Are Autism and Vaccines Linked?

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In 2001 it was reported that the CDC held 28 licensing agreements with vaccine manufacturers and one university for vaccines, or vaccine-related products, and had eight ongoing projects to collaborate on new vaccines.  These contractual agreements clearly place CDC in the vaccine business.  Additionally, the 2003 Congressional Report, Mercury in Medicine – Taking Unnecessary Risks noted the following in this regard:

ii)  “The CDC in general and the National Immunization Program in particular are conflicted in their duties to monitor the safety of vaccines, while also charged with the responsibility of purchasing vaccines for resale as well as promoting increased immunization rates.”

Dr. Bernadine Healy, Former NIH Director, has also gone record during a CBS interview in May as stating that she believes that public health officials have been too quick to dismiss an autism-vaccine connection out of fear of where the research will lead.

Traditionally, safety studies of medicines are typically conducted in monkeys prior to use in humans, as in the previously mentioned University of Pittsburgh study.  Yet such basic research on the current childhood vaccination schedule has never been conducted.   

Federal agency conflicts of interest and flawed study designs noted in the Congressional Report remain today and have led to recent requests by Congressmen that CDC no longer conduct vaccine studies (2006) and a Senate Hearing (9/2007) to conclude that the FDA had not met their statutory obligation in adequately demonstrating the safety of mercury in vaccines.

A comprehensive study of unvaccinated vs. vaccinated populations regarding the long-term effects of vaccines is required to accurately determine total health outcomes with regard to mercury present in vaccines, as well as other toxicants (e.g. – aluminum, formaldehyde, etc.) and the possible detrimental effects of the current timeline of the immunization schedule and the number of vaccines given at any one time.  Such a study has been proposed by the following measure, H.R. 2832: Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act of 2007.  Unvaccinated populations have been identified, however, no studies are underway by Federal agencies for this purpose at this time.
 
The refusal by Federal agencies to resolve conflicts of interest and conduct sound research do not allow for objective safety, monitoring and oversight of the immunization program.  Thus, vaccine safety and oversight must be removed and given to an independent agency to conduct much needed research to assure that the immunization program is both safe and effective, as proposed by H.R. 1973: Vaccine Safety and Public Confidence Assurance Act of 2007.