as an invader and begin attacking it. The immune response is often quite radical and can easily lead to death! That is why blood from a donor to a recipient must be carefully matched before the recipient can receive it. Thus, there is no human tissue of any kind in vaccines.”

Dr. Wile continues to point out that the vaccines listed above are grown in human cells and the anti-vaccine movement has latched onto that and created a lie. The cells used to grow the vaccines have been used for 35 years, as they are continually reproducing and creating more cells.

“This (the article in the Journal of Immunotoxicology) is a review of theories. Science is based on facts. To draw conclusions on effects of an exposure on people, you need data on people. The data on people do not support that there is a relationship. As such, any speculation about an explanation for a (non-existing) relationship is irrelevant,” states Dr. Brian Strom of the University of Pennsylvania.

Gaia Health and How Vaccines Cause Chronic Illness in Children

On the website Gaia Health, Heidi Stevenson blogs about the environment, natural health and vaccines, among other things.  In a recent blog post she reports that vaccines are responsible for an increase in chronic illness facing U.S. children.

The study Gaia Health cites in the blog post did not focus on chronic illness.  It was published in 2010 and focused on the leading health problems for U.S. children in relation to insurance disparities and across-state variations.  This study focused on finding out whether privately and publicly insured children both had access to adequate health care and noted where improvements could be made.

Gaia Health misused the statistics published in the study and distorts them to support their theory that vaccinations cause chronic health issues.  The only supporting documentation provided were other blog posts written by Gaia Health.

The actual 2010 study cited lists overweight/obese as the largest health concern facing children. Yet, Gaia Health conveniently ignores this fact. While Gaia Health admits that there are issues of pollution and toxin exposures also contributing to the increase in disease, the article then lays the rest of the blame on vaccines.

Gaia Health fails to discuss lifestyle changes of children that contribute to the illnesses listed in the study.  Children who play video games instead of playing outside, or eat fast food and junk food instead of fruits and vegetables are leading a lifestyle that will contribute to obesity issues and therefore chronic illnesses.  Gaia Health fails to acknowledge this reality.

The blog also blames vaccines for diabetes, autism, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other issues.  It concludes by discrediting government agencies and claiming everyone related to science knows this but don’t want to find out because they are making money from vaccines.

By taking a sound scientific study and distorting it to fit an anti-vaccine agenda, Gaia Health is spreading misinformation about vaccines and health issues.   Those reading blog posts by Gaia Health and similar sources should pay attention to the statements made, and check sources.  All too often, the truth is altered to serve an anti-vaccine agenda and cause unnecessary panic.

Politics, Autism and Vaccines

Politicians are frequently holding hearings and looking for more information on problems that arise in society.  Unfortunately, not all politicians have the best interest of their constituents at the top of their agendas.

Politics and vaccines made headlines earlier this month when the Committee on Oversight and Reform had a hearing about the Federal response to rising rates of autism.  Congressman Dan Burton from Indiana was at the hearing and spoke about his personal views on mercury in vaccines causing autism.  The problem with his statements was that thousands of scientists have proved Burton incorrect over the past decade.

Congressman Burton cannot be discredited for his interest in autism.  In the late 1990s, his grandson was diagnosed with autism, and his interest in finding the cause of autism is genuine.

However, using his position as an elected official to perpetuate untruths and scare people into not vaccinating their children is unacceptable.  Steven Salzberg is a professor at the John Hopkins School of Medicine and wrote:  “Burton is a firm believer in the myth that vaccines cause autism, and he arrogantly holds the position that he knows the truth better than the thousands of scientists who have spent much of the past decade doing real science that proves him wrong.”

The committee did call scientists Alan Guttmacher from the National Institute of Health and Colleen Boyle from the Centers for Disease Control to testify at the hearing.  But the committee didn’t really want to hear what Guttmacher or Boyle had to say.  Instead, they lectured the scientists and offered rapid-fire questions that were often bad science claims in statement form.  When the scientist tried to answer, committee members cut them off.

Is this really how our elected officials serve the best interests of their constituents?

At one point during the hearing, Burton stated:  “I’m convinced that the mercury in vaccinations is a contributing factor to neurological diseases such as autism.”  Burton is wrong.  Dozens of studies involving hundreds of thousands of children have proved there is no link between mercury and autism, or between vaccines and autism.   Studies have actually proven that autism rates are slightly higher in unvaccinated children.

Burton and other committee members continued to make false statements that have been proven wrong by sound science for the duration of the hearing.  Vaccine Watch is stunned that these elected officials have all of the facts, continue to ignore them, and perpetuate lies and fear in the public record. 

As citizens, we have a responsibility to demand the truth.   We want Congress to conduct oversight in medical research and help us find answers.  Congressmen who abuse that power have no place in the system. 

Vaccines save lives.  Recent outbreaks of the whooping cough, measles, chicken pox, mumps, and haemophilus in the United States and Europe could have been prevented if people like Dan Burton weren’t scaring parents with lies and convincing them not to get their children vaccinated.  Vaccine Watch encourages everyone to do their own research using sound scientific resources.