AGE OF AUTISM

OFFIT TARGETS THE POLINGS: TOUTS VACCINATIONS FOR MITO DISORDER

Dr. Paul Offit goes after the Poling decision in The New England Journal of Medicine.  Dr. Offit makes money from vaccines. His career is predicated on vaccines.  In the article, he says:

Unfortunately, in recent years the VICP seems to have turned its back on science.

Like the Werderitsh decision, the VICP's concession to Hannah Poling was poorly reasoned. First, whereas it is clear that natural infections can exacerbate symptoms of encephalopathy in patients with mitochondrial enzyme deficiencies, no clear evidence exists that vaccines cause similar exacerbations. Indeed, because children with such deficiencies are particularly susceptible to infections, it is recommended that they receive all vaccines.

Read the full the article HERE.

UNAUTHORIZED IMUS TRANSCRIPT

The following is an unauthorized transcript of IMUS interview with CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson.

IMUS: Let's go to Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News, who had a report last night with Dr. Bernadine Healy about the possible link between thimerosal, a mercury based preservative, still in some vaccines, flu vaccines....and autism.  Good morning Ms. Attkisson

Watch the interview here:

SHARYL: Good Morning.

IMUS: I had Dr. Healy on about an hour ago.  The question I had for her is why did she want to get involved in this?

SHARYL: What did she say?

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON DR. HEALY AT CBS NEWS

Click HERE to post your comments on the CBS News BLOG about the story by Sharyl Attkisson of Dr. Healy's thoughts on autism and vaccines, won't you? 

And please leave a COMMENT HERE that will go directly to CBS NEWS to tell them how much you appreciate Sharyl's work!  We need to support the journalists who stick their necks out on behalf of our children.

TUNE INTO IMUS NOW! HEALY AND ATTKISSON

CBS was tipped off to cases as far back as 1991 where the gov't is paying families for brain damage for vaccine cases - the gov't is not tracking which of them would be called autism. Healy was shocked.

Tune in this morning to www.abcradio.com to listen to Don Imus live. He is having Dr. Bernadine Healy and Sheryl Atkisson from CBS on to discuss vaccines. Tentative time is 7:30am.

Points brought up right now live by Dr. Healy:

The Poling case is so important.

The principle of herd immunity drives vaccine thinking because of that there's a fear in public health community that people will stop getting vaccines.

Public Health officials feel: We are challenging something too important let's not do the studies or the science."

BILL CLINTON IN JB HANDLEY COUNTRY

Sounds like Bill Clinton was talking to JB Handley while stumping for his wife in the Pacific Northwest.  Click HERE.

The point is that Bill Clinton is in Oregon and uttered the word autism. Nothing more.  Certainly nothing related to Bill Clinton using the term "born with..." which to him may have little difference from "diagnosed with" in terms of his knowledge of autism. 

President Bill Clinton on KTVZ in Central Oregon: You do not want to bring your children into the world where we go on with the number of children who are born with autism tripling every 20 years, and nobody knows why," he said.

DR. HEALY: GOV'T TOO QUICK TO DISMISS VACCINE LINK

We'd like to see how the Offits, Tayloes and Gerberdings attempt to impugn "loudmouth" Dr. Bernadine Healy who says, "the government has been too quick to dismiss the possibility of a vaccine-autism link" in THIS CBS report by correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.

Today, a second round of autism test cases begins in federal vaccine court. Tonight on the CBS Evening News, we'll have exclusive interviews with the two families who are bringing the cases: two of nearly 5,000 autism cases that have been filed in this special court. The government and many scientists have consistently maintained for more than a decade that there is no link between vaccines and autism. The Institute of Medicine issued a report in 2004 that was intended to put the controversy to rest, saying that the weight of the body of scientific evidence does not show a causal link between vaccines and autism. However, other scientists and parents disagree.

For our report, we interviewed Dr. Bernadine Healy, the former head of the National Institutes of Health and a member of the Institute of Medicine who breaks with her colleagues in this exclusive CBS News interview: Dr. Healy says the government has been too quick to dismiss the possibility of a vaccine-autism link, and that it should be explored with renewed vigor.

GLUTEN FREE DIET? AS DIDN'T GET THE MESSAGE.

By Kim Stagliano

Most of you know that Autism Speaks has partnered with a snack company to sell puzzle shaped pretzels. Isn't that clever? Rumor has it Hershey is coming out with a candy bar for Juvenile Diabetes too. 

Guess the fund raisers/publicity pros at Autism Selfpromotes don't fully understand the impact of the GFCF diet.  Here AS team, read and watch THIS.  From the CBS report:

Dr. Seshagiri Rao specializes in treating autistic children. He said that a gluten/cassein-free diet is useful in about one third of his patients who receive an early diagnosis, an alternative diet, a daily regime of vitamins in large doses, behavioral therapy and physical therapy. "Some children can recover completely," Rao said. "Other children can recover to a large extent."

Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism. She just made her 23,434,099 GFCF meal for her children. Hold the pretzels.

THE ONE THING TWO PARTIES CAN AGREE ON

By Jack Russell

Given that politicians are as hungry for votes as big pharma is for dollars I keep waiting for the day when either the Republicans or the Democrats seize hold of our issue and run with it.  After all, we’re becoming not an insignificant portion of the electoral.  As the stakes get higher and higher with each election cycle, I would expect someone to want to grab for our demographic and pick up some loyal voters. Sure, we’ve seen some courageous politicians put forth our issues and we’ve seen encouraging signs from the remaining candidates for president.  But we have yet to see either party promote itself as the champion for vaccine safety and/or autism biomedical research.

BARON-COHEN: IT'S THE GOLDEN AGE OF AUTISM!

Can you imagine hearing someone say, "There's no better time for a soldier to get his legs blown off in Iraq because our ability to save mangled bodies and employ high tech prosthetics is at an all time high."  You'd pillory the person who said that, wouldn't you? 

How about the person who says this about autism? They may feel that the future is bleak for all of these newly diagnosed cases of autism. But I remain optimistic that, for a good proportion of them, it has never been a better time to have autism. Why? Because there is a remarkably good fit between the autistic mind and the digital age.

This is from an article that was published in January of 2007.  You can read it HERE.

"Simon Baron-Cohen Psychologist, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University; author, 'The Essential Difference'

The rise of autism:

Whichever country I travel to, attending conferences on the subject of autism, I hear the same story: autism is on the increase. Thus, in 1978, the rate of autism was four in 10,000 children, but today (according to a Lancet article in 2006) it is 1 per cent. No one quite knows what this increase is due to, though conservatively it is put down to better recognition, better services, and broadening the diagnostic category to include milder cases such as Asperger's syndrome.

ARI APPLAUDS CAREGIVERS

SAN DIEGO - The Autism Research Institute (ARI) applauds caregivers and advocates nationwide for their commitment to secure appropriate, individualized medical and educational intervention for individuals living with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

"Many individuals with autism suffer from apparently related medical conditions; these conditions are often ignored, and so are left untreated by the medical community. These children can improve significantly, and in some cases recover, if their medical needs are met," said ARI Director, Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D.

A recent Harvard School of Public Health study by Dr. Michael Ganz estimates that the overall costs of caring for a person with autism are as much as $3.2 million over his or her lifetime.

Read more HERE.

AAP OHIO SEEKS INPUT ON AUTISM

To our Ohio readers, did you know about this project? The Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) meetings are today and tomorrow.

Autism Pilot Project - The Ohio AAP is looking for interested pediatricians, family physicians, early childcare instructors, parents or anyone with an interest in autism to take part in a first of its kind Autism Diagnosis Education Pilot Project.

CHARGES DROPPED IN CHELATION ERROR DEATH

Charges have been dropped against Dr. Roy Kerry of PA in the death of a child undergoing chelation. Read more HERE.

CDC: SITTING ON AUTISM DATA?

By Dan Hollenbeck

The CDC has two ongoing projects to study autism prevalence: ADDM Network (1) and the MADDSP (2).

In 2003 the MADDSP program published a study pegging autism prevalence at 1 in 250, based on data recorded in 1996 (3). A short four years later, on Feb 7, 2007 the ADDM Network published two studies indicating autism prevalence at 1 in 150, using data from 2000 and 2002 (4, 5). The second of these studies showed that several states showed a statistically significant growth of autism prevalence between 2000 and 2002 (5). Therefore, the current CDC autism prevalence of 1 in 150 is based on six-year old data.

Autism Prevalence	Year Published	Year data recorded	Source
1 in 250	2003	1996	MADDSP
1 in 150	2007	2000 and 2002	ADDM Network and MADDSP

PEDIATRICS: MENTALLY ILL PARENTS AND AUTISM

By Julie Obradovic

Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe you're crazy. This week a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics (HERE) says if you're the parent of an autistic child, there's a good chance you are.

The large scale population study done in Sweden attempts to conclusively link psychiatric conditions in parents with an increased risk for Autism in their children. Other studies on a smaller scale have suggested the link in the past.

My immediate reaction to the result was one of extreme anger. I'm not sure why this one made me so mad, whether it was the last straw on a pile of stupid studies being done to ultimately blame my child's Autism on my husband and I (you know, old dads and too much television), or the implication that when all is said and done, I am simply more likely to be insane (it's only the mom's, by the way). As a friend suggested, this is why it's good I don't have a gun in the house.

CRAZY PARENTS = AUTISTIC KIDS

Here's the newest "it's genetic" spin to deflect the dialogue away from the environmental causes of autism.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - In another sign pointing to an inherited component to autism, a study released on Monday found that having a schizophrenic parent or a mother with psychiatric problems roughly doubled a child's risk of being autistic.

"Our research shows that mothers and fathers diagnosed with schizophrenia were about twice as likely to have a child diagnosed with autism," said Julie Daniels of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who worked on the study.

.....No one knows what causes autism, but researchers think it is likely that several genes and possibly environmental factors contribute. Some autism advocates believe childhood vaccinations play a role, although most medical experts say it is extremely unlikely.

Read the full Reuters article HERE.

GRRRREAT SCOTS! WHERE ARE THE ADULTS WITH AUTISM?

Here's a mystery to rival "What does a Scotsman wear under his kilt?" and Nessie herself.  The Scots can not find an adult population with autism in numbers to refute the concept of the current epidemic among younger people. Read more HERE.

TODAY WE'RE ALL METHODISTS

Senator Clinton is a Methodist. Has she seen this resolution from the United Methodist Church? Thank you to A-Champ for the information.

With passage of a historic resolution today at its 2008 General Conference, the United Methodist Church has become the first faith community to officially oppose the use of mercury, in any form, including Thimerosal, in medicines, especially vaccines.

Beginning in 2005, several United Methodist Annual Conferences and its Women's Division, an organization of nearly 1 million women globally, passed a resolution entitled, "Protecting Children from Mercury-containing Drugs." Today, the validity of this urgent issue was further affirmed by the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, which speaks authoritatively for the denomination' s 11.5 million members worldwide.

Read the full press release HERE.

FOR MOTHER'S DAY: START LISTENING TO MOMS. STOP BLAMING THEM.

This is the the transcript of a DVD sent to the Presidential candidates by Rebecca Estepp.

Vaccine Safety Requests For Our Next Commander in Chief

My name is Rebecca Estepp. I am a proud military wife and mother of two boys. My husband is currently deployed overseas.  This is his third deployment in five years.   My oldest son, Eric, is a child living with autism.

I followed the recommended vaccine schedule for my son Eric.  He developed typically until he had a vaccine reaction. Eric was later diagnosed with autism.

FOUNDERS OF AUTISM SPEAKS IN TIME 100

By Kim Stagliano

Autism Speaks was launched three years ago. Its founders just made the TIME 100 for their philanthropic efforts on behalf of autism.

Please tell us, what has changed for your child with autism since the inception of Autism Speaks and it's subsequent merger with NAAR and CAN!?

Perhaps you are an adult with autism? How has your life changed for the better, having had tens of millions of dollars raised on behalf of your disability/diagnosis?

Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism and a Huffington Post blogger. She has three daughters with autism. Suzanne Wright once promised her in front of hundreds of people that Autism Speaks was going to look into the cause of autism, including vaccinations. That was in 2006.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT'S NOT TELLING YOU ABOUT THE MEASLES EPIDEMIC

Here's another perspective on the measles epidemic. From the Christian Broadcast Network news: "What The Government's Not telling you about the Measles Epidemic" So, what would that be? First, the vaccines do not guarantee you won't get measles. That's rubeola measles, not to be confused with German measles, usually called rubella. In many of the outbreaks, the majority of the infected people are fully or partially vaccinated.

Second, the chance of getting measles in the next few months is much less than one in a million. Still, no one wants to get measles or the rare complications. Read the full article HERE.

PROM DEATHS? MEASLES DEATHS?

It's Prom season. How many American kids will die in car accidents between now and mid-June? How many of the 64 (epidemic!) people who contracted measles according to the article below died? 

Yanno, when the BRADY BUNCH runs an episode about a disease back in 1969, we rather assume it's not a major killer in America.....

Federal health officials warned Thursday that the United States could be on the verge of a major outbreak of measles.

The official tally of measles cases between Jan. 1 and April 25 was 64, the highest in recent years, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

Read the full article HERE.

NEW YORK STATE SEEKS PHILOSOPHICAL VACCINE EXEMPTION

In order to establish an exemption to mandatory vaccines, the Philosophical Exemption to Immunizations Act recently was introduced in the New York State Assembly. Currently, there are 18 states that give parents this right, while most other states offer only religious or medical exemptions.  Read more HERE.

NVAC ROUND TWO

By Kelli Ann Davis

Approximately two weeks ago, the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) Vaccine Safety Working Group (VSWG) met in DC to discuss CDC’s ISO Scientific Agenda and the federal vaccine safety system. 

Several pieces were written in follow up to the meeting (Lisa Randall; David Kirby DHHS transcript; CDC Doesn't Test Simultaneous Vaccinations) and in my piece (HERE) I asked the community to make calls and send e-mails to the Director of the National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) in an effort to place Mark Blaxill of Safeminds onto the VSWG.

WSJ TACKLES SPECIAL NEEDS COSTS

The Wall Street Journal ran a terrific article on a problem we all face: juggling the costs associated with treating our kids.  Read the full article HERE.

On a recent drive home from a party, my wife, Amy, asked our soon-to-be 5-year-old daughter who she had played with. With tears in her eyes, our little girl responded that no one had played with her, because, as she told Amy, "they don't understand me."

NIH INVITATION TO CALIFORNIA AUTISM ADVOCATES

ATTENTION: CA Parents/Caregivers/Clinicians

YOU ARE INVITED!

NIH wants YOUR opinion on what is needed in autism research!

The NIH Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) cordially invites parents who are affiliated with SafeMinds, the National Autism Association (NAA), the Autism Research Institute and Defeat Autism Now!, the M.I.N.D. Institute, FEAT, TACA, Generation Rescue, Autism Society of America and any other local or national groups chapters to a Town Hall Meeting. The meeting is free and open to the public. Advance registration is not required. 

NASSAU COUNTY NEW YORK VACCINE SAFETY PRESS CONFERENCE

David Kirby has been asked to speak at today's event. Here's the press release:

NASSAU COUNTY TO BECOME FIRST MUNICIPALITY IN THE NATION TO HEAR CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY OF VACCINES AND ITS LINK TO AUTISM BY PARENTS/ SPECIAL PRESS CONFERENCE MONDAY APRIL 28, 2008

AUTISM BILLBOARDS. THE POINT?

What do you think, readers? To the point or pointless?

Can you come up with your own slogan for a billboard? I'll bet you can.... Go for it.

HERE's an article about the Greater Akron ASA campaign.

MERCOLA ON JENNY McCARTHY

Dr. Mercola's heart is in the right place, even if the details aren't quite right. Jenny McCarthy's son Evan is not Jim Carrey's biological son, or even step-son.  Still, this article from the www.Mercola.com email newsletter does a terrific job of speading the word that autism is treatable. 

How Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy's Son Recovered From Autism 

In this CNN op-ed piece, actors Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy reflect on their son’s recovery from autism in light of the recent federal court decision which conceded that vaccines could have contributed to another child’s autistic condition.

THANKS TO OBAMA FOR SUPPORTING VACCINE RESEARCH

David Kirby has a piece running over at Huffington Post today titled, "Obama Climbs on the Vaccine Bandwagon" in which he writes: No matter who wins in Pennsylvania today, the next President of the United States will support research into the growing evidence of some link between vaccines and autism.

Here's Senator Obama's quote:

"We've seen just a skyrocketing autism rate. Some people are suspicious that it's connected to the vaccines. This person included. The science right now is inconclusive, but we have to research it."

--Barack Obama, Pennsylvania Rally, April 21, 2008.

IACC MEETING LISTEN IN VIA CONFERENCE CALL

TODAY!

Listen in live via conference call. Details below. You might want to re-read JB Handley's piece Grinker's Stinker: His Wife Runs the IACC before you listen in. I assume they're going to have everyone on mute. If they don't? Give our love to Joyce. Ask her if she still believes that there's no autism epidemic like her husband.

There will be a meeting of the Strategic Planning Workgroup formed by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) on Monday, April 21st from 11 am to 6 pm EST.

Workgroup members will review current funding for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research, proposed research initiatives and resources. They will then discuss and make recommendations on prioritization of research initiatives for the IACC strategic plan for ASD research.

The workgroup meeting will be open to the public through a conference call phone number and a web presentation tool on the Internet.

WIN A SIGNED COPY OF DEIRDRE IMUS' GROWING UP GREEN!

By Kim Stagliano

One lucky Age of Autism reader is going to win a signed copy of Deirdre Imus' newest book, Growing Up Green!  Contest details at the end of this post.

I think you'll especially like the chapter on Green pediatrics. (Someone needed to tell the docs that "green" doesn't end with the poop chart we all got in the hospital when we had our babies!) 

We took a family ride down the road to New Canaan, CT to Elm Street Books to meet Deirdre at a signing. As you can see from the photo I snapped, she looked beautiful, with a snazzy new haircut and perfectly green shirt. Her husband Don was there, as was their son Wyatt, a handsome kid. I thanked Don for his work on behalf of kids with autism. After all, he helped put David Kirby's Evidence of Harm on the map three years ago. (Feels like a lifetime, doesn't it?) 

DR. JON POLING TALKS AUTISM IN NYT PODCAST

As always, please offer your comments in support of the Polings, both here and especially on the NYT site.

From The New York Times' Tara Parker Pope: Lately, the busiest post on the Well blog is about Hannah Poling, a 9-year-old girl at the center of a new controversy about autism and vaccines.

To learn more about the issue, I invited Hannah’s father, neurologist Dr. John S. Poling of Athens, Ga., to join me for a podcast. The podcast is a new feature of the Well blog, where you can join me each week to learn more about the blog’s most talked-about entries.

Late last year, government lawyers agreed that vaccines may have hurt Hannah, and they reached a settlement with her family for her care. I spoke with Dr. Poling about why he came forward...

LISTEN HERE.

NVAC INVITES V4V: WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

By Kelli Ann Davis

Last Friday, the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) Vaccine Safety Working Group met in Washington DC.  The stated purpose of the meeting was to “review the current federal vaccine safety system and develop a White Paper describing the infrastructure needs for a federal vaccine safety system to fully characterize the safety profile of vaccines in a timely manner, reduce adverse events whenever possible, and maintain and improve public confidence in vaccine safety.”

Two days before this meeting took place, I learned in a private meeting with organizers that Lisa Randall (Voices for Vaccines) had been asked to participate in a segment entitled, “Interacting with the Public.”  At that time, I had no idea who she was or what Voices for Vaccines was all about which made it quite difficult to draw any conclusions about her addition to the panel on the spot.

REVIEWS OF AUTISM YESTERDAY SCREENINGS

Please let the world know about the Autism Yesterday movie screening you hosted or attended in our comments section.  Thank you.

WATCH THE "AUTISM YESTERDAY" TRAILER

This is the trailer for the movie Autism Yesterday. You can purchase a copy of the DVD at Amazon.

"AUTISM YESTERDAY" - A TRIBUTE TO TIRELESS PARENTING

Editor’s Note: This is a repeat post of David Kirby’s review of the film Autism Yesterday, premiering tonight in more than 140 venues around the world. If you aren’t headed to a screening, the film is now available at Amazon..

By David Kirby

At a time when Big Medicine, Big Government and Big Media are trying hard to make the vaccine-autism debate go away, along comes a quiet little film like “Autism Yesterday” to throw a wrench in the establishment’s best laid plans to stifle the pesky vaccine chatter once and for all.

Anyone out there still declaring that this debate is over, that medical science has fully exonerated mercury and vaccines, and that thousands of parents who insist otherwise don’t know what they are talking about, really should watch THIS film before embarrassing themselves further.

FLORIDA AUTISM INSURANCE BILL STALLED. YOU CAN HELP.

By Tracy Stewart

The push for Florida insurance coverage is being stalled, and this next day or two is critical. If you know any registered Florida voters, please ask them to consider sending the simple email provided to the reps below, or sending their own personalized message would be great. We really need help!  You can cut and copy the distribution list for Florida's reps right into your email's "send" line.

LISA RANDALL AND THE VACCINE SAFETY WORKING GROUP

So this is dedicated to Lisa Randall, who fights against mothers and fathers whose children have a serious disease, without any understanding of the basic science behind their appeal for more research, while she takes cash from vaccine manufacturers.

By Tracy Stewart

I attended the vaccine safety working group in DC on Friday, April 11th. Some of the materials distributed by the committee were interesting, such as the observation that those who suffer the “typical” adverse reactions to vaccines such as fever and seizures were often found to have elevated serum levels of cytokines, the immune-system’s chemical signaling molecules. Of course, this is found in autism as well (which should signal the need for some investigation concerning vaccinations just on its own). The group is considering goals and study of some areas that are surprising and dare I say, encouraging, such as:

• Question A-V (their labeling): Is immunization associated with risk for neurological deterioration in children with mitochondrial dysfunction (although I would add can it cause their mitochondrial dysfunction)?

ENVIRONMENT OF HARM LIST 3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Today marks the third anniversary of the Environment of Harm list created and moderated by Lenny Schafer. We owe Lenny a huge debt of gratitude. Thank you, Lenny.

Lenny also provides the Schafer Autism Report, an online newsletter that gives you the current autism news at a glance and a calendar of events around the world. If you are not a subscriber, please go to www.sarnet.org and click through to a paid membership. Lenny's work has been invaluable to our community.

From Lenny's letter to his 2100+ members:

JENNY McCARTHY'S "GREEN OUR VACCINES" RALLY JUNE 4 IN DC!

Join Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey on Wednesday, June 4th in Washington, DC for the Green Our Vaccines rally.   Go to www.tacanow.org to register. See you there!

"SOONER" OR LATER: OKLAHOMA AND AUTISM

By Wayne Rohde

Just to let all of you know what the hell is going on in the Sooner
State of Oklahoma. There has been a lot of national press regarding
the proceedings in our House of Representatives.

For the last 2 years, we have known that the way to get any insurance mandate bill passed in Oklahoma, we must get the bill thru the House Economic Development Committee and Chairman Ron Peterson.

There have been no mandates passed in this state since 1999. We are
one of the lowest mandated states in the nation, and we have one of
the poorest health conditions of our citizens.

NYT TAKES ON DHHS MEETING AND HANNAH POLING CASE

The New York Times addresses the Hannah Poling case and the DHHS vaccine safety meeting that took place on Friday in today's edition. Read the full article HERE.  Note the use of the word, "skeptics" to refer to (and denigrate?) those at the meeting who advocate for safe vaccines.

To be sure, many health experts do not agree with Dr. Poling’s conclusions. The case has “added nothing to the discussions of what causes or doesn’t cause autism,” said Dr. Edwin Trevathan, director of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On Friday, many of the main players involved in this debate — including Hannah’s mother and her grandparents, prominent vaccine skeptics and some of the government’s top vaccine researchers — took part in the federal government’s first-ever public meeting to discuss a government-wide research agenda to explore the safety of vaccines.

MONDAY: AUTISM ONE RADIO EXCLUSIVE WAKEFIELD INTERVIEW

Tune in this Monday, April 14th at 1pm ET on Autism One Radio.

Polly Tommey Presents: Autism Issues from Around the World

Topic: The MMR & Autism: Dr Andrew Wakefield's GMC Hearing - An Exclusive Interview with Carmel Wakefield, Doctor Wakefield's wife.

With her latest report from the well-publicized GMC inquiry in London, Polly returns to meet with Dr. Andrew Wakefield's wife, Carmel, in a rare interview opportunity. Polly explores the personal impact of the prolonged inquiry on the Wakefield family alongside Carmel's own focus and motivation.  The interview also goes into depth on key elements of the GMC inquiry including: the impact of the Richard Horton letter, the consequences of any proven MMR connection to autism, the “birthday party” issue, and Carmel's thoughts on the future for Andrew and the family in America after the outcome is known later this year.

Monday, April 14th
1:00 pm ET
www.autismone.org/radio

THE CEDILLO FAMILY DESERVES OUR SUPPORT

The Cedillo family needs our support following an article about their daughter Michelle that is in the Yuma Sun.

The article begins: This is the story laid out in Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services, which was chosen as a test case from those 4,900. It is the story of Michelle Cedillo, a 13-year-old Yuma girl whose case has become a landmark in the question of what causes autism.

Please read the full article (HERE) and leave a comment on the Yuma Sun site to set ignorant readers straight, won't you? Speaking of ignorant readers, here's a presumptuous comment currently there from someone calling himself "Slimething."

I agree fully with yumasand. I also have an autistic child and his symptoms did not begin abruptly after any vaccination. I feel for all those affected but there is no link between vaccination and autism. Such belief arises from "correlation bias", a logical flaw. Hyperactivity has been blamed on red M&M, horniness on green M&Ms, etc. It's natural to associate a bad or good effect with a recollection of something unusual that occured at approximately the same time. That's why coaches on a winning streak will wear the same clothes to every game.

I am sorry for the Cedillo family but, no, vaccinations were not the cause of the child's autism.