A new investigation by CBS News attempts to clear up some of the confusion plaguing the long-running, fiery debate over whether there are links between autism and childhood vaccinations.
The issue has long pitted parents of affected children searching for answers against the vast majority of medical professionals who have argued that there are no links between vaccines and autism — and that suspicions parents raise about vaccine programs undermine public health efforts to protect children.
However, CBS’s investigation points out that, in rare instances, vaccines do cause life-altering brain-damage, known as “encephalopathy.” The government is not tracking how many families have brought cases based on such brain damage with autism-like symptoms, but in the past 20 years, CBS reports, more than 1,300 families have been compensated for vaccine-related cases of encephalopathy by the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, called the vaccine court for short.
Symptoms common to autistic children can be among the problems caused by encephalopathy, a point conceded even by pro-vaccine experts. But establishment medical opinion remains steadfast that attempts to link vaccines and autism are unfair.
“The fact that a person suffers autism and encephalopathy does not mean that the vaccine caused both of them,” says Dr. Brian Strom, a University of Pennsylvania doctor who spoke with CBS. “Even if it caused the encephalopathy, that may or may not have been the cause of the autism–those are two different questions.”
That sort of defense comes across as insensitive to distraught parents, who see it as glossing over the fact that, whatever you call the medical problem, their children suffer from significant cognitive problems that may ruin their lives.
The distinction between autism and encephalopathy can make all the difference in the world in the vaccine court. Attempts to win cases by directly blaming a vaccine for a child’s autism have been almost universally unsuccessful.
However, claiming that a vaccine caused encephalopathy typically brings better results. One attorney who represented the family of a girl who was diagnosed with brain damage and autism after receiving a vaccine, who spoke with CBS under the condition of anonymity, said:
“I purposely avoided mentioning ‘autism’ in the claim. Using [the child's] autism diagnosis would have dragged out the lawsuit for years. The point wasn’t to try to win the autism debate, it was to get this family the compensation they need to take care of their injured child.”
And, in fact, his clients won.
“That sort of defense comes across as insensitive to distraught parents”
And not just insensitive, but stupid and criminal.
Consider the formal position of HRSA on this as stated from their communications office to this journalist:
“From: Bowman, David (HRSA) [mailto:DBowman@hrsa.gov]
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 5:22 PM
To: ‘email hidden; JavaScript is required‘
Subject: HRSA Statement
David,
In response to your most recent inquiry, HRSA has the following
statement:
The government has never compensated, nor has it ever been ordered to
compensate, any case based on a determination that autism was actually
caused by vaccines. We have compensated cases in which children
exhibited an encephalopathy, or general brain disease. Encephalopathy
may be accompanied by a medical progression of an array of symptoms
including autistic behavior, autism, or seizures.
Some children who have been compensated for vaccine injuries may have
shown signs of autism before the decision to compensate, or may
ultimately end up with autism or autistic symptoms, but we do not track
cases on this basis.
Regards,
David Bowman
Office of Communications
Health Resources and Services Administration
301-443-3376″
Now pretend that the government was making the same argument against the relationship between gunshot wounds and death:
“From: Heston, Charlton(HRSA) [mailto:CHeston@hrsa.gov]
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 5:22 PM
To: ‘email hidden; JavaScript is required‘
Subject: HRSA Statement
Citizen,
In response to your most recent inquiry, HRSA has the following
statement:
The government has never compensated, nor has it ever been ordered to
compensate, any case based on a determination that death was actually
caused by gunshot. We have compensated cases in which people
exhibited a perforation, or general hole in the body. Perforation
may be accompanied by a medical progression of an array of symptoms
including bleeding, organ damage, or death.
Some people who have been compensated for gunshot injuries may have
shown signs of dying before the decision to compensate, or may
ultimately end up dead or with fatal symptoms, but we do not track
cases on this basis.
Regards,
Charlton Heston
Office of Communications
Gunshot Injury Compensation Program
Health Resources and Services Administration
301-443-3376″
It is horrendous!
HRSA freely admits that vaccines CAN cause autism, but that they don’t keep track if it does! In the “Age of Autism” where 1 in 100 is being diagnosed!
And every parent who walks into a doctors office is told “no association between vaccines and autism”. Like we were. Before our son regressed in to autism, excuse me “encephalopathy” for which he was diagnosed with “autism” following his 18 month vaccines.
Criminal.
Thank you FairWarning for covering this topic. Our daughter Michelle, who just lost her appeal for vaccine injury and autism in Federal courts, has a diagnosis of severe static encephalopathy, as well as severe autism.
Thank you Patrick Corcoran for this excellent piece. Autism continues to consume our children at an alarming rate. Currently, one percent of children have a diagnosis, including one in every 70 boys. Federal officials for years ignored autism, calling the rise “better diagnosing” and no real increase. They wasted millions of research dollars looking for the elusive gene/genes that cause autism, all the while pretending that a generation of neurologically damaged kids is nothing to worry about. Finally this past year, officials have admitted that yes, the numbers are increasing and there have to be environmental triggers. Those charged with health care oversight have no idea what’s doing this to our children but no one seems alarmed. In fact, no U.S. health official has ever called autism “a crisis”–ever.
Autism has long been the mystery. They only thing officials are sure of is that their federally mandated vaccine program isn’t responsible.
No matter how many studies our Centers for Disease Control and Prevention come up with, parents of vaccine-damaged kids refuse to believe they’re wrong.
More news sources are finally looking into the medical controversy that never goes away. Here are some recent incredible stories including the CBS coverage:
Fox News http://video.foxnews.com/v/4342781/hannah-polings-unique-case
MSNBC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDQGAy3PMNo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
FOX NEWS: http://video.foxnews.com/v/4336206/proof-of-vaccine-autism-link-/?playlist_id=87937
CBS NEWS: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20015982-10391695.html
The Atlanta Journal Constitution: Settlement reached in autism-vaccine case http://www.ajc.com/health/settlement-reached-in-autism-611234.html
FOX NEWS: http://health.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/09/16/the-age-of-autism-mercury-medicine-and-a-man-made-epidemic-%E2%80%93-a-groundbreaking-book-guaranteed-to-fuel-the-debate
It’s clear this is fueled by real science and exploding numbers of disabled children. We need reporters to honestly and thoroughly research the autism disaster. There are two sides to this debate. Absolutely nothing should take precedence over the health and safety of our children.
Anne Dachel, Media editor: Age of Autism
The arbitrary and capricious decisions of the Vaccine Court should came as no surprise. Claims that vaccines cause autism are everywhere and the opinion of the federal Vaccine Court can hardly be expected to differ from the opinion of health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
They never deviate from their mantra that the federally mandated vaccine schedule isn’t behind the epidemic of autism. What else would we expect them to say?
The CDC has such a great denial record that the last director, Julie Gerberding is now the head of the vaccine division at Merck Pharmaceutical Co.
The CDC vaccine program is owned and operated by the vaccine makers and it’s designed to benefit the vaccine industry ($$$$$).
KP Stoller, MD
I am so glad I know where Myron Levin is now. I followed him in the LA Times for years and really missed him and his honest investigative reporting.
Thank you for this article Mr. Corcoran. It’s unbelievable how this crime against our children is continuing to play out. I’ve been advocating for autism and safe vaccines(or no vaccines) for ten years now and every year I think something will change. I wonder continually how these liars can get away with it(well, really I know it only takes power and money). While the CDC, FDA, AAP are lining their pockets our children continue to suffer with yes, regressive encephalopathy, mito dysfunction, immune disorder, inflammatory bowel disease, oxidative stress—-our families are out of money to help treat them, schools are overwhelmed with special needs children. It’s time——time to show who we are and we are not going to take it anymore. With few exceptions, the media follows the dirty doers.
Maurine Meleck SC
It is so disgusting about the “Politics” that continue to debate the connection between Vaccines and Autism. If “they” – just ONE day would walk in the parents shoes of thier children harmed by the vaccines — “they” would finally be on the ‘the other side’ realizing the TRUTH. It is always about the money and other agenda that interfers with thier giving attention to these innocent children who are forever changed. They should be ashamed, and if they truly are aware and finally give an unbiased, honest look into the lives of these parents and children affected thtat they would share a different perspective, one that would be truly appreciated by parents who need to be heard.