And now for in-depth reporting from February 24, 2009 by David Kirby and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In their article Vaccine Court: Autism Debate Continues, they mention that in 2008 Hannah Poling won compensation from the "Vaccine Court" in Washington for her vaccine induced autism. If this was not enough in February 2009 ?parents of yet another child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were awarded a lump sum of more than $810,000 (plus an estimated $30-40,000 per year for autism services and care) in compensation by the Court, which ruled that the measels-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine had caused acute brain damage that led to his autism spectrum disorder.?
Further the family of 10-year-old Bailey Banks in June 2007 won their case quietly and without fanfare in however the ruling only now come to public attention in 2009. In the decision, Special Master Richard Abell ruled that the Banks had successfully demonstrated that "the MMR vaccine at issue actually caused the conditions from which Bailey suffered and continues to suffer." Bailey's diagnosis is Pervasive Developmental Disorder -- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) which has been recognized as an autism spectrum disorder by CDC (Center for Dieses Control and Prevention), HRSA (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration) and the other federal health agencies since at least the 1990s. In his conclusion, Special Master Abell ruled that ?Petitioners had proven that the MMR had directly caused a brain inflammation illness called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) which, in turn, had caused the autism spectrum disorder PDD-NOS in the child. ?
Further in the article it states that the Bailey decision is not an isolated ruling. Since 1988, ?the vaccine court has awarded money judgments, often in the millions of dollars, to thirteen hundred and twenty two families whose children suffered brain damage from vaccines. In many of these cases, the government paid out awards following a judicial finding that vaccine injury lead to the child's autism spectrum disorder.?
Apparently the evidence of a vaccine/autism link is so strong ?that vaccine court judges and government agencies have now recognized at least two theories of how vaccines cause autism: the Vaccine-to-ADEM-to-ASD link in Bailey Banks' case, and vaccine-induced aggravation of an underlying mitochondrial dysfunction that caused full-blown autism.?
Hum I guess the reader can take Dana?s often biased and shallow articles and conclude he has presented some facts or one can just quickly do their won research over the web and read the articles presenting true facts. I guess Dana is too busy or can?t be bothered to research all relevant information before presetting an article. Perhaps his biased unethical nature is sufficient credentials when writing for SmatPlanet, a blog site dedicated to misinformation, mostly facts and one sided articles. It seems the editors approve of such from of reporting.
The formal striking of Andrew Wakefield (right) from Great Britain’s medical register may end his career, but it likely will not end the anti-vaccine movement he did so much to create.
Wakefield had a study published in The Lancet, since discredited and retracted, that tied the standard Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine to a rise in autism. Now not only did the article never really happen, but Wakefield is no longer considered a doctor.
While he says he’s “not going away” Wakefield was quietly removed from the staff of Thoughtful House, an Austin, Tex. clinic he founded, a few months ago. The clinic’s Web site now makes no mention of him, although he was once featured prominently.
Since Wakefield published his “study,” millions of parents have refused the vaccine. As a result measles cases are on the rise and four children have died of it in Great Britain alone.
The last time I mentioned Wakefield at ZDNet Healthcare, in February, I speculated toxins may indeed have something to do with the rise of autism cases, even if vaccines are not the source. In 2009 the “Vaccine Court” ruled conclusively there is no link between MMR vaccines and autism, but I noted then that Wakefield’s supporters were not giving up.
Indeed the pro-Wakefield group Cry Shame held a demonstration at the General Medical Council’s meeting today, where the decision to strip him of his right to practice was taken, and issued a statement accusing the medical establishment of dark conspiracies against him. It continues to insist he and his colleagues were framed.
At ScienceBlogs, P.Z. Myers now calls Wakefield a medical fraud and blogger Orac has offered some dark conspiracy theories of his own, centered on drug companies and the plaintiff’s bar.
I think opposition to the MMR vaccine is now approaching the status of birtherism, the nonsense about President Obama not being an American. Facts no longer matter. This is politics and in politics you can make up your own facts.
But in science you can’t. If you put your child at risk of death over nonsense, and the child later dies of a preventable disease, you will take that guilt to your grave and I personally won’t take any pity on you.
Yet someone will. That, sadly, is the real story. Ludd lives.