Video of the Press Conference discussing possible link between autism and vaccines. Worth watching, regardless of your opinion on the subject. We all need to be educated consumers and be willing to listen to all sides of the story when it comes to the safety of our children...
Q&A about the results of the investigation, as well as link to original research paper...
High Rates of Autism Found in Federal Vaccine Injury Program: Study Says More Answers Needed
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Link Between Vaccines and Autism? Press Conference Today, 5/10/11, at noon EST...
Regardless of your beliefs about a possible link between autism and vaccines, please tune in to the live webcast today from the steps of the US Supreme Court, streaming live at the following website:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ebcala
Here is some more information regarding what will be discussed, thanks to Ginger Taylor and her blog:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 2008 Johns Hopkins Neurologist Jon Poling went public with the news that his daughter Hannah, who regressed into autism following her 18 month vaccines, was paid by the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
CDC, in a public statement, claimed that the Hannah Poling case was "rare" and should not be generalized to "normal" children. Days after the Poling's announcement, the Hiatt family also went public with their VICP ruling that their autistic daughter Madison was also a vaccine injury victim. Then the Banks family went public. Finally, CBS News reported finding 7 more vaccine/autism cases that dated back to 1991, the very beginning of the autism epidemic.
So the autism community wanted to know... just how many cases of autism have been paid by the program that was established in 1986, how "rare" is this, and what did the government know about vaccine injury and autism causation that they were not telling the public and the medical community. After being questioned by a journalist, the department of HHS that oversees the VICP issued the following statement on whether this was an admission that the government was now paying children for vaccine induced autism. The "official response" from HRSA:
"From: Bowman, David (HRSA) [mailto:DBowman@hrsa.gov]
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 5:22 PM
To: 'dkirby@nyc.rr.com'
Subject: HRSA Statement
David,
In response to your most recent inquiry, HRSA has the following
statement:
The government has never compensated, nor has it ever been ordered to
compensate, any case based on a determination that autism was actually
caused by vaccines. We have compensated cases in which children
exhibited an encephalopathy, or general brain disease. Encephalopathy
may be accompanied by a medical progression of an array of symptoms
including autistic behavior, autism, or seizures.
Some children who have been compensated for vaccine injuries may have
shown signs of autism before the decision to compensate, or may
ultimately end up with autism or autistic symptoms, but we do not track
cases on this basis.
Regards,
David Bowman
Office of Communications
Health Resources and Services Administration
301-443-3376"
This admission of a link to autism, and the disturbing revelation that the government was not even planning on counting how many autism cases it had paid from the vaccine injury fund, made it clear that HHS's claims of concern for the rise in autism rates and concern for vaccine safety were less than sincere, and that it was time for an investigation into the VICP to find out how many of the cases of vaccine induced encephalopathy (brain damage) resulted in "autistic behavior, autistic symptoms or autism" as Bowman had referenced.
[Today] the results of this two year investigation will be revealed and we will get a better look into what the government knows about vaccine/autism causation and how long they have known it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My own personal opinion about the possible link between autism and vaccines:
I have a daughter with autism and I do NOT believe vaccines caused her autism. However, I believe, like many others out there, that there could be a link between some children who are susceptible to autism genetically and just need an environmental trigger, such as an ingredient in vaccines, that causes the autism to come out. Just like some of us are more susceptible to diabetes or cancer. Not everyone who gets vaccinated is going to get autism, and not everyone who doesn't get vaccinated is not going to be autistic. It is just if you are one of the "unlucky" susceptible people, an environmental trigger could push you over the edge. People who don't have kids with autism or who aren't directly affected by it need to stop judging others who live with this in our lives on a daily basis. And open up your ears. Not everyone is anti-vaccine, but pro-safer vaccines, and pro-research. And there has NEVER been a study that PROVED there was no link, there just haven't been publicly released studies that proved there were (although I am a believer that there is a lot of data out there showing the government, Big Pharma and CDC know far more than they let on).
"A country that requires all children to receive a product - no matter how beneficial - knowing that some children will die and others' lives will be destroyed by the use of that product, risks losing all moral authority." -- James Turner, JD
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ebcala
Here is some more information regarding what will be discussed, thanks to Ginger Taylor and her blog:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 2008 Johns Hopkins Neurologist Jon Poling went public with the news that his daughter Hannah, who regressed into autism following her 18 month vaccines, was paid by the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
CDC, in a public statement, claimed that the Hannah Poling case was "rare" and should not be generalized to "normal" children. Days after the Poling's announcement, the Hiatt family also went public with their VICP ruling that their autistic daughter Madison was also a vaccine injury victim. Then the Banks family went public. Finally, CBS News reported finding 7 more vaccine/autism cases that dated back to 1991, the very beginning of the autism epidemic.
So the autism community wanted to know... just how many cases of autism have been paid by the program that was established in 1986, how "rare" is this, and what did the government know about vaccine injury and autism causation that they were not telling the public and the medical community. After being questioned by a journalist, the department of HHS that oversees the VICP issued the following statement on whether this was an admission that the government was now paying children for vaccine induced autism. The "official response" from HRSA:
"From: Bowman, David (HRSA) [mailto:DBowman@hrsa.gov]
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 5:22 PM
To: 'dkirby@nyc.rr.com'
Subject: HRSA Statement
David,
In response to your most recent inquiry, HRSA has the following
statement:
The government has never compensated, nor has it ever been ordered to
compensate, any case based on a determination that autism was actually
caused by vaccines. We have compensated cases in which children
exhibited an encephalopathy, or general brain disease. Encephalopathy
may be accompanied by a medical progression of an array of symptoms
including autistic behavior, autism, or seizures.
Some children who have been compensated for vaccine injuries may have
shown signs of autism before the decision to compensate, or may
ultimately end up with autism or autistic symptoms, but we do not track
cases on this basis.
Regards,
David Bowman
Office of Communications
Health Resources and Services Administration
301-443-3376"
This admission of a link to autism, and the disturbing revelation that the government was not even planning on counting how many autism cases it had paid from the vaccine injury fund, made it clear that HHS's claims of concern for the rise in autism rates and concern for vaccine safety were less than sincere, and that it was time for an investigation into the VICP to find out how many of the cases of vaccine induced encephalopathy (brain damage) resulted in "autistic behavior, autistic symptoms or autism" as Bowman had referenced.
[Today] the results of this two year investigation will be revealed and we will get a better look into what the government knows about vaccine/autism causation and how long they have known it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My own personal opinion about the possible link between autism and vaccines:
I have a daughter with autism and I do NOT believe vaccines caused her autism. However, I believe, like many others out there, that there could be a link between some children who are susceptible to autism genetically and just need an environmental trigger, such as an ingredient in vaccines, that causes the autism to come out. Just like some of us are more susceptible to diabetes or cancer. Not everyone who gets vaccinated is going to get autism, and not everyone who doesn't get vaccinated is not going to be autistic. It is just if you are one of the "unlucky" susceptible people, an environmental trigger could push you over the edge. People who don't have kids with autism or who aren't directly affected by it need to stop judging others who live with this in our lives on a daily basis. And open up your ears. Not everyone is anti-vaccine, but pro-safer vaccines, and pro-research. And there has NEVER been a study that PROVED there was no link, there just haven't been publicly released studies that proved there were (although I am a believer that there is a lot of data out there showing the government, Big Pharma and CDC know far more than they let on).
"A country that requires all children to receive a product - no matter how beneficial - knowing that some children will die and others' lives will be destroyed by the use of that product, risks losing all moral authority." -- James Turner, JD
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
We're Now On Facebook!
Hi everyone! Now you can follow my blog on Facebook! You can click on the LIKE button on the right upper corner of this page, or you can visit the page directly by clicking HERE!
Thanks for your continued support! :)
Monday, April 11, 2011
A New Dawn, A New Day...
As usual, a lot has changed since my last post... As time went on, we began to realize that Katelyn needed an educational placement that specialized in children with autism spectrum disorders and other related issues. After having her neuropsychologist visit her preschool classroom, it was determined that an out-of-district placement was necessary in order to provide Katelyn with the most appropriate educational setting. We hired an educational advocate, and subsequently a special education attorney, and we were able to achieve the ultimate goal for our daughter. After an emotionally and financially draining process, the school district agreed to out-of-district placement at a very reputable private day school that specializes in autism that provides ABA instruction all day, which also happens to be the same place where she was originally diagnosed at age 2.5. She also has been receiving home ABA services again through one of the agencies that worked with her a few years ago, and this has been extremely productive for her. We always knew that she responded well to ABA teaching, and we're so glad that she will be receiving ABA instruction on a consistent basis again since it was so successful in the past.
Today was her first day at her new school and it truly could not have gone any better. She was excited this morning to be going to a new school. We had created a social story with pictures of her new school to help with the transition and she really enjoyed reading it. When we arrived at the school, she was very happy and talkative. We were brought to the integrated preschool classroom, which has peer models. When we arrived, the other children were not in the classroom, which made it very easy for Katelyn to get situated and check out her surroundings. After a few minutes, the children returned to the classroom, and I was not sure how Katelyn would react. But she surprised us and was happy to see "new friends" and even asked one little girl her name (indirectly, asking us "What is her name?")! The little girl responded with her name and then I prompted Katelyn to respond that her name was Katelyn, which she did. It was snack time, so Katelyn sat at the table with teachers around her and I made my exit. Katelyn asked me to stay, but did not get upset at all when I told her I had to leave and would be back later after she played with her new friends.
When I arrived to pick her up, I saw Katelyn playing with toys near the other children. The staff informed me that she had a wonderful day and that she was able to spend the entire day in the integrated preschool classroom! The original plan was to have her in another classroom without peer models and slowly introduce her to the integrated setting, if possible, but once again, she surprised us! She went to the cafeteria for lunch, sat independently with her friends at circle time, and even participated by raising her hand during art class! At times, she was taken aside to work on some discrete trial training and assessments, and while she was a little distracted, she did not have to be removed from the room or behind a partition as was expected. Overall, she had an amazing day!
When she saw me, she was very excited and she said she had fun at her new school. She even went over to her new friends and said bye to them. Then she shouted, "Thanks, new school! Thanks, new friends!" and became very happy and clapped when I told her she would be coming back tomorrow.
We are so relieved that she enjoyed her first day at her new school and we feel 100% confident that this was the right decision for her. We can't wait to watch her continue to flourish and exceed our expectations. We are eternally grateful to all of you who provided support and prayers that Katelyn would get what she desperately needs. There is nothing we wouldn't do to help our daughter and we will continue to be vigilant to ensure that she continues to receive the appropriate services that she deserves.
Getting ready for her first day at her new school!
Taking it all in...
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