On the possible fallout from vaccine court
A New York Times editorial highlights the direct result of the verdict of the “vaccine court“—-and also the wider effect of this judgement on parents’ views towards vaccination in their young children.
The vaccine court will be addressing the narrow issue of whether these families deserve compensation from a national vaccine injury fund. But the proceedings will inevitably affect all parents’ attitudes toward the measles vaccine and toward pediatric vaccinations in general.
The New York Times points out—as have others—-that the science presented in the court disputes that there is a link. (Reports on the hearings about Michelle Cedillo’s GI system can be read at Autism Diva and on the ACHAMP Blog—-”ACHAMP” being an acronym for “Advocates for Children’s Health Afflicted by Mercury Poisoning.”) Despite every report of scientific proof, many will dismiss the science; anti-vaccine advocates will pull out a new piece of research or evidence, or some loophole; will offer up some new correlation. Concerns about vaccines are very much on the minds of parents of young children—”what causes autism” is listed as a “controversial topic” on Babble, a website for parents of babies and young children—science may be having its day in court, but those who claim that there is a link between vaccines or something in vaccines and their child’s autism have certainly gotten theirs views out.
Why does there continue to be so much interest in the causes of autism—-too often, one fears, over and above interest in the lives of autistic people themselves?
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POSTED IN: Cause, Legal Issues, Parenting, Vaccines
21 opinions for On the possible fallout from vaccine court
MomtoJBG
Jun 24, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Just this morning, someone offered to bring me some articles about mercury and autism (a woman I hardly know, who is very sweet and well-meaning).
Right now if I find time to read articles, it’s something about how to help the twins move forward, become more connected and learn about their world. I really have almost zero interest in figuring out why they have autism.
Why not put all this energy (and money!) into training teachers and funding education?
Raven
Jun 24, 2007 at 3:25 pm
I Find it interesting that there is a push for the removal of mercury as a cure for something that probably can’t regenerate its cells. The next thing I find interesting is that those who seek compensation through the courts are there because the decision will be based on whether their arguments are plausible, and NOT scientific findings.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 24, 2007 at 3:38 pm
When one points out the science disputing a link, one often hears the same phrases in retort, such as “how can people knowingly inject a known neurotoxin into an infant”?
A few months ago a friend passed on an article about vaccines and chelation that someone had given to her to give to us; the article was said to have some “new treatment.” But when I say the word “special education” people seem to draw back a bit, say “oh yes,” and sometimes change the topic.
María Luján
Jun 24, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Hi Kristina
I do think that the topic is much more complex-even from that was presented in the court, from what I could read.
The discussion has been centered in thimerosal/MMR yes/no and IMHO, from the testimonies, there are a lot of new questions I have unanswered and I do not understand why all the issue has been presented such as it was.
In fact, I have problems with both group of testimonies because of a personal view. However I do think that the research on concomitant medical problems to a diagnosis SHOULD be more funded- and now more than ever.
AND also more funds for education/ teaching-but not only.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 24, 2007 at 4:41 pm
María,
Yes—it seems not quite right that a scientific issue is being “judged” in court after the questionings and cross-examinations by lawyers.
mcewen
Jun 24, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Help - I am but a mere foreigner! It isn’t autism, there’s no such thing, it is but bad parenting,using feeble excuses for the appalling behaviour of their out of control children - help internet cafe dying.
Cheers
Please could somebody prod me when my son decides that he would like to communicate verbally again - sometime this century!
Yes - I do know that I’m lucky that he speaks at all, but days are passing and there’s not a syllable!
mysonsdad
Jun 24, 2007 at 5:03 pm
mcewen, just curious.
What planet are you from?
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 24, 2007 at 5:05 pm
This is to mcewen—you are still on “vacation/holiday,” no?
Sure, autism is just a “trendy diagnosis” that slacker parents use as an “excuse”………. not.
Selective mutism going on? Is it the change of country? An undiagnosed sore throat? (Just thought I would ask.)
Joe Mele
Jun 24, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Dr. Chew
I am having a hard time to grasp what you are trying to say here in the quote below. Too little interest in the lives of autistic people or too much?
thanks
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Why does there continue to be so much interest in the causes of autism—-too often, one fears, interest in the lives of autistic people themselves?
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 24, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Joe,
A phrase got left out somehow from the sentence—-as of now, it should be clearer.
MaryAnna
Jun 25, 2007 at 11:19 am
I have a similar question — why are there so many parents willing to accept the damage done to their children without fighting?
It’s not just the vaccines — although many a parent can tell you literally the day, time and weather when their child started to regress, and for many it was shortly after their MMR shot.
Our food is being processed into absolute nothingness, our air is poisoned with pollution (www.scorecard.org) our waterways are polluted, our system just keeps on drugging the population and corporate farmers just keep on producing genetically modified foods. Then to top all that off, we inject known neurotoxins straight into the bloodstreams of our NEWBORNS.
Mercury and formaldyhyde(sp) are listed a cancer causing agents polluting our air on scorecard.org, but they are suitable for injection into our babies — how does that work exactly?
We are the sickest generations known to man — 31 known autoimmunity conditions — and more that are suspected to be recognized as AI conditions. Autism is forced on a new parent in America every 20 minutes, “Sorry for the news, but your child is autistic.”
How can you not want to look for a way to PREVENT IT?
writch
Jun 25, 2007 at 12:41 pm
MaryAnna-
I too would like to see continued attention on identification - and thus prevention - of Autism; that’s because there are degrees of the condition that are disabilitating.
That being said, as the father of a toddler labeled with moderate Autism, I doubt I’d want him ‘cured’ changed - he is so perfect and I don’t know which parts of him are NT or ND. And FWIW, the ‘diagnosis’ wasn’t “forced” on us and neither did they apologize with a “Sorry for the news….”
However there has to be a compromise from all camps, including those that celebrate the diversity of different thinkers and those that see it as a pandemic. Society has of yet to adjust in terms of adopting and adapting its institutions to include this growing segment of population (not just those with the label, but the families and friends bearing the economic cross).
Sure we could decry the condition of our environment and harness our outrage to nip the problem in the bud, but I’d rather spend what little extra time with my son, trying to hear what he has to say in whatever way he can say it. In the meantime, let those people “terrified” about Autism being “forced” on them wrestle the issues of causes.
So, to sing the refrain of Dr. Chew’s post: “Why does there continue to be so much interest in the causes of autism—-too often, one fears, over and above interest in the lives of autistic people themselves?”
Joe
Jun 25, 2007 at 1:44 pm
MaryAnna,
Sadly, my son did not regress. So your logic does not always apply. His social skills have always been lacking and so has his communication.
But then his vaccinations came after they started to take mercury out of them.
Every one is different, and not every autistic child develops the same way. I didn’t regress either, I just paused for several years and then suddenly woke up one morning one of Dr. Asperger’s “little professors.”
MaryAnna
Jun 25, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Joe:
I agree, every case is different. I would question your wife’s vaccination history, whether or not she rec’d the rhogram (sp) shot while pregnant, or any other vaccines, did she breastfeed and does she have a high level of mercury in her own body either via mercury fillings or via vaccines — that mercury will pass right through the breastmilk. I would also point out that there are currently three known vaccines that do still contain mercury, in corporate speak — “in trace amounts” and the flu vaccine being one.
Also, in states like NJ you can simply breathe in mercury on a daily basis. It’s a cesspool of pollution and the highest state in the nation with autism. In fact, recent news articles talk about teachers in a particular school who, since the 1970s, have had a high level of children with autism and other developmental disorders — the school is very close to a dumping site, google it.
In addition, stocks of vaccines with “mercury” as a known ingredient were still stocked and used until that stock ran out. They are also still available.
Many people use a study from Japan that shows no decrease in autism when they started vaccinating after two years old, but if you look at the chart closely you’ll see that the rise of cases is shortly after the last of the vaccines would have been used up as “in stock” vaccines. Then there is a decline.
Of course every one is different, that is the biggest part of my point. We are weakening our own systems and literally breeding out our immune systems, IMO.
Good luck Joe, and there are dietary changes and chelation that have helped some people.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 25, 2007 at 2:10 pm
MaryAnneMaryAnna,(writing to you from the “cesspool” of the nation where we do a good job at teaching autistic children like my Misouri-born son)–I have written about Northvale NJ and the high prevalence rate for NJ, Autism is an epidemic, New Jersey is toxic, and other urban myths.
Master's Degree MaryAnna
Jun 25, 2007 at 2:40 pm
I read your first Northvale post, but I fail to see your point. There is testing being done at the school due to the over abundance of teachers who have children with issue? Right?
I don’t have time right this second to read the second one, and I apologize for calling your state a cesspool. I am referring to the pollution, not the people, clearly.
If you go to scorecard.org you can put in the zip code of the school, which I would love for you to post so I could look it up as well. Maybe seeing how polluted it is for yourself will help.
Again, I’m not sure what to say, since there wasn’t an actual question in your post.
And it’s MaryAnna — not MaryAnne
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 25, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Apologies regarding your name—-I will correct that. I have been following the reports about pollution, testing, and so forth. I am actally from California; New Jersey, again, provides very good services and education for autistic children. And Jersey jokes are a whole genre unto themselves!
Minnie Matta
Jun 25, 2007 at 3:13 pm
“anti-vaccine advocates will pull out a new piece of research or evidence”
I notice that you have used the term “anti-vaccine advocates” in some of your recent posts.
Most of the people you label as anti-vaccine are actually pro-safe-vaccine.
These parents are advocating for safe vaccines -vaccines without harmful chemicals and toxins.
If they were anti-vaccine, they would not be going to the trouble to separate MMR vaccines for their children, and/or trying to pass laws to keep mercury out of vaccines.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 25, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Minnie, that is a great way to put it, if one wishes to articulate views in a positive framework.
Joe
Jun 25, 2007 at 3:22 pm
MaryAnna,
His mother did not get any shots of any kind. She breast feed him AND his older NT sister. Her family is also about as NT as they get. Autism runs in MY family, and has for many generations, so much so that I was considered a normal boy by my family. A family that could not understand why the schools saw me as a problem, or why they tried to label me as MR when I was clearly very intelligent.
I tried the “diet” changes pushed by the biomedical cause camp. Got very little benefit for way too much effort, and it didn’t make me any less autistic, just a little more focused about half the time. I can get that on my own by stimming as needed. Much easier than spending hours a week trying to avoid certain foods that are in just about everything.
Regina
Mar 6, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Maryanna-just to let you know I very much agree with you and support your stance on toxins, pollutants, etc. Just wanted to let you know there are people that are open minded than most. I don’t usually post on this website because it tends to be one sided which is not helpful when it comes to autism or research of any kind for that matter. Good day!
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