Harry's Story Is One of Very Many Children and Young People Who Were Not Born Autistic but Became So, Most Probably As a Result of Multiple Vaccines

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Harry's Story Is One of Very Many Children and Young People Who Were Not Born Autistic but Became So, Most Probably As a Result of Multiple Vaccines Harry’s Story A Brilliant Boy’s Short Life ‘Harry’s Story’ INDEX Introduction 2 Harry’s Story by JHR including- 6 -Litigation including submission to ECtHR 16 KR’s witness statement. 28 Carol and Martin Bailey’s witness statement. 53 Dr A Wakefield- report on HHR’s biopsy. 55 JHR’s Digest of Claimants’ Experts’ Reports in UK MMR/Autism litigation. 58 Dr. P Fletcher’s observations. 73 Dan Olmsted-The Amish Community. 87 David Thrower Briefing on Autism. 92 JABS Briefing with:- 112 -Manufacturers’ Product Sheet-warning/disclaimer. 114 -Report on US situation. 116 -Report on MMR in Japan. 116 Evidence of Harm-David Kirby. 136 Harry’s work including: 137 Moselle Series 1995-2000 Oak Lodge Series 2000-2005 The Bridge Series 2005-2008 Hoffmann Series 2008-2009 Daylight 2008-2009 The Way Forward.-after leaving school 206 Postscript 209 Appendices: 1.Schedule of ‘MMR 10’ Claimants 210 2.Hannah Poling legal judgment 211 3.Bailey Banks legal judgment. 254 4.Big Pharma Profits 312 E-Books references:- 314 -In Harm’s Way -Access to Justice 1 Introduction Harry was a gifted artist, model-maker, film-maker and musician. He developed skills throughout his childhood in North London, attending St Michael's School N6, Moselle N17, Oak Lodge N2 and finally The Bridge School in Islington. He was a handsome and healthy boy and developed a Herculean build as he grew up. Harry was also autistic. He developed autism late having received the MMR jab aged one, to which he had a very bad reaction. From being a healthy baby boy ahead on all his milestones before he was one he had to adapt to a difficult life as an a autistic person as he grew up. He lived with his parents Keith and Jennie and his sister Francesca in Islington, London. Life became difficult for them too, coping with a greatly loved and talented but autistic Harry. The Tavistock Centre confirmed that Harry was highly intelligent and it was clear to all who knew him as he matured that he had a brilliant mind behind his autism. Harry died tragically aged 20 as a result of medical error by his doctors. There is currently a Police Inquiry in progress to be followed by an Inquest. Harry's story is one of very many children and young people who were not born autistic but became so, most probably as a result of multiple vaccines. There are many millions of such ASD people worldwide; an estimated 1 million in the USA alone. We tell the story of our most beloved Harry, hoping that it will not only commemorate his life but also will bring attention to the plight of so many others , the forgotten children of the 20th century and 21st century whose condition, created by big Pharma, is ignored by government. It is we believe with good reason the greatest scandal in medical history of all time. 2 This book draws attention to the fact that among the US Amish and Chicago Homestead communities for example, communities which do not vaccinate, autism is unknown. The worldwide epidemic of autism now raging is ignored by governments. Some estimates put the number of casualties of vaccine caused autism as high as one in 100 children or even more. So research is urgently needed into causes and cures, but is not being done adequately in any nation in the world. Maybe tests before vaccination could help children to avoid the life sentence that mostly comes with autism. The US Hannah Poling case for instance, where Hannah was found to have mitochondrial disorder; and whose autism was, it was conceded by the US Government, triggered by multi vaccines. This story, Harry's story, carries a message for all the world's children because every child who receives multiple vaccines is at risk like Harry and Hannah of developing autism. This book also tells the story of the long fight for legal justice for these children in the UK, where the trial of a 1000 Claimants including Harry and the ‗MMR 10‘ was aborted by the late removal of legal aid at the behest of the UK Government. Though Harry and the ‗MMR 10‘ took their challenge to the withdrawal of legal aid to the High Court, Court of Appeal and the European Court of Human Rights with the professional help of Harry's parents Jennie a barrister and Keith an architect, they never received justice. Jennifer was also involved advising 5000 US Claimants in the US Omnibus MMR autism cases in the Federal Vaccine Court, on the UK expert evidence from the aborted UK trial, 60 long technical of experts' reports which showed a strong 3 case for the UK Claimants. Some of the tests carried out in these reports were vital to US Claimants like Michelle Cedillo who with Colten Snyder and Brent Hazelhurst were lead cases in the US litigation. Those and subsequent lead cases in the US Federal Vaccine Court did not win. However Hannah Poling‘s case was conceded by the Defendant the US Government. In over 1,300 other such cases the Claimants had be given awards of compensation behind closed doors by the US Government. In the US case of Bailey Banks Judge Abell made the finding that MMR had caused his autism. Tests were done in the US and in Paris France on Harry's Bio samples in summer 2008 as a result of which Dr Bradstreet of Florida, an expert witness in the UK and US cases, was able to recommend treatment which helped Harry. Dr Bradstreet had helped gradually to cure Colten Snyder, one of the lead US cases. Dr Bradstreet was due to do further tests on Harry, tragically prevented by Harry's untimely death in December 2009 from the effects of a dangerous anti-psychotic drug prescribed by his psychiatrist. Here too is a lesson for others from this book, the very many ASD victims who as they approach adulthood and become more anxious (anxiety being a major feature autism), will be vulnerable to misplaced treatment with anti-psychotic drugs. This may occur without even their parents knowing, as happened so tragically in Harry's case. The use of dangerous drugs for these ASD victims, drugs which can kill, must be avoided and prevented. Harry's tragedy must be avoided for others. For his devastated family and his parents who write this book hope that 'Harry‘s Story' will help others to in deciding whether to vaccinate their children, and in preventing doctors abusing them with dangerous drugs if as victims they grow up with the affliction of autism. 4 We hope 'Harry‘s Story' will help others to avoid Harry's tragic fate. We call on governments to do more research and more testing to prevent and avoid such tragedies for the future. This is the most urgent story for today's world. 5 Harry Horne-Roberts by Jennifer his mother Harry was born in University College Hospital London on the evening of 29th June 1989 after a normal pregnancy. He was a most beautiful baby boy and received 10 out of 10 scores on his Apgar tests shortly after birth. There was no question that Harry was born perfectly well. We his parents Keith Roberts (Architect) and Jennifer Horne-Roberts (Barrister) were overjoyed to have a beautiful son-our first child-having found happiness together relatively late. Immediately following Harry's birth I watched him all night long in his cot at University College Hospital. Would he become an architect like his father I wondered, or perhaps an artist? I wrote a poem about his birth **** Harry made excellent progress in his first year, was well, and ahead on all his milestones. He had one slight cold during his first year, but other than that remained well and alert. At a Christmas party in 1989 for babies at our home in central London parents remarked how well Harry was doing "I would be so proud‖ one said ―if Harry were my son". Photo pictures from that time show Harry looking alert and adorable as he was. ****photos of HHR When Francesca was born just over a year later on 24th July 1990, a baby described after birth as "perfect" by her paediatrician, our joy seemed complete. ****photos Family However shortly before Francesca's birth when I was due to go into hospital for a pre-elective Caesarean, there was a measles scare in the media. Accordingly I checked with Harry‘s GP and she advised that Harry be given his MMR jab before I might go into labour and then into hospital for Francesca's birth. Therefore Harry received his MMR jab Pluserix, on 20th June 1990 nine days before his first birthday. At that time he was alert and well saying clearly ―apple‖ ―watch‖ ―ball‖. Government leaflets strongly advised MMR vaccination then as they continue to do today. 6 Not long afterwards Harry developed a very high temperature and was screaming. His GP who arrived gave him Amoxicillin. However not long afterwards he developed large purple patches all over his body. The GP thought he was allergic to penicillin, as Amoxicillin is penicillin based. However that proved not be the case, as a subsequent penicillin dose was to reveal. We were bewildered by what had happened to Harry, a perfect baby. We were bringing up Francesca too, and at first thought that Harry‘s loss of speech was a reaction to her birth. I was practising at the Bar part-time and we had a good nanny, Anita; soon replaced by the excellent Sarah, a Norland trained nanny who was to prove first class in her care of both children.
Recommended publications
  • A Risk/Reward View of Vaccines
    A Risk/Reward View of Vaccines Addressing the confusion and presenting a different approach to the vaccine question as it relates to the frum community For those interested in minimizing the growing Machlokes Ver. 11/14//2019 (latest version at www.rodefshalom613.org) email [email protected] or leave a message at (414) 751-0001 with any corrections DRAFT Table of Contents Page Time to Read Introduction 4-9 5 Min. Main Presentation 10-41 15 min Critical Update as of 4/9/19 40 Appendix A - Wakefield: Defended/Exonerated 42 Appendix B - Scientists and Doctors on Vaccine Harm 43-44 Appendix C - Literature about Vaccine Harm 45-46 Appendix C1 - Vaccines and SIDS 47-48 Appendix C2 - Vaccines, Autism, and Under 5 Mortality 49 Appendix D - Ingredients in Vaccines 50 Appendix D1 - The Difference Between Vaccines and Chemical Drugs 51 Appendix D2 - Some Biologic (Vaccine) Recalls 52-54 Appendix E - What about Herd Immunity? 55-56 Appendix F - But They Can't All Be Wrong - Can They? 57 Appendix G - Is the CDC Lying? 58-59 Appendix H - How Profitable is the Vaccine Industry? 60-62 Appendix H1 - Conflicts of Interest in the Vaccine Industry 63 Appendix I - Dr. Paul Offit on Metziza B'peh and Bris Milah 64-65 Appendix J - Why Don’t Doctors See This? 66-68 Appendix K - Specialist vs General Practitioner - Who do you go to? 69 Appendix L - Rav Osher Weiss Psak - Comprehensive Review 70-79 Appendix M - Alternate Shailos for a Posek 80 Appendix N - An Open Letter to Poskim who demand vaccination 81-84 2 Table of Contents (cont) Page Time to Read Appendix O - Religious Exemption - Do you really want to give that up? 85-86 Appendix P - Ethical Argument 87-88 Appendix Q - Books - Is it responsible to Pasken without even reading one of these? 89 Appendix R - Smallpox and Polio 90-91 92 Appendix S - Flu Vaccines 93 Appendix T - Additional Resources and Interesting Articles 94 Appendix U - A critical lesson from the Ukraine 95 Follow-up Opportunities 96 3 -An important NOTICE for you- This presentation is not pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine.
    [Show full text]
  • CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE June 23, 2005 Please Read This Article
    June 23, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE 13935 why rescind support for highly re- rifice to be remembered for the good (Mr. WELDON) believe, that mercury spected objective news programs like and honorable actions he was doing in should be taken out of all childhood the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Iraq. vaccines and in fact all vaccines. Frontline? His service showed the true American We need to ask ourselves one simple Why cripple excellent radio stations spirit. While the Lapinskis lost their question: What is right? The answer I like WUKY and WEKU in my district, son, they know that he died preserving think is very clear. Get mercury out of jeopardizing shows like Morning Edi- and fighting for democracy. all vaccinations. tion and All Things Considered? Mr. Speaker, I ask all Americans to In reality the answer that is given by Why indeed? I cannot answer such join me in honoring a true American far too many officials in our govern- questions. The very notion of turning hero. ment, health agencies and some Mem- bers of Congress, sorry, we cannot help away from the future of public broad- f casting is preposterous. I am fearful you, and the need to protect the phar- ORDER OF BUSINESS this is an administration effort to ei- maceutical industry is so great, we ther censor public broadcasters or in- Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speak- cannot do much about it. timidate them into favorably reporting er, I ask unanimous consent to claim b 1745 the time of the gentleman from Min- on the current administration.
    [Show full text]
  • Congressional Record—House H5074
    H5074 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 23, 2005 As Thomas Jefferson once said, MERCURY AND AUTISM them while at the same time changing Whenever people are well informed, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a the Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund they can be trusted with their own gov- previous order of the House, the gen- in a way that will protect these fami- ernment. tleman from Indiana (Mr. BURTON) is lies and help those who have been dam- Maintaining our commitment to pub- recognized for 5 minutes. aged, but so far we have gotten abso- lic broadcasting will help keep the very Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speak- lutely nowhere with them; and it is people who elect us well informed, and er, I have been down here a lot talking something I think we need to continue in doing so, help to promote the integ- about autism over the years and my to work on. rity and proper functioning of this very committee had many hearings on the Just recently, there was an article body itself. issue of autism. My grandson became that was published in a magazine I nor- I applaud the Members of this body autistic after receiving 9 shots in one mally do not read. It is called Rolling who rose to the defense of public broad- day, 7 of which contained mercury, in a Stone, but this article was brought to casting earlier today by voting to re- product called thimerosal. And he is my attention, and I think everybody in store funding to a cherished American doing better but it has been a very dif- this body ought to read that article.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Health Issue
    FIFTH EDITION 2006, Volume 45 R5 Environmental Health and Autism In thIs Issue: Time To GeT a Grip By martha r. Herbert, m.D., ph.D. Beyond Behavior—Biomedical Diagnoses in Autism spectrum Disorders By Margaret L. Bauman, M.D. transforming the Public Debate on neurotoxicants By Elise Miller, M.Ed. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Autism does not have to be a life sentence You’re not about to give up on your child. Neither Are We. Since , the Autism Treatment Center of America™ has provided innovative training programs for parents and professionals caringifor children challenged by Autism Spectrum Disorders and related developmental difficulties. • Practical Tools • Powerful Results • Limitless Hope c Help your child improve in all areas of over p learning, development, communication and hoto skill acquisition. : © W I Join us for our internationally-acclaimed ll T ERR Son-Rise Program® Start-Up, a y comprehensive weeklong training program for parents and professionals. We don’t put limits on the possibilities for your child. Free 25-Minute Initial Call 877-766-7473 We’ll give you the keys to unlock their world. HOME OF THE SON-RISE PROGRAM® SINCE 1983 South Undermountain Road Sheffield, MA - USA Telephone: -- • E-mail: [email protected] www.autismtreatment.com Copyright © 2006 by The Option Institute & Fellowship. All rights reserved. 02.06-6 CONTENTS December 2006 page 18 SpOTlIGHT Time to Get A Grip By marTHa r. HerBerT, m.D., pH.D. Does an environmental role in autism make sense? How do we decide? And if environment is involved in autism, what do we do about it? These are challenging questions.
    [Show full text]
  • Why Anti-Vaccine Claims About NVICP Cases Are Wrong
    Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology Volume 20 Issue 1 Article 11 8-7-2019 Using and Misusing Legal Decisions: Why Anti-Vaccine Claims about NVICP Cases Are Wrong Dorit Rubinstein Reiss UC Hastings College of Law Rachel Heap Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/mjlst Part of the Administrative Law Commons, Health Law and Policy Commons, and the Other Medicine and Health Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Dorit Rubinstein Reiss & Rachel Heap, Using and Misusing Legal Decisions: Why Anti-Vaccine Claims about NVICP Cases Are Wrong, 20 MINN. J.L. SCI. & TECH. 191 (2018). Available at: https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/mjlst/vol20/iss1/11 The Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology is published by the University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. Using and Misusing Legal Decisions: Why Anti-Vaccine Claims about NVICP Cases Are Wrong Dorit Rubinstein Reiss*and Rachel Heap† Abstract The question of whether vaccines cause autism spectrum disorder (autism, or ASD) has been extensively studied. Studies from different countries around the world, looking at millions of children in total, examined it and found no link. Despite this powerful evidence, the actions of a small group who fervently believe that vaccines cause autism may lead people to question the data. One tactic used to argue that vaccines cause autism is the use of compensation decisions from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to claim such a link. This article demonstrates that not only does the nature of proof in the program make its decisions ill-suited to challenging the science but also that the cases used do not, in their content, support that conclusion.
    [Show full text]
  • Qt60b551qq Nosplash 1Dbebcd
    Copyright 2011 by Elena Conis ii Acknowledgements Portions of Chapter 6 appeared in the Journal of Medical Humanities 32, no. 2 (2011): 155-166. iii Abstract Calling the Shots: A Social History of Vaccination in the U.S., 1962 – 2008 Elena Conis In two centuries of vaccination in the U.S., the last five decades constituted a unique era. American children received more vaccines than any previous generation, and laws requiring their immunization against a litany of diseases became common. Vaccination rates soared, preventable infections plummeted, and popular acceptance of vaccines remained strong—even as an increasingly vocal cross-section of Americans questioned the safety and necessity of vaccines and the wisdom of related policies. This dissertation examines how and why, between the 1960s and 2000s, Americans came to accept the state–mandated vaccination of all children against a growing number of infections despite the growing prominence of vaccine doubts. I argue that vaccines and vaccine policies fundamentally changed the ways health experts and lay Americans perceived the diseases they were designed to prevent. Second, I demonstrate that vaccination policies and their acceptance throughout this period were as contingent on political, social, and cultural concerns as they were on scientific findings. Thirdly, I show how, as new vaccine policies took shape, feminism, environmentalism, and other social movements laid challenge to scientific and governmental authority, with profound—but previously overlooked—implications for how Americans perceived vaccination. Finally, I argue that the relationship between vaccination beliefs and political ideology is more complex than historians have heretofore asserted, for selective and blanket vaccination doubts at the end of the twentieth century were as informed by leftist critiques of iv capitalism and social hegemonies as by traditional American libertarian ethics.
    [Show full text]
  • Unvaccinated Children Healthier Quotes "I've Been Practicing for 40
    Unvaccinated children healthier Quotes "I've been practicing for 40 years, and in the past 10 years the children have been sicker than ever."--Dr Doris J. Rapp, paediatric allergist. "I observed that my unvaccinated children were healthier, hardier and more robust than their vaccinated peers. Allergies, asthma and pallor and behavioral and attentional disturbances were clearly more common in my young patients who were vaccinated. My unvaccinated patients, on the other hand, did not suffer from infectious diseases with any greater frequency or severity than their vaccinated peers: their immune systems generally handled these challenges very well."--Incao's Hepatitis B Vaccination Testimony "Another point which I document in my presentation... is that there is little or no objective research into the possible adverse effects of vaccines. There has never been a study comparing vaccinated to unvaccinated children. The only explanation for this is bias and political pressure."--Philip Incao MD " One of the flaws in studies of vaccines is that there are no true placebo groups. The vaccine is tested in one group of immunized children and is compared to another group of immunized children."--Peter Baratosy I see many children in my practice. Some are immunized and some are not, my own children are not. I see the difference between the immunized and the non-immunized. They're much healthier and have less infections, colds, otitis media and tonsillitis. Dr. Michael Odent has written a letter in the JAMA (1994) where his figures show a five times higher rate of asthma in pertussis immunized children compared to non-immunized children.
    [Show full text]
  • Vaccines: Separating Fact from Fiction
    Vaccinations Separating Fact from Fiction Presented by: Dr. Chad Jenkins Yesterday vs. Today • How many children in your class were autistic? • How many children in your class had asthma or needed inhalers? • Were peanut butter & jelly sandwiches banned at your school because they caused allergies? Yesterday vs. Today Autism • 1970’s – 1:10,000 children • 1980’s – 1:500 children • 1990’s – 1:200 children • Today – 1:166 children – That means that on average, 1:68 families now have an autistic child – By the way, no child is ever diagnosed with autism at birth, they become autistic… America’s Children Today • Our country is currently ranked last in the world in infant mortality rate • 10 million children have asthma • 40 million children have allergies • 1:400 children are Type I diabetic • 1:6 children are classified as learning disabled in some way • Pediatric cancer has been rising by 3% every year America’s Children Today So, if vaccines are healthy for our children, then we should have the healthiest kids on the planet…. More shots = better health? Childhood Vaccinations Vaccines are injections that contain weakened amounts of the disease germ that they are meant to protect against. They are said to work by stimulating the body to produce antibodies. Vaccines: Are they really safe and effective, by Neil Z. Miller 2006, pg 13 Normally Acquired When bacteria, viruses, and other foreign materials are breathed or swallowed, the first-line-of-defense is the mucous membranes. Invasions are partially neutralized before entering the stomach. The digestive system further destroys invaders... What do vaccines do? If the antigen eventually enters the blood stream through this natural method, the white blood cells attack and neutralize foreign substances.
    [Show full text]
  • Dare to Question | Vaccination
    Dare to Question One Parent to Another Information compiled by Ted Kuntz M.Ed. It would make life much easier if I could have total faith and not question everything all the time, but I can’t do it and I won’t do it. ~ Joey Skaggs Version: March 1, 2018 2 In Gratitude I am in deep gratitude to the following individuals who are courageous enough to publicly question the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. This list includes doctors, research scientists, politicians, parents and concerned citizens who risk their reputations and livelihoods to tell the truth. Andrew Wakefield MD, Brian Hooker Ph.D., Tony Bark MD Polly Tommy, Robert Sears MD, Anita Bratt ND Michael Leitner, James Lyons-Weiler Ph.D., Leon Chaitow Suzanne Humphries MD, Roman Bystrianyk, Paul Thomas MD Neil Z. Miller, Gary Goldman Ph.D., Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Robert De Niro, Sherri J. Tenpenny MD, Walene James Tetyana Obukhanych Ph.D., Brett Wilcox, Lauren Feder MD David Kirby, Dan Olmsted, Mark Blaxill, Mary Holland JD Kent Heckenlively, Judy Mikovits Ph.D., Alan Cassels Marcia Angell MD, David Lewis Ph.D., Linda Keller, Dan Burton Steven Druker, Kevin Barry, Sharyl Attkisson, Heather Fraser Andrew Moulden MD Ph.D., Vernon Coleman MD, Anne Dachel Jenny McCarthy, Edda West, Rita Hoffman, Nelle Maxey Claudina Michal-Teitelbaum MD, Richard Moskowitz MD Larry Palevksy MD, Todd M. Elsner DC, Philip F. Incao MD Barbara Loe Fisher, Ralph Campbell MD, Gregory Polland MD Russell Blaylock MD, Judy Converse MPH, Elliott Freed Peter Doshi Ph.D., Michael Crichton MD, Robert Mendelsohn MD Larry Solomon, Meryl Nass MD, Del Bigtree, Joel Lord Lorna Hancock, Aviva Jill Romm, Laura Hayes, Tim Sullivan Chris Shaw Ph.D., Jayne Donegan MD, and many others During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.
    [Show full text]
  • Use and Abuse of Religious Exemptions from School Immunization Requirements
    K - Reiss_24 (E. GOLDBERG).DOC (Do Not Delete) 8/17/2014 4:56 PM Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain: Use and Abuse of Religious Exemptions from School Immunization Requirements Dorit Rubinstein Reiss* School immunization requirements are one way that states protect school age children against vaccine-preventable diseases. At present, forty-eight states allow parents to exempt their students from immunization requirements based on religious reasons, philosophical reasons, or either. This Article focuses on the religious exemption and makes three points. First, people lie to get a religious exemption. Second, U.S. jurisprudence makes preventing such abuse very hard. And third, because the religious exemption is so prone to abuse, we should remove it. The first part of the Article discusses the jurisprudence, and why our courts limit state officials’ ability to police abuse of the religious exemption. The Article then uses three sources to argue that religious exemptions are widely abused: survey data describing the reasons people do not vaccinate, the positions of established religions about vaccines, and posts from Facebook stating the poster lied to obtain a religious exemption. The Article concludes by discussing three potential solutions to the problem of widespread abuse of the religious exemption: tightening the scrutiny of requests for religious exemptions, limiting exemptions to medical exemptions only, and providing only a personal choice exemption. The Article is skeptical about whether tightening scrutiny is appropriate or constitutional, but sees the latter two options as offering a different balance of benefits and costs, though the author has a slight preference for a hard to obtain personal choice exemption.
    [Show full text]
  • Drug Test Page 1 of 12
    CJR November/December 2005 - Drug Test Page 1 of 12 CJR Home » Issues » 2005 » Issue 6: November/December Drug Test By Daniel Schulman n May 18, 2004, the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the prestigious National Academies, delivered its eighth and final report on vaccine safety, seeking to end a O scientific controversy that had built to a slow boil over the previous five years: whether a mercury-containing vaccine preservative called thimerosal was to blame for an alarming spike in autism cases among a generation of children. After three years of reviewing this and other immunization safety questions on behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the institute’s fourteen-member panel rejected the thimerosal link, and, in a powerful policy statement, recommended that research funding in this area be shifted toward other, more promising lines of inquiry. Under headlines such as this one from The Washington Post, EXPERTS FIND NO VACCINE-AUTISM LINK; PANEL SAYS MORE RESEARCH ON POSSIBLE CONNECTION MAY NOT BE WORTHWHILE, the press dutifully reported the IOM’s conclusions, perhaps as eager to lay the question to rest as the IOM panel itself. For a time it appeared the controversy over thimerosal would end there. It didn’t. Over the past seven months, it has gained traction again, leaving journalists in an awkward position. The thimerosal question — scientifically, politically, and emotionally complex — is proving to be a test for journalism, and the successes and failures are evident in the coverage. David Kirby, a Brooklyn-based writer, jumpstarted the debate in April with the publication of his book, Evidence of Harm, which lays out a compelling case for a connection between thimerosal and autism.
    [Show full text]
  • Deadly Immunity Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Investigates the Government Cover
    http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/_/id/7395411?rnd=1119059754109&has- player=true&version=6.0.8.1024 June 17, 2005 Deadly Immunity Robert F. Kennedy Jr. investigates the government cover-up of a mercury/autism scandal By ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. In June 2000, a group of top government scientists and health officials gathered for a meeting at the isolated Simpsonwood conference center in Norcross, Georgia. Convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the meeting was held at this Methodist retreat center, nestled in wooded farmland next to the Chattahoochee River, to ensure complete secrecy. The agency had issued no public announcement of the session -- only private invitations to fifty- two attendees. There were high-level officials from the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration, the top vaccine specialist from the World Health Organization in Geneva and representatives of every major vaccine manufacturer, including GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Wyeth and Aventis Pasteur. All of the scientific data under discussion, CDC officials repeatedly reminded the participants, was strictly "embargoed." There would be no making photocopies of documents, no taking papers with them when they left. The federal officials and industry representatives had assembled to discuss a disturbing new study that raised alarming questions about the safety of a host of common childhood vaccines administered to infants and young children. According to a CDC epidemiologist named Tom Verstraeten, who had analyzed the agency's massive database containing the medical records of 100,000 children, a mercury-based preservative in the vaccines -- thimerosal -- appeared to be responsible for a dramatic increase in autism and a host of other neurological disorders among children.
    [Show full text]