According to information released this week by California's Department of Developmental Services (DDS) during the second quarter of 2007 (April - June) California added a record 961 new cases of autism to it's developmental services system. As stated many times before in these Reports, the numbers being reported by DDS only reflect those children that have received a professional diagnosis of full syndrome DSM IV autism, and do not include those with any other autism spectrum disorder such as PDD, NOS, Asperger's, HFA, Retts, etc. Those who have been found eligible with a autism spectrum disorder are counted in the Fifth Category, and not in the autism count. The numbers reported by DDS also do not include any children under the age of three years old.  With few exceptions, children entering California's developmental  services system with full syndrome autism do so by age 9 years old.

The previous all time record quarter was the recent 4th. quarter of 2006 when 956 new cases were added. California continues to add on average, 10 new children a day, seven days a week with full syndrome autism to it's system. There has been a 16% increase in the number of new cases of autism entering the system comparing the first six months of 2006 to the first six months of 2007. California's present developmental services system has been in place since 1969, with autism being added as a qualifying condition in 1971.

Full syndrome autism now accounts for roughly 60% ( up from 3% twenty years ago) of all intakes into the system, with the combined numbers of persons with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and fifth category conditions accounting for the remaining 40% of the caseload growth. Autism continues to be the fastest growing developmental disability in California. Twenty years ago in 1987 there were 2700 persons with autism in the system. Today, in 2007, there are nearly 35000 persons with full syndrome autism in the system.

The age distribution for the autism population is unlike any of the other conditions served in California's DD system. Wherein with MR, CP, and Epilepsy 55-60% of the population is over the age of 22 years old, with autism only 16% of the population is over the age of 22, with 84% under the age of 21 and 80% between the ages of 3 and 21 years old. 92% of the population was born after 1980.

DDS is preparing a complete and comprehensive new report on autism that will cover the period of 2002- 2006. The two previous California Reports covering the periods of 1987-1998 and 1999-2002 are available on line at www.dds.ca.gov/autism.  

MORE -- From the Desk of RICK ROLLENS:

In the late 1960's, parents of children with mental retardation and cerebral palsy lobbied the California Legislature to establish a community based service system of care for their children. At the time, there were no alternatives for families in California other then to have their children placed on a waiting list to be committed to a state run institution, or simply defy mainstream medicine and science and keep their children at home, with no supports or assistance. In 1969 the parents were successful in creating what is now California's modern day community based developmental services system.

Prior to 1969, it was the same situation for those rare families who had a child with autism, and as well, children with autism were denied access to a public school education until 1971.When autism and epilepsy were added as qualifying conditions to California's system in 1971, autism accounted for 3% of all the intakes. The incidence of autism was 1-3 per 10,000. Throughout the 1970's and until 1980-81, the autism population remained steady and predicable, accounting for 3% of the intakes and was consistent with the published rate of 1-3 per 10,000.

Today, things are much different. Autism now accounts for nearly 60% of the intakes, and the incidence of autism has increased by at least 6000% to between 1-150 to 1-84.

Throughout the 38 year history of California's developmental services system in terms of total numbers of persons in the system, those with mental retardation have been the largest group, epilepsy a distant second, followed by cerebral palsy, and then autism, a very distant fourth.

As a result of the increasing autism epidemic, and as of  the just ended 2nd. Quarter of 2007, for the first time in the history of our system, there are now more persons with full syndrome autism in the system then those who have cerebral palsy. Autism has not only surpassed cerebral palsy, and is no longer a distant fourth in real numbers in the system, but autism is now within a little over 3,000 new cases behind epilepsy in becoming the second most common disability in California's developmental services system behind mental retardation.

The historic and real life consequences of this development is, and will be profound. 

http://news.bostonherald.com/letters/view.bg?articleid=1010217

By Deirdre Imus
Monday, July 9, 2007

Your editorial states, "There is little science on their side" ("Autism suit puts others at risk," June 17). However, many studies suggest otherwise.

You cite the Institute of Medicine report, but leave out the part recognizing the limitations of the epidemiological studies saying, "This hypothesis cannot be excluded by epidemiological data from large population groups that do not show an association between a vaccine and an adverse outcome. A rare event could be missed even in large study samples." This could represent thousands of children. The Institute of Medicine report contradicts itself. Thimerosal remains in 90 percent of the influenza vaccine given to pregnant women and children.

You lament, "Damage awards ought never depend on sad stories and unsupported opinions." And awards should not be denied because journalists mislead the public just to protect an industry with a history of suppressing safety information.

Deirdre Imus, President
Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hackensack, N.J.

Wanna thank Deirdre for her comments?

Contact her at: dienviro@humed.com

Sharyl Attkisson is the Capitol Hill Correspondent for CBS News.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/06/15/couricandco/entry2934107.shtml

With the first autism case now being heard in federal vaccine court in Washington D.C., it makes sense to ask: Why is anyone even still debating the possibility of a link between vaccines and autism? After all, for years, many government health officials, advisors and vaccine manufacturers have said there's no association.

Here are a number of reasons why the question remains open:

1. While government scientists, advisors and pharmaceutical companies have been responsible for infinite lifesaving and life improving medical advances, they are not infallible.

• It's the same group that originally thought it was safe to use x-ray machines in shoe stores, gave pregnant women Thalidomide for morning sickness and once allowed mercury in medicines. They assured us Vioxx and Duract were safe painkillers, prescribed Rezulin for diabetics and then denied any of them were responsible for patient deaths. If we never questioned that group, we might not have discovered that Fen-phen and the dietary supplement Ephedra are not safe weight loss products, that antidepressants in kids can lead to suicidality and Viagra can cause blindness. The list goes on.

• When it comes to vaccines, the same group failed to predict that the 1990's rotavirus (diarrhea) vaccine would have to be pulled from the market after infant deaths. They encouraged use of the oral polio vaccine (eventually discontinued after it gave too many children polio). And they allowed the use of a mercury neurotoxin preservative in childhood vaccines, only to admit later that they hadn't thought to calculate the cumulative amount kids were getting as more and more vaccines were added to the childhood immunization schedule.

• Recent history demonstrates that too often, government health officials, mainstream doctors and pharmaceutical companies aren't on the leading edge of alerting us to health risks; they're bringing up the rear. Patients feel left to fend for themselves, seeking independent research and opinions on their own. They and their dogged, relentless determination have often been the catalyst that eventually brings medical dangers to the forefront.

2. Government scientists, advisors and vaccine manufacturers often take an all-or-nothing approach to vaccinations.

• Government officials and infectious disease experts I've spoken with are fearful that if vaccine side effects are better publicized, or if a link between vaccines and autism and ADD were made, the public would overreact and lose faith in the entire vaccination program. The result, they're afraid, would be parents refusing to give their children any vaccines, leading to new, deadly epidemics of preventable diseases. That indeed would be a disaster. However, their fears have resulted in something I call an all-or-nothing approach: they tend to promote nearly all vaccines for nearly all children as equally necessary and equally safe. Yet at the same time, if asked, they agree not all vaccines are equally safe, equally beneficial, equally necessary and equally tolerated by each individual child.

• Through the Internet and other resources, parents are now able to find research on vaccines and read it for themselves. They compare the government's all-or-nothing approach to the research and become skeptical that the government is presenting the whole picture on vaccine safety generally.

3. Government officials and mainstream scientists who dispel any vaccine/autism/ADD link have ties to vaccine makers.

• There's so much overlap among pharmaceutical companies, government scientists and advisors that the information they provide at least has the appearance of a conflict of interest. Government scientists and advisors often do not mention their connections to the vaccine industry when they provide opinions on the vaccine/autism/ADD issue.

• One of the best examples of this is the landmark autism/vaccine study published in Pediatrics. Early in his study, the lead author, CDC's Dr. Thomas Verstraeten, found statistically significant associations between the amount of mercury (thimerosal) exposure kids got from their childhood vaccines, and a wide range of brain disorders. However, the published version of the study (the one the authors say is accurate) found no evidence of a link to autism. Not disclosed was that Dr. Verstraeten had left CDC midstream during the study and had gone to work for Glaxo, a vaccine manufacturer. That failure to disclose was criticized in a later publication of Pediatrics, but it got little mainstream attention. Also getting little attention was a letter from well-respected scientists, also in Pediatrics, who echoed what parents of autistic children had been saying for months: they questioned the use and exclusion of certain data from Dr. Verstraeten's study that eventually reduced the statistical ties between vaccines and neurodisorders.

• University and government researchers and advisors often do research for vaccine companies, help develop vaccines (even profit from them), and/or are paid to consult for them. Often, these researchers do not disclose their industry ties when they publicly dispel the notion of a link between autism or ADD and vaccines.

• Lastly, the CDC is inextricably tied to vaccine makers through contracts and other business and financial relationships that open the door for the possibility of conflicts.

4. Non-profits which dispel any vaccine/autism/ADD link have ties to vaccine makers.

• Non-profits that promote vaccinations have ties to vaccine makers that they often do not disclose when giving their opinions on vaccine safety. One example is "Every Child By Two." This group contacted CBS News several years ago in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent one of our stories about the vaccine safety from airing. In forms filed for the IRS, the non-profit lists an official from vaccine maker Wyeth Pharmaceuticals as its Treasurer. It lists vaccine maker Chiron as a paid client.

• Another example of a non-profit tied to the industry is "The Vaccine Fund." Its President from 2000-2005 was Jacques-Francois Martin, formerly CEO of vaccine maker Sanofi-Pasteur, CEO of vaccine maker Chiron, and President of the International Federation of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association. While at The Vaccine Fund, his salary was paid by a company that says it "has developed particular strength in the vaccine industry and vaccine development."

5. The dual role of the CDC undermines the appearance of fairness.

• There is a perceived, if not real, conflict of interest with the government's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) heavily promoting vaccines, but also responsible for monitoring adverse events. At least two respected medical journals, the "American Journal of Public Health" and "Pediatrics" have published letters or articles recommending "greater independence in vaccine safety assessments" apart from "the highly successful program to promote immunizations." In short, the CDC's bread and butter is achieving high vaccination rates. But that role is in conflict with the agency's responsibility to fully research and disclose adverse events that could, in theory, bring down vaccination rates.

6. There is no definitive research proving a link between vaccines and autism or ADD, but there is also no definitive research ruling it out.

• Something rarely reported is that while there's no definitive study linking vaccines to autism or ADD, there is also no study definitively disproving a link. And there's a substantial body of peer-reviewed, published science from places like Columbia, Yale and Northeastern suggesting a link, or pointing to the need for further study.

• Many credible voices deny a link. But many other credible voices support the idea of a link. One example of the latter is George Wayne Lucier, formerly a senior official at the National Institutes of Health in Environmental Toxicology, an NIH advisor, member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Toxicity Testing and a scientific advisor for EPA who concludes "...it is highly probably that use of thimerosal as a preservative has caused developmental disorders, including autism, in some children." A lengthy Congressional investigation also concluded that the autism epidemic is likely linked to vaccinations.

7. Those who say autism and ADD are not linked to vaccines do not know what is causing the epidemics.

• The most frightening part of the autism/ADD epidemics is that if, indeed, they're unrelated to vaccinations, that our best, brightest public health experts still have no idea what is causing it. Excluding ADD, one out of every 150 American children are now being diagnosed with autism.

Vaccinations have provided lifesaving miracles in public health. However, it's undisputed that they are also responsible for many serious adverse events including brain disorders and, rarely, deaths. Trying to maximize the potential benefits of vaccines and minimize the harm shouldn't be seen as a threat to the nation's inoculation program, it's merely a logical step forward.

One scientist who testified for the plaintiff this week in The Vaccine Court said there's a way to test children for a hidden hole in their immune make-up that makes them susceptible to bad immune reactions from vaccinations. He said that, ideally, every child should undergo such a test before their first vaccinations. But he also said the test is very expensive and so "not worth it." Many parents might disagree. If they knew such a test was available, they'd find a way to pay for it. But such information has to be disseminated to the public before a first step can even be considered.

Mainstream medicine initially said that autism was caused by mothers who weren't affectionate enough with their children. If that doesn't teach us that we should always seek further knowledge and not necessarily accept what's spoon-fed to us by certain experts…then nothing will.

Editors note – one of the best editorials I have read in awhile. Thank you Sharyl.

http://www.rescuepost.com/rescue_post/2007/07/independence-da.html#more

Independence Day. For most of America that means a day off work, BBQ, family get-togethers, fireworks and of course the day our country declared its freedom from England. But for many parents whose children are on the autistic spectrum 'independence' has a whole different level of importance and meaning.

The anniversary of our ability to engage in our unalienable right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness can be overwhelmed by poop, dietary infractions, tantrums and a lack of sleep.

I remember the 4th of July a few months after Baxter was diagnosed. We stayed inside most of the day and of course, fireworks were out of the question. I cried that night listening to others' celebrations from deep inside my house. While the rest of the country was 'ooooohing and aaahhhing' at the light displays I was pondering the future of my autistic child. What kind of independence would he have?

It took many years, much anguish, therapy, diets, supplements, reports, assessments endless angst-filled IEP's, doctor's appointments and some down and dirty work to achieve that independence of which I dreamed, but it is done. I am beyond fortunate to watch from the car as Baxter joyfully skips off to camp humming the song he will sing in the skit, greeting friends and yelling over his shoulder that he loves me and to, "…have a great day, Mom!" Everyday he continues to grow more autonomous, more independent. What a true blessing.

The journey through autism taught me many things and one of them was to try and appreciate what Baxter COULD do and not to focus on what he could not. I learned to cherish his little steps towards independence. He did not just wake one day and autism had disappeared. It was a process of minor (major, if you ask me) successes of which I constantly tried to stay apprised and appreciate. I can remember the first time he said an intelligible word after his regression. The first time I saw eye contact reemerge. The first time he played. The first time he played with another. The first time he used his imagination to engage me in a superhero game. The first time he tried a new food. The first time he tried a new food without throwing up. The first time he could pedal a bicycle. The first time he slept through the night. The first time he hugged his little brother. The first time he could walk up stairs with alternating feet. The first time he had a formed poop. The first time that formed poop was in the toilet and not a diaper. The first time he could go to the dentist, the barber or try on shoes without screaming bloody murder. The first time he told a lie ( his school was upset…his father and I were 'high-fiving!'). The first time he sat for a formal picture. The first time he sang with his whole class up on stage in front of hundreds.

The list in my mind is endless.

You see, for our kids these little milestones, these little steps towards independence tend to arrive much later than other children. But that makes them all the more sweet. And I believe we appreciate that sweetness far more than parents of typical kids.

I am not particularly well versed in American History but I do believe the characteristics our Forefathers demonstrated to achieve our freedom are the very same ones needed in the fight against autism. Hope in the face of adversity, perseverance, determination, courage, and supporting others are all required for freedom. As it was with them, so it is with us. The process is not fast, simple, or necessarily fun. We are warriors. We are soldiers. We are Revolutionaries.

So this 4th of July if it's too loud to go outside or you can't risk the gluten and casein filled family picnic, know that our 'Truths' are no less self-evident than our Forefather's. And our fight is just as vital. Happy Independence Day, everyone.

Julia Berle recovered her son Baxter from autism in 2005. "He is everything I desired he could be when I was told to expect he never would." She is a Founding Parent of Generation Rescue ( www.generationrescue.org) and Coordinator in Los Angeles for Talk About Curing Autism -TACA (www.tacanow.org) www.childrenscornerschool.com/video/bax3.wmv

Autism levels in Britain soar with one in 58 children now affected

Autism is on the rise in Britain

The number of children in Britain with autism is higher than previously thought.

An unpublished study, carried out by researchers at Cambridge University's Autism Research Centre, found that one in 58 children may have some form of the condition, according to The Observer.

The figures mean that as many as 210,000 children under 16 across the country could have autism or a related autistic spectrum disorder, the paper said.

This is well above the existing estimate of one in 100, which has been widely accepted by experts.

Prior to the 1990s, experts estimated the rate of autism in Britain to be around four or five cases per 10,000 people.

Since then there have been indications that the true prevalence is much higher.

But whether this is due to a genuine increase in numbers of cases, or merely the result of labelling more children as autistic, is not known.

Autism is an umbrella term for a range of developmental disorders that impair a person's ability to interact socially and communicate.

They cover a "spectrum" ranging from severe cases of "classic" autism, through a variety of "pervasive developmental disorders", to much milder Asperger's syndrome.

Seven researchers, most of them from the university's Autism Research Centre, studied children at local primary schools.

According to the Observer, two of the academics privately believe that the figure may be linked to the use of the controversial MMR vaccine which has been blamed by some experts for children developing the condition.

However five members of the research team reject that view, including team leader Professor Simon Baron-Cohen.

Prof Baron-Cohen told the paper he believed genetics, better recognition of the condition, environmental factors and children's exposure to hormones in the womb were more likely to be the cause.

The team studied the incidence of autism and autistic spectrum disorders among around 12,000 primary schoolchildren in Cambridgeshire between 2001 and 2004.

CALL TO ACTION: LET DR. ANDREW WAKEFIELD KNOW HE IS APPRECIATED!

AT LEAST 10,000 SIGNITURES TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE – PLEASE TAKE TWO MINUTES AND SIGN THIS ONLINE PETITION!

Dear Friends and Colleagues -

As many of you are probably aware Dr. Andrew Wakefield has been under constant and unrelenting pressure from the medical establishment since the publication of his seminal work in the Lancet in 1998 suggesting the possibility of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

Dr. Wakefield’s courageous, principled work has come at tremendous personal cost. Once considered the fair-haired, wunderkind of the medical world Dr. Wakefield’s name, reputation and personal integrity has been smeared and besmirched by the profiteering, politically-correct cadre of fear-mongering forces which refuses to take an honest look at any possible vaccine autism connection.

In London, on July 16th the General Medical Council (GMC) will begin a disciplinary hearing into allegations relating to the research and clinical activities of Dr. Andrew Wakefield, Professor John Walker-Smith and Professor Simon Murch.

As these courageous doctors stand up for the groundbreaking work they have done for our children, the autism community is gathering to give a unified voice to the hundreds of thousands of children who are rarely heard.

CRYSHAME encourages you to show your support at this critical time.

From day one of the GMC hearing and throughout its course, Cryshame will use carnations - One Flower One Child - to represent children worldwide who have been affected by the catastrophic rise in autism spectrum disorders.

You can nominate a child and write a short message. The child’s name together with your message will be displayed outside the GMC building on day one of the hearing. The flowers will be laid nearby as demonstrations go ahead, creating a sea of flowers representing the urgency of the autism epidemic.

Please support Dr. Wakefield by nominating a child and writing a short message here or signing the petition here.

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas. Thank you.

My Best,
Ed Arranga
714.680.0792
http://AutismOne.org
earranga@autismone.org

You will be asked to make a donation. This is not required!  Signing the petition is what is required. Please sign and close the Window.  THANK YOU!

VOTE ON CRUCIAL MERCURY BAN EXPECTED TUESDAY -
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS ASAP!

On Wednesday, the House Committee on Appropriations adopted an amendment that prevents federal dollars from being used to provide mercury-containing flu vaccines to children under three.  

This amendment, offered by Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL) was based on legislation that he has introduced with Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) to completely ban mercury from all vaccines.  

This bill will come to the floor of the House of Representatives on July 17!

THIS WILL BE CRUCIAL FOR OUR CHILDREN - WE MUST TAKE ACTION TODAY!

• Please e-mail, phone or fax your member of Congress today.  

• If you don’t know who your member of Congress is you can find out by visiting http://www.congress.org

• If you know your Member of Congress, you can access their website at http://www.house.gov

• Telephone calls and faxes are the most effective way to contact your representatives.  You can reach the main Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

TALKING/WRITING POINTS:

• Please vote against any amendment that removes the children’s safety provision from the FY 2008 House Labor/HHS Appropriation.

• Currently the provision bans the use of harmful mercury (thimerosal) from flu vaccines given to children under three.   

• I am very concerned that an amendment may be offered on the House floor that would strip this important provision from the House bill.  

• As my representative, I urge you to vote against any amendment that would leave children under three exposed to mercury-containing flu vaccines.

• Mercury is a neurotoxin and its use and exposure creates an unnecessary health risk for America’s children.

• I appreciate in advance your vote against any amendment that would weaken the Weldon provision, which puts safety first.

• I will be reviewing the record vote on this issue should an amendment be offered to strip this provision.

If you wish, please add your personal story to any letter you may send.

Thank you to National Autism Association for this action alert. For more information please see www.nationalautismassociation.org.

From Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/is-autism-declining_b_55869.html

For quite some time, the American government, health establishment and mainstream media have repeated the mantra that mercury-containing vaccines were eliminated "several years ago," yet the number of autism cases continues to climb -- the inference being that injecting organic mercury into newborn babies has now been proven to be 100 percent safe.

The problem, though, is that there is no proof that mercury was eliminated "years ago" and, more importantly, now there are signs that autism rates among the youngest children might actually be falling.

On Wednesday, the California Department of Developmental Services released data from the second quarter of 2007, showing that the number of three- to five-year-olds with autism in the state system increased by 169 children over the first quarter of 2007. This is about the same quarterly increase seen in the state over the past several years.

But it turns out that a private citizen has paid the state each quarter to analyze the autism numbers according to year of birth, and not just by age group. State law requires that such privately funded analyses be made available to anyone else who asks for it.

So I asked for it. What I got was rather interesting.

After breaking down the current data among three- to five-year-olds by year of birth, you notice that the number of cases among children born in 2002 (who are now roughly five years old) and 2003 (or roughly four years old) continued to go up.

But among those kids born in 2004 (who are now turning three years old) the number of cases has fallen, as compared to kids born in 2003.

For example, at the midpoint of 2006, there were 2,250 children born in 2001 (or roughly, five-year olds) with autism counted in the system. By the same period of 2007, the number of kids with autism born in 2002 had risen to 2,490, an increase of 240 children, or 10.7 percent.

Among "four year olds," the increase was even more dramatic, with 326 more kids diagnosed with autism midway in 2007 than in 2006, a startling jump of 17 percent.

But among the very youngest kids counted, the story was the opposite. At the end of June 2006, there were 688 children born in 2003 with autism diagnoses. This June, the number of kids born in 2004 with autism was 632, a statistically significant drop of 56 children, or 8.1 percent less than last year at this time.

This marks the second drop of its kind among the youngest children in California (which only tracks so-called "full spectrum" autism, and not milder forms of the disorder). It follows the first quarter of this year, when 251 children born in 2004 entered the system, compared with 264 kids born in 2003 who were enrolled in the first quarter of 2006 - a modest decline of 13 students, or 4.9 percent.

Keep in mind that these drops are being reported despite the fact that:

1) Rates among kids born just one or two years earlier continue to spiral upward

2) California has experienced a recent baby boomlet (the number of 0 to four-year-olds rose by 9,369 in 2002, according to census estimates; but jumped by 62,393 in 2004).

3) Legal and illegal immigration continues to rise from countries that still use the full amount of mercury in childhood vaccines.

4) Aggressive early intervention campaigns have consistently brought down the average age of autism diagnoses.

Intriguing though the numbers may be, it is far too early to know if this refreshing downward movement will turn into a bona fide trend. The deficit of 56 children could be made up by the end of the year.

But the decline does not come in a vacuum. Minnesota, for example, tracks autism among children as young as two years of age, (though the counting is done through the school system, and is considered less reliable than California's data).

The rate of two-year-olds diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Minnesota peaked in 2003, at 4.45-per-10,000 kids. By 2005, the rate fell to 3.88-per-10,000, and last year it was 3.55-per-10,000, a drop of 20.2 percent since 2003.

We will have to wait until these kids get a bit older to see if the decline holds true.

Meanwhile, back in California at the massive Kaiser Permanente healthcare, officials reported that, among five- to nine-year-olds in their system in 2006, the rate of ASD was 93-per-10,000. But among the youngest kids, two- to four-year-olds, it was 66-per-10,000 - a 40% difference.

One would naturally expect to see fewer two- to four-year=olds than five- to nine-year-olds with an ASD diagnosis. But in 2004, Kaiser began recommending routine ASD screening for all children at 24 months of age. Presumably, the majority of the two- four-year-olds in the system have now been screened for ASD, which must, by definition, appear before age three for a diagnosis to be made.

Sadly, more two-year-olds at Kaiser will end up with ASD, and some stragglers among the three- and 4-year-olds will also turn up. But whether they can make up the 40% deficit compared with their older siblings remains to be seen.

Are autism rates dropping? I would never say they are for sure. We simply have to wait and see.

But there are tantalizing hints that autism is indeed starting to decline among the very youngest children, born and vaccinated more recently, when mercury was transitioned out of most shots.

Which brings us to the, mercury was removed "several years ago" mantra, whose best retort is probably: "Says who?"

According to the Boston Herald, the last mercury-containing shots given to U.S. children expired back in 1999. The Washington Post, meanwhile, put the date at 2001, the FDA said it was 2002, the Institute of Medicine and the Immunization Action Coalition said 2003, and the Council of State Governments claimed it was "early 2004."

Who's right? We may never know. But we do know that companies were still manufacturing mercury-containing shots for American kids in 2001, and most vaccines have a shelf life of about two years. And we know that 90 percent of flu shots given to pregnant women and infants still contain the full amount of mercury today.

The number of California kids born in 2004 who have autism is, by any measure, still too high. True, we don't know how many of those 632 children were exposed to mercury in routine vaccines overseas, or flu shots here at home. But with numbers this lofty, it's highly unlikely that thimerosal alone was responsible for the entire autism epidemic.

If mercury is but one cause of autism, there must be other causes as well.

Let's say that autism cases among three-year-olds fall by 10 percent or so by year's end. Could thimerosal be the cause of 10 percent of autism cases? That would still mean tens of thousands of Americans injured by mercury in their vaccines. Moreover, identifying the cause in just 10 percent of cases might help us discover what is causing the other 90 percent.

But I am writing way ahead of myself here.

Regardless of one's position on the mercury-autism contretemps, I hope everyone can agree that an actual drop in the numbers, no matter what the cause, would provide a welcome respite from the endless chorus of grim news we all seem to face these days.

Autism in Room 5

Some witnesses for the U.S. Justice Department are expected to testify in Vaccine Court this week that there's no such thing as an autism epidemic. They will say that autism is genetic in origin, and that its rate is generally static: about 1-in-150 children. A genetic disorder, of course, has no external "cause," and nothing in the environment -- least of all mercury in vaccines -- could be driving autism numbers upward.

Better diagnosis and wider reporting, they say, are really to blame.

But there is a pivotal flaw to this argument: As a genetic disorder that seems to affect all races equally, autism rates should be roughly 1-in-150 in every age group, in every country, in every state, virtually in every town. But they are not.

Just ask the special ed teachers at St. Anthony's school in Northvale, NJ: not about their students, but about their own kids.

New Jersey may very well be the developmental disorder capital of North America. The CDC tells us that children here are three times more likely to have an autism diagnosis than kids in, say, Alabama.

That means that, if autism spectrum disorders are genetic only, then New Jersey officials must be three times better at diagnosing and counting ASD cases than their Alabama counterparts.

Conversely, if some autism cases really do have an environmental component -- heavy metals, for instance -- then geography itself might become a risk factor.

Which brings us to Northvale, a hardworking, middle class community near the New York border, and home to St. Anthony's, a church-owned property that also serves as a public school for special education students, many with autism.

On Tuesday, the Bergen Record reported a "high prevalence of autism and learning disabilities among children of teachers" employed at St. Anthony's.

According to an admittedly "informal poll" of school administrators, 14 out of 39 children born to female instructors since 1997 were diagnosed with a learning disability: three with autism, and 11 with speech and language delays.

Yes, this is an unscientific survey of a limited population. But it is alarming nonetheless -- and the impetus for several media reports generated among the jaded, heard-it-all metro New York press.

Keep in mind that 1-in-6 American children has a learning disability; but among children of teachers at St. Anthony's, the rate is reportedly 1-in-3. As for autism, the NJ rate is 1-in-94; while at St. Anthony's, it's just 1-in-13.

My own initial reporting on this subject has turned up slightly different, but even more disturbing evidence of a possible developmental disability "cluster" in Northvale.

Dr. Lawrence Rosen, a pediatrician from nearby Old Tappan, NJ, treats over 300 kids with ASD, including at least 20 who attend St. Anthony's, or are children of teachers there. "The direct information I have from one parent and one teacher," he told me, "is that, out of 12 children born to women who taught in Room 5 at the school, nine have autism or severe learning disabilities, and all of them are boys. The three non-affected children are girls."

In other words, nine out of nine boys born to women who taught in Room 5 now have severe developmental disabilities.

What is going on? Many worried parents and parent/teachers at the school want to know, and they packed an emergency meeting on Tuesday night to find out.

Was there something evil lurking in Room 5, they worried? Personally, I doubt it. But I do wonder about known neurotoxins lurking just outside the school, and especially mercury. (This is, after all, Northern New Jersey, the brunt of every poisonous pollution joke you can think of).

Perhaps not so remarkably then, the first thing to jump into most people's mind -- parents, teachers, town officials and reporters - was not "better diagnosis," but environmental toxins. The genetic theory largely flew out the open window like stale air on a warm spring day.

Even so, it was reported that recent tests for mold and asbestos turned up nothing, and now officials will search for signs of lead, volatile organic chemicals, and other neurotoxins inside the school. Local health authorities, meanwhile, noted that two EPA Superfund sites were located in town, but doubted that they could be implicated.

They might have looked a little closer. For example, within a half-mile radius or so, there are several companies who manufacture generic and name-brand pharmaceutical drugs.

New Jersey has one of the highest concentrations of drug factories in the world, and some of these facilities use mercury-derived products, such as thimerosal, to maintain sterility during production, or as an ingredient in over-the-counter products..

Companies like Merck have paid multi-million dollar fines for illegally discharging mercury, the state's largest non-carcinogenic pollutant, into New Jersey waterways. (In 1997, the pharmaceutical industry in this region released nearly five million pounds of pollutants, according to government records.

Meanwhile, back in Northvale, one of the pharmaceutical facilities was cited by state environmental officials for emitting more than 1,000 pounds of hazardous waste per month.

Other businesses not far from St. Anthony's make or finish metal products, a process that emits lead, cadmium and mercury into the air.

And, less than one block, or 200 feet from the school, sits the U.S. Headquarters of a major global manufacturer of mercury switches, batteries, and other electronic equipment made with the heavy metal.

Dr. Rosen, for one, thinks this is more than a coincidence.

"It's horrifying," he told me. "There is enough preliminary evidence to warrant a thorough investigation of all potential environmental neurotoxins that might be causing this."

The superintendent for public schools in Northvale, Jan Furman, agrees. She was unaware of the mercury-switch factory or the other plants nearby, but agreed that it was "very important," to find out more about their industrial activities and environmental controls.

No one knows why so many women who worked in Room 5 apparently gave birth to boys who were all developmentally disabled - but it seems too high a number to be a mere coincidence.

I am not saying these local businesses caused even a single case of disabilities. And perhaps the borough of Northvale is not the least bit toxic. But some people here believe that something, somewhere in the area, might be.

"I am certain there are environmental factors involved in many cases of autism and other developmental disorders," Dr. Rosen told me. "It is unscientific to believe that there are not." Some families do relocate to New Jersey for the many disabled services that are offered, he said. "But that is just part of it. We have unique environmental factors here as well, and we need to look into them."

So what does this have to do with vaccine court? Nothing directly, though it does provide evidence to refute the "all genetics, all the time" argument being offered up this week.

And, of course, if elevated mercury levels are detected in the air, soil or water around Room 5 at St. Anthony's, this could be taken into account by local health officials as a genuine risk factor for autism and other disorders. (I will be following and reporting on this developing story closely),

"If mercury from the environment could potentially harm these kids, then what about mercury from other sources, like vaccines?" Dr. Rosen asked. "There is no reason to think that one form of mercury would cause this neurotoxic effect, but not another."

And, he added, quite sincerely: "How we could do this to our own kids is just mind-boggling."

CDC: Out of Excuses on the Autism Study that "Should be Done"

Posted June 27, 2007 | 11:01 PM (EST)

A simple study of autism rates among vaccinated and unvaccinated children "could be done and should be done" to help settle the raging debate that has now spilled into the U.S. Federal Courts.

The words of some anti-vaccine zealot? An overwrought parent lashing out at something, anything, to blame? Or perhaps a greedy trial lawyer pining for the big bucks of injured-kiddie tort?

No, these were the measured, thoughtful remarks of CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding, at a Washington press conference two years ago.

But Gerberding never ordered the study -- one that could silence this tiresome argument once and for all, a study that any rational person would concur "should be done."

Why not? One reason, the powerful director said, is that "very high levels of vaccination...record immunization levels," make it "very, very difficult to get an effective numerator and denominator to get a reliable diagnosis."

But maybe it's not that difficult to find an "effective numerator" (i.e., unvaccinated children) after all.

It certainly wasn't hard for the respected polling company, Survey USA, to find nearly 1,000 unvaccinated children living in nine counties in California and Oregon. All they had to do was pick up the phone.

Survey USA, commissioned by the anti-thimerosal group Generation Rescue, completed telephone interviews in 11,817 households with one or more children age 4 to 17. Of the 17,674 children inventoried, 991 were described as being completely unvaccinated.

Interestingly, the survey found that, among boys (who have neurodevelopmental disorders at a 4-to-1 ratio over girls) vaccinated children were 155 percent more likely to have a neurological disorder, 224 percent more likely to have ADHD, and 61 percent more likely to have autism. Among boys aged 11-18, the increased autism risk was 112 percent.

This survey suggests there might be a trend here worthy of further investigation. But is it hard science? Of course not, and that is precisely my point.

We need the CDC, or some other well-funded agency, to conduct a comprehensive health study of vaccinated and unvaccinated children, now, using the soundest epidemiological tools available.

And for those who think that phone surveys are a patently ridiculous way to study autism, consider this: The Survey USA methodology was based on the model that the CDC itself has employed in national prevalence studies for ADHD and autism. In fact, Dr. Laura Schieve, co-author of the CDC's two national autism phone surveys said that parent reports demonstrate "high reliability, or reproducibility."

Which brings us back to that numerator. There are clearly enough unvaccinated kids (outside Chicago there is an entire HMO-full) to finally do the study that Dr. Gerberding herself says "could and should be done."

Maybe the Survey USA poll is way off base. Maybe an actual scientific investigation, one that controls for bias and other potentially confounding factors, would show the exact opposite. Maybe, as one would hope and intuitively expect, vaccinated children are truly healthier and happier than unvaccinated children.

I hope that the CDC can prove that they are. Wouldn't that be a wonderful thing? And like I have said before, it would certainly shut up the likes of me.

Now that Dr. Gerberding no longer has the excuse that "record immunization levels" preclude such a study, perhaps she might direct some of the recently appropriated Combating Autism Act funds to studying the two groups of children.

For those that disagree -- and I look forward to your rational comments on why this study should never be done -- I suggest you take up your concerns with the CDC director herself, and not with me.

After all, Dr. Gerberding is the one who said that this study "should be done." And I, for one, could not agree with her more.

PS: This week, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) introduced the "Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act of 2007" (H.R. 2832). For more information on this legislation, please visit here.

By Dan Olmsted http://tinyurl.com/2xs86u
 
June 26 (UPI) -- A new, privately funded survey finds vaccinated U.S. children have a significantly higher risk of neurological disorders -- including autism -- than unvaccinated children. In one striking finding, vaccinated boys 11-17 were more than twice as likely to have autism as their never-vaccinated counterparts. The telephone survey of parents representing a total of 17,000 children appears to be the first of its kind -- and contrasts starkly with several government-backed studies that have found no risk from vaccines.

"No one has ever compared prevalence rates of these neurological disorders between vaccinated and unvaccinated children," said J.B. Handley, father of a child with autism and co-founder of Generation
Rescue, which commissioned the $200,000 survey conducted by SurveyUSA, a respected marketing firm. "The phone survey isn't perfect, but these numbers point to the need for a comprehensive national study to gather this critical information.

"We have heard some speculation that unvaccinated children would be difficult to locate," Handley said. "But we were able to find more than enough in our sample of more than 17,000 children to establish
confidence intervals at or above 95 percent for the primary comparisons we made."

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., reintroduced a bill first submitted last year calling for the National Institutes of Health to conduct such a study.

"Generation Rescue's study is impressive and forcefully raises some serious questions about the relationship between vaccines and autism," Maloney said. "What is ultimately needed to resolve this
issue one way or the other is a comprehensive national study of vaccinated and unvaccinated children.

"The parents behind Generation Rescue only want information. These parents deserve more than roadblocks, they deserve answers. We can and should move forward in search of those answers."

Both Maloney and Handley said their efforts were sparked by Age of Autism columns that found anecdotal, unscientific evidence of less autism among the Amish, who have a lower vaccination rate. The column also reported on Homefirst Health Services in Chicago, whose director said there is no autism or asthma among several thousand never-vaccinated children who were home-delivered and remain patients of the family practice. The U.S. autism rate is 1 in 150 children,according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A spokesman for the CDC, which recommends the childhood immunization schedule and has conducted studies that found no link to autism, said the agency has not seen the Generation Rescue data. "We look forward to learning more about the survey," spokesman Curtis Allen said. "It's important to note that self-report surveys on topics like this often have significant limitations, so one must be
cautious with respect to interpreting the findings.

"It's also important to note that previous studies involving hundreds of thousands of children have failed to find an association." + Read more: http://tinyurl.com/2xs86u

FOR MORE ON GENERATION RESCUES’ EFFORTS, STUDY MENTIONED AN RECENT ADS: www.generationrescue.org

VACCINATED CHILDREN TWO AND A HALF TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS LIKE ADHD AND AUTISM, NEW SURVEY IN CALIFORNIA AND OREGON FINDS

http://www.generationrescue.org/survey.html

New Findings Emerge as Debate Rages in Court

Portland, OR — June 26, 2007 — As the first trial in Vaccine Court explores the relationship between vaccines and autism, a new survey released today indicates a strong correlation between rates of
neurological disorders, such as ADHD and autism, and childhood vaccinations.

The survey, commissioned by Generation Rescue, compared vaccinated and unvaccinated children in nine counties in Oregon and California. Among more than 9,000 boys age 4-17, the survey found vaccinated boys were two and a half times (155%) more likely to have neurological disorders compared to their unvaccinated peers. Vaccinated boys were 224% more likely to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and 61% more likely to have autism.

For older vaccinated boys in the 11-17 age bracket, the results were even more pronounced. Vaccinated boys were 158% more likely to have a neurological disorder, 317% more likely to have ADHD, and 112% more likely to have autism. Complete survey results are available at
www.GenerationRescue.org.

Generation Rescue commissioned the phone survey. Data was gathered by SurveyUSA, a national market research firm, which surveyed parents by phone on more than 17,000 children, ages 4-17, in five counties in California (San Diego, Sonoma, Orange, Sacramento, and Marin) and four
counties in Oregon (Multnomah, Marion, Jackson, and Lane).

The survey asked parents whether their child had been vaccinated, and whether that child had one or more of the following diagnoses: Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), or Autism. The phone survey was chosen to mirror the methodology the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) uses to establish national prevalence for neurological disorders in their national phone survey.

Timed to the release of the survey results, Generation Rescue also ran full-page advertisements in Washington's Roll Call, The Oregonian, and The Orange County Register today. The ad compares the 36 pediatric vaccines the CDC recommends today to the 10 recommended in 1983, and asks, "Are We Over-Vaccinating Our Kids?"

"No one has ever compared prevalence rates of these neurological disorders between vaccinated and unvaccinated children," said J.B. Handley, co-founder of Generation Rescue, whose son was diagnosed with autism. "The phone survey isn't perfect, but these numbers point to the need for a comprehensive national study to gather this critical information."

In Washington, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) has been advocating for such a survey. Co-sponsored by Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), the "Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Population Act of 2006," or H.R. 2832,
was introduced on June 22, and would require the National Institutes of Health to complete this research.

"Generation Rescue's study is impressive and forcefully raises some serious questions about the relationship between vaccines and autism. What is ultimately needed to resolve this issue one way or the other is a comprehensive national study of vaccinated and unvaccinated children," said Congresswoman Maloney. "The parents behind Generation Rescue only want information. These parents deserve more than road blocks, they deserve answers. We can and should move forward in
search of those answers. That's why I've introduced a common sense bill that would require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct a comprehensive, comparative study on the possible link
between autism and thimerosal."

From 1983 to 2007, autism rates have climbed from 1 in 10,000 children to 1 in 150 children, a growth rate of 6,000% (boys are significantly more affected by neurological disorders, accounting for approximately 80% of all cases). ADHD currently affects 1 in 13 children. In the same period, the CDC's recommended vaccine schedule more than tripled. The simmering debate over the cause of childhood neurological disorders shows no sign of cooling, but no study had ever been done to
look at unvaccinated children.

Lisa Handley, co-founder of Generation Rescue, adds, "Everyone working with autism wants to identify the cause so we can focus on treatment and prevention. A national study like HR 5940 could help end this debate and focus all of our resources on helping our kids. Its time has come, and we hope Congress will choose to put our children first."

About Generation Rescue

Generation Rescue was formed by parents of children who have been diagnosed with childhood neurological disorders (NDs), and is dedicated to examining the causes and biomedical treatments for
Autism, Asperger's, ADHD, ADD, PDD-NOS, and other learning disabilities. Visit www.GenerationRescue.org for more information and to see complete survey results.

From the DESK OF RICK ROLLENS:

AB 16 will be amended to, among other things, insure that the public, parents, and interested organizations and individuals will have real input in the discussion and decision making process whenever a new vaccine is being considered for inclusion in the mandatory childhood immunization schedule. Furthermore, the bill will include language for the Legislature to review, oversee, and have the ability to adjust the schedule if needed. 

The bill's author, Assemblymember Hernandez, recognized that he did not have the votes for passage of his bill as he presented it, and very reluctantly agreed to the changes that were forcefully placed on him by a majority of the committee. I want to especially thank Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) who also serves the  Chairman of the Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism, Senator Elaine Alquist (D- San Jose) and Senator (Dr.) Sam Aanestad (R-Redding) for their support of our concerns and constructive input on this legislation.  

And lastly, I want to thank all of those who attended and testified at the hearing and especially those parents who brought their children as witness to vaccine induced autism, and; as well, those who wrote, e-mailed,  faxed and called the members of the Committee in support of our efforts.

I personally will be deeply involved in drafting the new language and will be vigilant in protecting the rights of parents, and most importantly the health and future of children today and those yet to be born, in this process.  

As they say, "It's not over till the fat lady sings", and it is still the case with AB 16. There are two other bills in the process that currently contain the AB 16 language. I will be monitoring them and alerting you if action is necessary.  I will keep everyone informed on the process, and may very well call again on you to help in this matter if the direction that was given by the Health Committee is not adhered to and the other two bills don't reflect the will of the Health Committee.

 We, after all are dealing with some of the most powerful special interests in Sacramento and the nation. There are billions of dollars in play, and the very future of our children's health and well being at stake. This has been, and continues to be, an exhausting and emotionally draining experience.

By Sigrid Fry-Revere
San Jose Mercury News, July 11, 2007    

http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_6346635

Vaccine mandate would only serve maker's interest

After considerable scandal and conflicts of interest, more than a dozen states abandoned plans to mandate Merck's human papillomavirus virus vaccine, Gardasil, but California still might go through with it.

In March, Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, pulled his bill mandating HPV vaccines for seventh-grade girls. Now reintroduced in stealthier form, the bill has passed the California Assembly, and is scheduled to come before the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday.

Hernandez's bill no longer mentions HPV or seventh-grade girls specifically. But it does require that the state mandate all federally recommended vaccines before 2006, and delegates the authority to mandate vaccinations recommended after Jan. 1, 2006 - including Gardasil - to the state's public health officer, instead of the state Legislature.

So now, instead of the Legislature making decisions that should be left up to parents, an executive department head has final say on vaccination requirements.

Hernandez argues that the bill "leave(s) the decision as to how and when to implement a vaccine to the public health professionals best qualified to make that determination," but that would be individual doctors and patients - as it is now - not a state bureaucrat.

Under the bill, parents still may have the right to obtain vaccination exemptions for their children, but as Karen England, executive director of the Capitol Rights Institute, a California family-rights advocacy group, quite aptly put it, "An opt-out provision is simply the government telling me that they have taken away my parental rights and in order to regain them I must file an affidavit with the school."

Even the bill's one redeeming feature, its prohibition against mandating vaccines until they've been on the market for five years, does little to assuage the scientific and practical concerns about mandating Gardasil.

The question shouldn't be how effective Gardasil is; it should be how necessary it is, and what unintended consequences may follow from mandating its use.

While approximately half of all women between 14 and 24 have some form of HPV, a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that the rates for HPV 16 and 18 - the two types Gardasil is so effective at preventing - are astronomically lower: only 1.5 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.

And according to the American Cancer Society, most HPV infections, even the carcinogenic ones, resolve without any treatment at all. Approximately 75 percent of HPV infections in adults and 90 percent of those in adolescents disappear on their own. Furthermore, when the pre-cancerous lesions which HPV can (but rarely does) cause are detected early through Pap testing, treatment is generally simple and the survival rate for the disease is over 90 percent.

Cervical cancer is the world's second deadliest cancer for women, but only because women in developing countries don't have easy access to regular Pap tests. Eighty-three percent of the world's new cases and 85 percent of all cervical cancer deaths occur in developing countries. But unfortunately for Merck, that's not where the money is.

Gardasil could cause more harm than good. What if the vaccine lulls young women into a false sense of security? Gardasil doesn't protect against 16 or more types of HPV responsible for 30 percent of cervical cancers, and women may not realize the necessity of undergoing regular Pap testing even after they're vaccinated. As a result, pre-cancerous conditions may go undetected before it's too late.

Drug trials on Gardasil followed women for an average of about three years, so we know little of how long the immunity lasts or the long-term risks that may be associated with it. Children vaccinated at 12 could potentially lose their immunity before finishing high school.

And what if some horrible side-effect were to materialize later? The possibility isn't as far-fetched as one might think. In 1976, swine flu caused only one documented death in the U.S., but the vaccine administered by government mandate seriously injured or killed hundreds. It turned out that the vaccine caused Guillain-Barr Syndrome, a rare paralytic disease similar to polio, with a 5 percent fatality rate and a 10 percent rate of permanent paralysis.

Whether implemented through the legislature or an executive department, mandating HPV vaccines in California may very well be in no one's best interest - except Merck's.