AGE OF AUTISM

TEXAS MEDIA NEEDS TO LEARN KIDS' METAL LEVELS

By Anne Dachel

Texas is talking about the research by Raymond Palmer, associate professor of family and community medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.  Palmer's study found that the closer a school is to a mercury source, the higher the rate of autism among the students.  Dr. Lucy Frazier, a toxicologist hired by coal businesses discounted the study.  We're of course used to scientists with ties to industry rejecting any link between exposure to toxins and autism, but this news puts the issue out there. 

The media needs to hear from parents!

MERCURY IS IN THE AIR

By Mark Blaxill

It was March 31, 1981, less than three months into Ronald Reagan's first term. The nation had just learned that a mentally ill gunman had shot the president and the bureaucrats back at the White House were trying to figure out what to say and do next. That was when Alexander Haig, the Secretary of State at the time, decided that the most important thing he could do was to reassure the American people. In a famous press briefing, Haig told reporters "as of now, I am in control here, in the White House." Although he would later run for President himself, Haig's delusion of control was brief. (He was also wrong, constitutionally speaking, but that mattered little). Within a couple of hours the Vice President had landed back in Washington DC and any need that some panicked soul might have felt for reassurance from Secretary Haig had quickly passed.

It's a powerful impulse, the need for a sense of control in our lives. Perhaps the only more powerful impulse is the desire among political leaders like Haig to respond to that need by providing reassurances that, indeed, "everything is under control here in Washington. Don't worry your little heads, you members of the public, that anything is amiss or out of order. Just leave all the important decisions to us."

THANK GOD YOUR VEINS DON'T COUNT AS "ENVIRONMENT!"

Thank heavens the AAP, FDA, CDC, AMA, OB's-R-US and other people with oversight for your health don't consider your veins part of your environment. Even if the link between mercury in the air and autism is indeed statistically significant, injecting mercury directly into the bloodstream is as safe as a scrubbly-bubbly-bubble-bath with Ivory soap. Right?

Meanwhile, Europe is firing up the old coal burning energy plants (HERE)  as oil prices skyrocket. That will drive up mercury emissions. Soon you'll need DMPS in that bath to get clean.

A newly published study of Texas school district data and industrial mercury-release data, conducted by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, indeed shows a statistically significant link between pounds of industrial release of mercury and increased autism rates. It also shows—for the first time in scientific literature—a statistically significant association between autism risk and distance from the mercury source.

Read the full article HERE.

OLMSTED ON AUTISM: HANNAH POLING AND RACHEL CARSON

BY DAN OLMSTED

Those of you who read this blog regularly know our core tenet is this: Autism is predominantly an environmental disorder, in the sense it is triggered by toxins coming from outside the body to cause mayhem within. (Genetic susceptibility? Sure. But toxins are the trigger.) We tend to focus a lot on one particular outside-in factor -- vaccines -- because the link between vaccines and the autism epidemic is so eff-ing obvious, but we do believe the environment more broadly defined – in the Inconvenient Truth, Silent Spring sense – is playing a major role. Our planet is so toxified and our kids carry such a body burden from birth that it takes less and less to tip them into autism, asthma, allergies, ADD, ADHD, autoimmune disorders … and that's only the A's.

JENNY McCARTHY ON CITY TV TORONTO

Click HERE to see Jenny McCarthy discuss autism, vaccines and more on City TV in Toronto, Canada.

JULIE GERBERDING MUST RESIGN FROM CDC

From our commenter SD: I just got off the phone the White House and was told they were getting MANY phone calls and that we all seemed very passionate about this issue.  The operator told me that we should continue to call AGAIN and AGAIN.  That we should be putting our stories in writing and getting them out to the press.  By keeping it in the press will create pressure for results.  Thanks for the tip White House operator!

Today we call for the resignation of CDC leader Julie Gerberding for ignoring the health and safety of our children.  The following provides contact information for the CDC, White House and other organizations. (We can not guarantee all of these numbers will be reachable throughout the day.) Thank you to two A of A readers for these numbers.

Let's give our children the voice autism took away. Start "dialing."


Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 

julie.gerberding@cdc.hhs.gov

(404) 639-3311 (live)
(404) 498-1515 (answering service)
(800) 311-3435
http://www.cdc.gov/contact/      

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

Senator Obama  202-224-2854
Senator Clinton  202-224-4451
Senator McCain  202-224-2235

THE WHITE HOUSE

Main phone number: 202-456-1111

Switchboard: 202-456-1414

Fax: 202-456 -2461

First Lady Laura Bush's office: 202-0456-7064

Chief of Staff Josh Bolten: 202-456-6798

Presidential Scheduling: 202-456-5251

White House Counsel: 202-456-5257

Political Affairs: 202-456-5275/5277

President Bush: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
(There's a link to send message to President Bush)

Vice-President Dick Cheney: vice_president@whitehouse.gov
(Gee! There's email in the bunker?)

FLUTIE FOUNDATION GRANT TO MERCURY STUDY

The National Autism Association has announced that they have received a generous grant from the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism for the Burbacher Study of the effect of mercury on the brain.

Nixa, MO  – It was announced this week that The National Autism Association (NAA) will receive $10,000 for the Burbacher/Charleston study into the effects of mercury exposure in the brain. The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc. awarded the grant. Funding will support the completion of a research study relating to the effects upon the brain following exposure to mercury. 

RICHARD RHAMES COUNTERPUNCH TO MERCURY

More and more people are questioning the safety of mercury in our lives. Let alone our kids' veins.  Read more HERE from CounterPunch.

DOUG FLUTIE, TONY BRAXTON: AUTISM AND VACCINES

By Kim Stagliano

Are the autism Luddites, genetics only, epidemic deniers going to bash NFL quarterback (and my fellow Boston College classmate) Doug Flutie the way they have Jenny McCarthy for saying our vaccination protocol is behind the autism epidemic?

These words from Doug Flutie talking about the MMR and autism on Larry King Live right now:  "I draw a parallel. The Gov't would be afraid to admit it. At least spread them out."

Tony Braxton said she points the finger at vaccines. Is Autism Speaks going to disown her tomorrow on their site? Stay tuned. Jenny McCarthy and Katie Wright opened the door. Now a crowd is bursting through it.

You can send an email to Larry King Live HERE.

Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism, Mom to three beautiful girls with autism and yes, a Boston College Eagle.

LIFE IMITATES TV

By David Kirby

Three weeks ago, the American public health establishment turned nearly apoplectic over the airing of an ABC TV fictional drama series, “Eli Stone,” for having delved into the thorny issue of vaccines and autism, and coming out on the side of the theory’s proponents.

Well, last I checked, the sky did not fall down, hell did not freeze over, children are still getting vaccinated (even with this year’s somewhat ineffective thimerosal-containing flu shot) and life goes on pretty much unchanged.

But as powerful as fictional television can be (and I confess to being a fan) it is still no match for good old fashioned reality.

When Eli Stone won a vaccine-autism case on TV, not much happened in our world. But last November, a real American family won a real concession and settlement from the US Government, and will soon be receiving very real dollars to help care for a sick little girl.

What happens next remains to be seen. But stay tuned for some fun and games this week as the mainstream media tries to grapple with (or, perhaps, roundly ignore) this very real courtroom drama, one that played out right under our very real noses.

[Editor's note: see David Kirby's discussion of the vaccine case concession, "Government Concedes Vaccine-Autism Case in Federal Court-Now What?"  at the Huffington Post, HERE]

THE DIRT ON CANCER AND INFECTIONS

From the LA Times:

Germs may actually help our bodies fight tumors -- which means an infection-free lifestyle comes at a price.

By vaccinating our children against common childhood illnesses, are we denying their bodies the opportunity to develop robust immune systems?  Are we trading chicken pox and measles for cancer down the road?

Read the full article HERE.

The studies also imply that our cleaner, infection-free lifestyles may be contributing to the rise in certain cancers over the last 50 years, scientists say, because they make the immune system weaker or less mature. Germs cause disease but may also fortify the body, a notion summed up in a 2006 report by a team of Canadian researchers as "whatever does not kill me makes me stronger."

CDC's GREAT LAKES GREAT LIES

Did the CDC withhold information about toxicity in the Great Lakes region for "fear of alarming the public?" Who are they, our Mommy????

Read the full article HERE.

The Center for Public Integrity has obtained the study, which warns that more than nine million people who live in the more than two dozen “areas of concern”—including such major metropolitan areas as Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee—may face elevated health risks from being exposed to dioxin, PCBs, pesticides, lead, mercury, or six other hazardous pollutants.

In many of the geographic areas studied, researchers found low birth weights, elevated rates of infant mortality and premature births, and elevated death rates from breast cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer.

Since 2004, dozens of experts have reviewed various drafts of the study, including senior scientists at the CDC, Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal agencies, as well as scientists from universities and state governments, according to sources familiar with the history of the project.

HOUSTON? WE HAVE A PROBLEM. INFORMED PARENTS.

From The Houston Chronicle, Warned of Disease Risks, Parents Control Kids Vaccines.

Pilar Uribe weighed the pros and cons of childhood vaccinations even before she was pregnant with her daughter, Gabriella. A friend's child had an allergic reaction to one of the routine shots given to children before age 2.

Uribe said she discovered many children had severe reactions to these traditionally required shots given to guard against such diseases as diphtheria, tetanus, rubella and pertussis.

So when Gabriella came along six years ago, Uribe joined a growing number of parents who opted not to have her child vaccinated.

Dr. Kimberly Smith, professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, said she recognizes that parents have that choice, but said the fewer people who are immunized, the greater the risk that the infections can return as a public health issue.

"I say it is your choice and the state will let you opt out of getting your children inoculated, but I always want to make them understand the risk," Smith said.

FOX 25 OKLAHOMA CITY: IMMUNIZATIONS PROGRESS OR POISON?

Wow, talk about your frontier spirit!  Check out this video report from FOX 25 in Oklahoma City titled, "Immunizations: Progress or Poison?" Click HERE.

Will Rogers, namesake of the airport in Oklahoma City, must have known Jenny McCarthy was going to take the autism world by storm. After all, it was he who said, "Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke."  Yippee-Ki-Aye... (you know the rest.)

IS THE AAP LOSING CREDIBILITY WITH PARENTS AND PEDS?

Dedicated to the Health of All Children… Is the American Academy of Pediatrics losing credibility with parents and pediatricians? (Note, this piece was originally run in Mothering Magazine. The author allowed us to reprint it given the timely nature of the topic of AAP and our children.)

By Bobbie Manning

As the battle lines continue to be drawn between parents and professionals in the debate over the use of mercury in children's vaccines, a new level of activism emerged on October 8th, as parents descended on Washington DC to appeal directly to the prestigious American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Following a day of marching and meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, parents turned their attention to the DC Convention Center, where the AAP was holding its 75th Annual Convention.

CONCERN, ANXIETY, AND WORRY: GETTING PLAYED BY THE CDC (AND OTHERS)

By J.B. Handley

“The belief that you can inform and warn people, and get them to take appropriate actions or precautions with respect to a health threat or risk without actually making them anxious or concerned. This is not possible…This is like breaking up with your boyfriend without hurting his feelings. It can’t be done.”

- Glen Nowak, Director of Communications, Centers for Disease Control, Presentation at the 2004 Vaccine Summit

Man, did I get played by the CDC. It was the winter of 2003. You couldn’t turn on the T.V. without reading about another child dying from the flu: it’s a particularly bad strain, children are at high risk, flu shot supply is strained, get your child vaccinated while you still can!

PEDIATRICIANS DEMAND CENSORSHIP FROM ABC

Managing Editor's Note: Last week we told you about a program from ABC called, "Eli Stone" in which the character questions pharmaceutical companies and vaccine safety. The American Academy of Pediatrics has sent a letter to ABC demanding that they censor this program. We got a copy of the letter (see below in red) and are sharing it you, our readers.  JB Handley, Co-founder of Generation Rescue and the driving force behind Age of Autism since it's inception as Rescue Post last Spring, puts his unique voice into the story below.   

I believe that pediatricians are hearing from more and more parents that there is an unease, a mistrust regarding vaccination safety.  Instead of allaying our fears via true studies on the safety of dozens of vaccines for infants and toddlers, the American Academy of Pediatricians wants to censor a TV program to shut down the story.

I also want to point out the I have had several wonderful pediatricians over the years - all of whom were genuinely interested in the health of my three girls. And I know more parents than I can count who have "medical vaccine exemption" written in their kids' charts by their doctor.  Individually they respect a parent's wishes. Here's the story.

By J.B. Handley

American Academy of Pediatrics, we’ve had it with you. Generation Rescue, an international autism organization, is officially declaring war on you for inexplicable complacency, complicity, and bureaucratic arrogance.

Most parents and autism organizations are extremely frustrated with the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC. They have been the target of attack ads, parent protests, and an entire website chronicling their misdeeds. Yet, at least with the CDC, we all see the conflict clearly: their #1 job, their raison d’être, is to administer vaccines.

With the AAP, the crime against our kids is actually more insidious, and in many ways more morally reprehensible. You are the people who are supposed to have our kid’s backs. And you don’t, not remotely.

Pouring salt in a growing wound is an absurd letter the AAP has written to the ABC television network protesting an upcoming TV show which they will be releasing to the press tomorrow, a complete copy of which you can read down below.

The letter, which I encourage you to forward to as many people and reporters as possible, takes the wildly predictable path of trying to guilt ABC into pulling a fictional TV show that lends credibility to the autism-vaccine link. The AAP writes:

“ABC will bear responsibility for the needless suffering and potential deaths of children from parents' decisions not to immunize based on the content of the episode.”

G'DAY MATE: TOXIC MOMS AND AUTISM

Well THIS report from Australia is interesting.

"WOMEN thinking of becoming pregnant can greatly reduce the danger of having an autistic child by undergoing toxicity tests, a Geelong scientist has claimed."