Are Autism and Vaccines Linked?

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SafeMinds state that the US NVICP 'conceded and ordered compensation for Hannah Poling for vaccine induced autism'. This is incorrect, the US Government have not said that vaccines triggered a regression into autism. If SafeMinds believe this to be true, please could they provide a link to the document containing the statement 'Hannah Poling has vaccine induced autism'?

What I believe you will find is that HHS stated:

"In sum, DVIC has concluded that the facts of this case meet the statutory criteria for demonstrating that the vaccinations CHILD received on July 19, 2000, significantly aggravated an underlying mitochondrial disorder, which predisposed her to deficits in cellular energy metabolism, and manifested as a regressive encephalopathy with features of autism spectrum disorder."

1) encephalopathy is not autism
2) 'features of autism spectrum disorder' does not equate to 'diagnosis of autism'.

It is clear that Ms Poling was vaccine injured. It is also clear that she is autistic. What is also clear from both this document and the Case Study is that her vaccines did not cause her autism.

A key piece of evidence in the Poling case was the Case Report on Hannah Poling authored by her father, John Shoffner, Richard Frye and Andrew Zimmerman. This case report lists all of the symptoms the authors considered to have been caused by her vaccines. I list these below:

fever to 38.9°C
inconsolable crying
irritability
lethargy
refused to walk
waking up multiple times in the night
having episodes of opisthotonus
no longer normally climb stairs
Low-grade intermittent fever
generalized erythematous macular rash
spinning
gaze avoidance
disrupted sleep/wake cycle
perseveration
expressive language was lost
chronic yellow watery diarrhea
appetite remained poor for 6 months
body weight did not increase
decline on a standard growth chart
atopic dermatitis
slow hair growth
generalized mild hypotonia
toe walking
normal tendon reflexes.

When one compares this list to this DSM (IV) diagnostic criteria for autism, we can only find three matches:

gaze avoidance
perseveration
expressive language was lost

This is not, I repeat, not, enough to meet a diagnosis of autism. Please do not take my word for it. Ask autism diagnostic specialists. I asked three and the consensus was the same as mine. The symptoms described as being caused by vaccine damage are not enough to give a diagnosis of autism.

SafeMinds go on to claim they have 'learned' of 13 other cases. Did they learn of these via Neurodiversity.com's weblog who published details of all of them 5 months ago?

One of these cases was recently discussed by CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson. She quoted from a 1974 case. Interestingly, autism did not exist as a diagnosis in 1974. 'Autistic behaviour' was listed a smptom of childhood schizophrenia under the DSM II.

This 1974 case was found in favour of the petitioner. The child was definitely vaccine injured. However Attkisson - and it seems SafeMinds too - believe that the mere mention of autism is enough to mean that vaccines caused this childs autism. I quote Attkisson:

"the court found that the autistic behavior, brain injury and mental retardation were all part of the vaccine injury."

However, when one actually reads the Special Masters statement carefully, one can see that at no time does she state that vaccines caused autism. In fact, it was the Government who claimed that autism was involved - but in the sense that they were trying to argue that the childs condition was as a result of autism. No autism was found to be present. I quote from the transcript of the case:

" CHILD was born on August 23, 1974, the 9 lb. 9 oz. product of an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery. CHILD developed normally until the age of four months when he was administered his second DPT vaccination on December 23, 1974… That evening, he experienced a grand mal seizure. CHILD ’s mother… took CHILD to the… emergency room where he was found to have a fever of 101.8 degrees at that time and a bulging fontanelle ...CHILD had a seizure on March 25, 1975, with a temperature of 102 degrees. The next day, he had another seizure with a fever less than 102 degrees…On April 15, 1975, CHILD experienced a petit mal seizure without an associated fever… CHILD apparently did well until mid-July 1975, when he had four seizures, with fever around 100.7 degrees… CHILD had additional seizure activity in November 1975. Again in February 1976, CHILD had seizures. At that time, a repeat EEG was grossly abnormal…when CHILD was 21 months of age, (CHILD’s doctor) noted that CHILD had a vocabulary of only two to three words. At that time, (CHILD’s doctor) discussed… the possibility that CHILD was mentally retarded and developmentally delayed. CHILD currently is severely mentally retarded and has an intractable seizure disorder.

(The government) respondent has conceded that CHILD suffered a residual seizure disorder as set forth in the Vaccine Injury Table, but argues against a finding that CHILD also suffered an encephalopathy (brain injury). Moreover, (the government) contends that CHILD suffers from autism, which has produced his severe mental retardation and developmental delay. Consequently, (the government) urges that compensation in this case be limited to those expenses that reasonably might be incurred for CHILD ’s residual seizure disorder, not for expenses he might accrue because of his mental retardation, developmental delay and autistic behaviors.

The question of encephalopathy.

(Government physician) believes that CHILD currently suffers from autism and mental retardation that are the result of an independent underlying neurologic condition that pre-dated the vaccination*. However, all tests that were conducted to determine possible causes for CHILD ’s condition have revealed none. Furthermore, (government physician) has posited no origin of any underlying neurologic condition. (Government physician) would have us believe that CHILD ’s grand mal convulsion following his second DPT vaccination was simply a manifestation of benign febrile seizures and that CHILD had another concurrent underlying (but etiologically undetermined) neurological disorder which later produced his severe mental retardation and autism.

I reject this theory for several reasons. First, the Vaccine Act’s defines encephalopathy as “any significant acquired abnormality of, or injury to, or impairment of function of the brain.” Section 14(b)((3)(A). This definition is extremely broad. CHILD ’s initial grand mal seizure indicated an impairment of function of the brain. The question becomes whether this was a benign event unrelated to any lasting neurological sequelae. In my view… (CHILD’s treating pediatric neurologist) is in a better position to accurately assess CHILD ’s illness than (government physician). Beginning in 1980, when he first evaluated CHILD , (CHILD’s neurologist) diagnosed CHILD as having static encephalopathy probably related to the time of his first seizure at four months of age.

Based on the foregoing, I find that there is a preponderance of the evidence that CHILD suffered an encephalopathy within 72 hours of the administration of a DPT vaccination on December 23, 1974, and that no alternative cause for such encephalopathy has been satisfactorily shown."

I challenge anyone to show me where the Special Master blamed vaccines for causing autism, autistic symptoms or autistic behaviours.

I would urge SafeMinds to be more accurate with the facts.