Reporter Rips the Cover Off American Autism Epidemic

0 Comments | Insight on the News, July 8, 2003

Byline: INSIGHT

Reporter Rips the Cover Off American Autism Epidemic

Thank you so much for Kelly Patricia O'Meara's investigative article ["Vaccines May Fuel Autism Epidemic," June 24-July 7]. I am the mother of a child injured by vaccinations. Although my son is not autistic, he does suffer from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, emotional difficulties, violent outbursts and learning disabilities. He received his third diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine at age 1. That night he screamed and cried himself to sleep. By the next morning his left eye had turned inward. He became violent, agitated and very difficult to handle because of a short attention span and hyperactivity.

I did not correlate his symptoms to the vaccinations because as a registered nurse, I was taught that vaccines were safe. In fact, I was told by our pediatrician that I was to blame for my son's problems because of poor parenting skills. I almost believed him. Thank God a wonderful psychologist assured me that was not the case.

I did not realize the vaccinations were the culprit until my son received his measles, mumps and rubella booster at age 6. Within six months he had entered a special-needs school, where he remained for the next five years. Our life was made a living hell until we entered the realm of natural medicine.

This investigation made my day. Now I have more ammunition with which to arm myself when trying to educate patients about the dangers of vaccinations.

Treacy C. Hagan, R.N.

via the Internet

*

Five years ago I did some of my own research on this subject (prior to my son's birth) and was astonished at the information I found. Since then it has been a real battle to educate people, as they seem to subscribe to the "I don't want to question my doctor" theory instead of taking responsibility for their family's health. I see fear in people's eyes when the topic comes up. They have been told by people they trust and respect that if they do not vaccinate, their children are at risk of disease or even death.

I'm not interested in propaganda from either side, but I really appreciate hearing both sides of the story and trying to decipher the truth from that information. It is articles such as yours that make it easier for me to share that information.

Tiffani Wilson

Warsaw, Ind.

*

As a pediatric clinical nurse specialist, I have cautioned parents about being cognizant of all medications and prescriptions given to their children. Parents need to read labels, ask questions and be informed.

I agree that the incidence of autism is rising, although due to early recognition or the result of a direct cause I cannot say. But I hope this article will cause parents to be more cautious and more aware of their children's treatments instead of simply complying with everything that their physicians prescribe.

A.F. Kyle

via the Internet

*

This article was better than a breath of fresh air. It was filled with the possibilities for the future of so many children in this country. We so often get only the perspective penned by the pharmaceutical companies. They are a mighty power in Washington and have been instrumental in keeping much of this information hushed or twisting it around.

There are many fine scientists producing good research in this arena, and I hope with reporting such as this, the public's eyes will be opened and we can stop this epidemic before it gets much worse.

Leslie Davidson

via the Internet

*

I was surprised and dismayed to read an article riddled with inaccuracies that attributed misleading and muddied statements to me.

First, I need to emphasize that the prescribing information Aventis Pasteur provides physicians is accurate in all respects and correctly represents the product we supply. No provider would be confused or misled about the content of our vaccines from reading our documentation.

To clarify, Aventis Pasteur stopped using thimerosal as a preservative in DTaP vaccines as of March 2001. The product labeling, however, continued to reflect both the single-dose packaging (the preservative-free formulation) and the multidose packaging (the preservative-containing formulation). Although the multidose packaging no longer was sold by the company after March 2001, it likely remained on some health-care providers' shelves and, therefore, we were required to include it in our prescribing information. Now that the expiration date on the multidose vaccine has passed, Aventis Pasteur is in the process of revising the package insert to reference only the preservative-free formulation.

It is important to note that the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of pediatrics have concluded that there is no established scientific link between thimerosal, vaccines and autism, and no evidence to suggest that the thimerosal in these vaccines poses a public-health risk. In 1999, well-established medical authorities such as the Public Health Service and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended the removal of thimerosal, not because there was evidence of its toxicity to vaccine recipients, but to enhance public confidence in vaccines. They recognized, and we agree, that the priority was ensuring public confidence in the nation's vaccine supply to preserve public health.