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Over the last decade, autism has gone from a rare and misunderstood condition to a disorder that may affect as many as 1.5 million Americans. Without a clear explanation in sight, parents and doctors have worked tirelessly to pinpoint the cause of autism, but the answer remains elusive. Are vaccines the missing link?
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Not Just Mercury
Hepatitis B Shot
My son received this shot the day he was born, 1 at 2 months and 1 at 4 months,which at the time was a Washington State requirement. I have always been convinced that this was the sole cause of his Autism. Since then, I ask any doctor I see to give me 1 good reason why a new born baby is required to have this shot. Isn't the only way to get Hep B from drug use and sex? If I am tested during my pregnancy, what are the odds my baby will get this. The only response I have received is, " we cannot trust that parents will get their children this shot later in life, so we must do this when they are infants." Personally this reasoning does not make sense. I wonder how many children have Autism because of this useless, unnecessary shot.
- Kristam August 29, 2008 11:43AM
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No, thats not right
Infants are very much in a risk group for Hep B. Transmission occurs via:
1) unprotected sexual contact,
2) blood transfusions,
3) re-use of contaminated needles & syringes,
4) and vertical transmission from mother to child during childbirth.
Transmission between family members can also occur via nonintact skin.
What peer reviewed evidence do you have to support your opinion that the Hep B caused your sons autism?
- Kev Leitch
August 29, 2008 12:09PM
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Re: No, that's not right
Ok- You are right about that the ways of getting Hep B, I did not mention those, but as I did mentioned, if I had been tested for Hep B before having him, how can he receive it during child birth? Odds are pretty against sexual contact as a baby, blood transfusion; not only that he would need one, but that the blood that he gets is contaminated, and needles that are re-used and that are contaminated. I believe that the levels of aluminum and mercury can cause a much greater risk for a child than the slim to no chance that Hep B will happen.
I have no proof that my son has autism because of these shots, but I do know that the reactions he had after the shots were not normal. He never did regress, but he had the signs of Autism since day one. It is a gut feeling that this was the cause. In addition to that, his Challenge test prove that he is loaded up on Mercury and Aluminum. How else would you suggest that I have proof that it was these shots. If there was a way to prove this, I do not imagine there would be this ongoing debate and we would all agree. Do you have a way to support your opinion on it not being the cause. I would be interested in hearing this, maybe I will be convinced.
I do have one last question for you, why is it that babies receive this vaccination in the State of WA, and here in Charlotte, NC this is a not a requirement until Middle School. I think that shot is overall a good thing, but why at such a young age?
- Kristam August 29, 2008 12:51PM
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False Positives from Urine Challenge Tests
"In addition to that, his Challenge test prove that he is loaded up on Mercury and Aluminum. "
Sadly, you have made an error in trusting the urine challenge tests to provide indications of metal levels in your child. Provoked urine challenge tests have been disproven as informative on metal loads in humans. Substantial peer reveiwed literature exists on this subject and most practioners who claim this test is indicatiev fail to inform their patients that there is NO baseline for provoked (post-chelation) level measures. In other words, there is no information as to what constitutes "elevated" levels of metallics. Additionally, the standard indicated by such labs as DDI and others, always are graded against UNPROVOKED samples. This is akin to measuring a runner's time after completing an all you can eat buffet and an hour's worth of rigorous exercise to a same course in whcih they are unencumbered.
- Citizen Deux
November 9, 2009 8:45AM
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You use "Very Much In a Risk Group" Quite Loosely
The CDC's own documentation on Hepatits B States:
"In the United States, Western Europe, and Australia, HBV infection is a disease of low endemicity. Infection occurs primarily during adulthood, and only 0.1% to 0.5% of the population are chronic carriers. Lifetime risk of HBV infection is less than 20% in low prevalence areas."
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/hepb.pdf
If, as a doctor, you cannot restrain yourself from hyperbole to inflict unnecessary fear on parents to further your own agenda, you should refrain from participating in the argument entirely. People trust you for information and you have an ethical obligation to represent it fairly.
- crunchymom September 18, 2008 8:18PM
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Cherry picking anyone...
As is typical of anti-vacc advocates, you carefully cherry pick data. From the very report you cite, incorrectly, I might add -
"During 1990–2004, incidence of acute hepatitis B in the United States declined 75%. The greatest decline (94%) occurred among children and adolescents, coincident with an increase in hepatitis B vaccine coverage. A total of 4,519 cases of hepatitis B were reported in 2007
Reported cases of HBV infection represent only a fraction of cases that actually occur. In 2001, a total of 7,844 cases of acute hepatitis B were reported to CDC. Based on these reports, CDC estimates that 22,000 acute cases of hepatitis B resulted from an estimated 78,000 new infections. An estimated 1–1.25 million persons in the United States are chronically infected with HBV, and an additional 5,000–8,000 persons become chronically infected each year.
Before routine childhood hepatitis B vaccination was recommended, more than 80% of acute HBV infections occurred among adults. Adolescents accounted for approximately 8% of infections, and children and infants infected through perinatal transmission accounted for approximately 4% each. Perinatal transmission accounted for a disproportionate 24% of chronic infections."
Your ad hominem attacks on the prior poster reflect an overly emotional attachment to your own fear and ignorance.
- Citizen Deux
November 9, 2009 8:36AM
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