BMJ: vaccines "study" was an elaborate fraud

Parent Cafe
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<p>Emaheevul07, the confusion about this disorder is that terribly personal. Each “case” is exhibited differently. My son is so totally afraid to talk to strangers. He’d NEVER do what you’re talking about. He has trouble making friends yet he really wants friends. He doesn’t look at people. He is also a very private person, so talking about himself is not happening. Talking about Asperger’s isn’t happening either. (He mentioned once that he has Asperger’s to his “friends” and they later wrote text messages telling him they didn’t want him to bother with them anymore.) His “high-finctioning” is exhibited in his thinking. He’s a smart math guy and if given the right job, he’d be great for a company: punctual, conscientious, detail-oriented, focused on his work (not socializing).</p>

<p>So you see why I didn’t care to focus on the vaccine issue? What does this have to do with vaccines? Who cares whether he was “got” this due to a vaccine. I just want him to function in this world.</p>

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<p>I know that it is a very personal thing, most of the aspies I know wouldn’t like to do what I do, I was just sharing my perspective. Your son is more the norm, but public service and advocacy is my special interest and public speaking kind of work is okay with me because for the most part I get to speak in monologue and none of the awkward conversational issues I have in group conversations are relevant. I am too oblivious to be shy, to be honest, so this kind of stuff is suited for my unique make up. I wasn’t trying to say that all aspies are like me, on the contrary, I was trying to show that we come in a lot of different packages. My experience has been that people don’t get that. </p>

<p>And, unfortunately, people see what I can do and they overlook what I can’t do. I am only managing to live on my own in the dorms with supports from my parents, university staff, and my boyfriend. I don’t know if I could do it alone. I forget to eat and sleep. No matter how hard I try I still haven’t mastered getting up on my own-- even with three or four alarms and sleeping on hte floor so I can’t get too comfortable, I’ve tried everything I can think of. I can’t make my own medical appointments reliably, I get confused and end up hanging up with no appointment. I have finally managed to learn to grocery shop but I end up having to go back to the store every day because somehow I messed it up, and I have severe food allergies and essentially have to be able to cook from scratch to feed myself. My executive functioning skills are crap. I can’t drive on the expressway or take the bus without going into sensory overload and/or having a panic attack, and I have no one to help me with that so I have no idea how I’ll get to a job if I should ever find one. There are serious problems here. I’ve held jobs before and I think I could do very well in a job as long as I wasn’t required to become best buddies with my coworkers, but whether or not I could keep myself alive to get to work is questionable. Which is a shame, because it feels like I am so close to being able to do it, but somehow without help I always make mistakes I shouldn’t still be making and things get messed up. I get just wanting to function. I exhaust myself to the point that I have to consider dropping out of school every semester just to get by. But nobody sees that because I am articulate and can dress myself and with extreme concentration can occasionally pull off only a semi-awkward conversation. </p>

<p>I understand why you don’t want to focus on the vaccine issue, and that is one of the reasons why I don’t approve of the “certain organizations” I mentioned before who I feel are using scare tactics like this study. There are wildly popular organizations which collect funds to develop a “cure” when really their focus is on developing a genetic test, propagating vaccine bullcrap, and hardly any of those funds ever actually make it to families that need help. If they want to do those things, fine, but call it what it is. I think it diverts attention and funds away from studies that could be developing accommodations and therapies to help those of us who are already autistic function, which is what I strive to do in my own service work. On top of all this other mess, I am sure you have noticed the alarming lack of support or even reading material for autistic ADULTS. It’s as though people think we never age into adults, almost all of it is for kids (and males). These kinds of problems are major issues that get overlooked in favor of sensationalism about vaccines. And whether it is rational or not, I do think some parents feel the need to have something to blame-- maybe they feel guilty (for no legitimate reason, of course), maybe it makes them feel more in control, I am not sure, for some reason I don’t know they cling to the study. But my belief is that more focused needs to be placed on 1) actual legitimate science, and 2) actual helpful therapies, rather than bogus vaccine studies. So the more articles published pointing out the lack of validity to the vaccine claims, the better in my view. Because that shouldn’t be the focus, and too many people are clinging to ******** and missing their chance to actually make changes. Maybe I wasn’t clear in my posts or maybe I am misunderstanding you, but I am not sure what you think I am not seeing.</p>

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<p>One who is born to a mother with an undiagnosed hepatitis B infection. Note that those infected as infants are more likely to end up with a lifetime infection, with increased risk of liver cancer. Also, while the known means of transmitting hepatitis B are similar to the means of transmitting HIV (though contact with hepatitis B is much more likely to result in infection than contact with HIV), about 40% of hepatitis B cases involve no known source or risk factor.</p>

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<p>This is a very interesting thread to me. I do think a great deal of the “increase” in Aspergers is due to increased awareness and over-zealous diagnosis for government provided therapy. My great-nephew, who just turned 7, recently met with a very well-respected specialist and she said that while he does have some characteristics within the Aspergers spectrum she would not classify him as such but if they wanted her to diagnose him that way so he can get the services he needs she would do that. What?! He’s 7 years old and has traits that many 7 year olds have, especially first born child/grandchild. We’ve offered to pay for any special therapy they might feel he needs rather than classify him with Aspergers, given what this specialist has said.</p>

<p>I’m not saying that it isn’t a real problem and that I don’t agree that we have a lot of work ahead of us to provide for these kids/adults, we do and I feel for those who never got the services needed. I just think there’s a lot of overdiagnosis, parents want their kids perfect/leaders/bright/athletic/etc and if they’re not they want an explanation and they are willing to look for doctors who will somehow help make that happen.</p>

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I agree with you completely. My primary focus, however, is to focus on the need to help individuals who are adult-age with Asperger’s become an independent member of society. Sadly, so many adult Aspies are under-employed.</p>

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I think the “post hoc, ergo propter hoc” fallacy is at work here. In other words, event B came after event A, so A must have caused B. You have to have broad studies to determine if there is causation or not, and in this case, the science hasn’t shown causation. But that’s very difficult for a parent who experienced A and B to accept.</p>

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<p>I don’t mind if informed parents choose to vaccinate their children for diseases that they may or may not be at risk for, or for relatively mild diseases . I’m glad that these vaccines exist for the at-risk population that they could truly save from death and disability. What I do mind is that the government mandates that ALL these vaccines be given to EVERY child regardless of risk factor, disease intensity or any other factor. It’s the “nanny state”, run amok to the point where it penetrates your body chemistry!</p>

<p>BTW, all my children had chicken pox, with varying degrees of intensity, and I’m very relieved that they had that instead of the questionable vaccine (which came out a few years earlier). I’m also glad the vaccine was there for my husband who never had the disease as a child. </p>

<p>Unfortunately, this fraudulent study makes us all even more wary of any study. So many have conflicting results that I often wonder if the scientists have “tilted” the data one way or the other to fit their preconceived ideas. Like other posters have said, too much money, time and energy were spent trying to identify an autism-vaccine connection and not to properly investigate autism’s origins and treatment.</p>

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<p>Hunt, I think it’s very difficult for parents to accept their child has autism. It’s a disheartening and incredibly burdensome disorder. Most parents watch their kids grow up into independent adults. Some parents may be sad their kids are growing up and out, but parents who have kids with autism don’t experience this type of freedom. The adult with Asperger’s struggle to find a job, any job. They struggle to make friends. They struggle to live on their own. Many (most?) aspie kids live with their parents even as adults. Sadly, society doesn’t help so that’s why it’s easier to place blame.</p>

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<p>Yes, there are parents who have observed that. But the reason for that is that the first symptoms of Aspergers usually begin to appear at about the same age as children get their vaccines, thus the seeming connection.</p>

<p>The key first studies that invalidated the vaccine/Aspergers connection were the case-control studies that repeatedly showed that vaccinated and unvaccinated children develop Aspergers at exactly the same rate. There is simply no way that could be true if vaccines were causing or even promoting Aspergers. </p>

<p>So scientists can say with a great deal of certainty that vaccines do not cause Aspergers. The evidence of fraud simply confirms what they already knew. But unforunately, until the scienstists are able to figure out what DOES cause Aspergers, the True Believers and conspiracy theorists will continue to blindly campaign against vaccines.</p>

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A number of vaccines are only generally effective if most people get them, creating a “herd immunity.” There will always be a few people for whom they don’t work, or who can’t take them for medical reasons, or who are too young, etc. In this situation, it’s a civic duty for those who can take the vaccines to do so. When people fail or refuse to do so, then we get laws mandating vaccinations before entering school, etc. This is one situation where everybody must accept a certain amount of risk in order to fulfill a duty to society as a whole.</p>

<p>P.S. We practice what I’m preaching–my son is going for a Gardasil vaccination today.</p>

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<p>I know parents of an autistic child who will never, ever be convinced that vaccinations are safe and have refused to vaccinate their other children because of this conviction. </p>

<p>It upsets me to see outright fraud in medical science, if one cannot be absolutely committed to a search for truth rather than evidence to back up a belief (or the wishes of the funding entity) they should not be in this field.</p>

<p>I vaccinated my children with all required/prescribed vaccines although not always on the generally prescribed schedule due to allergies. I was also first in line for the chickenpox vaccine because my youngest is eczema prone and chickenpox would have left her scarred for life (I had three rounds of plastic surgery to remove chicken pox scars from my face so I know what that means). Mothers of asthmatic children, particularly those requiring regular steriod use, were very anxious for the chickenpox vaccine as well because the steriods used for asthma create a much higher risk of the virus infecting the brain and killing the patient. So while many parents view chickenpox as mild - I know some parents who took their kids to infected households in hopes of catching the disease on their own schedule - there are those for whom this mild childhood illness poses greater risks. I envy the parents whose kids never had to deal with allergies, asthma, eczema and seasonal sinus infections but sometimes their cavalier attitude about things that made my children miserable got on my nerves. I realize that their very different experience gave them no basis for understanding the situation at my house, but sometimes that lack of experience came across as callous. I imagine parents with autistic children experience many similar moments when others simply can’t understand what they’re going through and why they so desperately want answers; it’s that very desperation that makes the unethical behavior or researchers so despicable, these parents don’t just need an answer, they need the truth every step of the way.</p>

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<p>Also see the LA Times story for more details. [Wakefield’s</a> paper linking MMR vaccine and autism a fraud on the scale of Piltdown man, BMJ editorial says - latimes.com](<a href=“http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-andrew-wakefield-01052011,0,3455138.story]Wakefield’s”>Wakefield's paper linking MMR vaccine and autism a fraud on the scale of Piltdown man, BMJ editorial says [Updated])</p>

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<p>I live in Autism Central, here in Silicon Valley. My son is in Limabeans’ lost group, having finally been diagnosed with Aspergers at age 19. </p>

<p>I have several friends whose children are diagnosed with autism or Aspergers. I know these kids, and I’ve gotta say, the diagnoses are right. None of these kids is being diagnosed to get services (which most aren’t getting anyway), or because of inadequate parenting (which somehow wasn’t inadequate for their siblings). A lot of teenagers and young adults in my area have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders because a lot of teenagers and adults in my area have autism spectrum disorders.</p>

<p>Sometimes it makes me cry when parents of my son’s agemates are sitting back, watching their kids succeed in college, and pretty much feeling they have successfully launched their children into adulthood, and meanwhile I wonder if my son will ever live independently.</p>

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<p>What I do not understand is why parents are (were?) wasting their energies on the premise that this study was true. How does that change the outcome? </p>

<p>Jenny McCarthy is another fraud, since she was going nowhere professionally until, in 2002, she caught the media’s eye in the discussion about autism.

From an article in 2008:

A more current (Feb 2010) article states even her son’s autism was a fraud.

</a></p>

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<p>*What I do not understand is why parents are (were?) wasting their energies on the premise that this study was true. How does that change the outcome? *</p>

<p>My daughter has/had a lot of autistic related behaviors. It is true that around two years of age, they became much more apparent and troublesome.( actually they were very apparent & troublesome before that- but around two was when it consisted of more than just screaming anytime she was touched & resisting most of the time any interventions)</p>

<p>Speaking for myself, I was desperate to know what was the cause & how to make it stop, or at least not progress any further.
I did read about a possible connection to vaccines & since our school district allowed you to have a personal objection, I stopped taking her to be vaccinated.
( Not a problem, since she already was not a compliant child & I rarely was able to get her to go to the dr without one person to drive & one person to make sure she stayed in her carseat)</p>

<p>When she went to Africa in high school, we got her caught up with her vaccinations * and then some*.</p>

<p>I know that mercury is a toxin & I had to stop wearing contacts for many years, because of the reaction I had to the mercury ( thimerosal), preservative in the contact solution.
It made sense to me, that thimerosal in the vaccines could be a tipping point for children who are having spectrum issues.</p>

<p>I am also very sensitive to dairy & wheat ( and have been since a child), and read about wheat & behavior, especially for kids on the spectrum.
For about a year, I managed to take my daughter off wheat & noticed a huge difference in her mood & spirit. However, a big part of her summer was going off to camp & while her camp had special sections for hearing/sight impaired & for diabetics, there wasn’t one for wheat sensitivity, and I allowed her to go off the diet for camp.
Unfortunately, once she came back, she refused to go back on it & she went back to the same level of difficulty.</p>

<p>I think it is very natural to want to find the reason why something occurs, & my daughter was not even as impaired as those children who cannot communicate or take care of themselves. While it is very unfortunate that studies that disprove or prove faulty results make their way into the dogma of medicine, the link between vaccination & autism is far from the only place that the truth is hidden.</p>

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<p>The US FDA banned thimerosal in pediatric vaccines in 2001 or something like that (so pediatric vaccines in the US have to come in single dose containers). Autism diagnoses continued to rise after the ban.</p>

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<p>Thimerosol was not banned in flu shots including those given to pregnant women.</p>

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<p>Thimerosal was not banned from all vaccines.</p>

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[CDC</a> - Thimerosal Timeline - Vaccine Safety](<a href=“http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/thimerosal/thimerosal_timeline.html]CDC”>http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/thimerosal/thimerosal_timeline.html)</p>

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<p>One who is born to a mother with an undiagnosed hepatitis B infection. Note that those infected as infants are more likely to end up with a lifetime infection, with increased risk of liver cancer. Also, while the known means of transmitting hepatitis B are similar to the means of transmitting HIV (though contact with hepatitis B is much more likely to result in infection than contact with HIV), about 40% of hepatitis B cases involve no known source or risk factor.</p>

<p>Probably why they test so many mothers for hep, as well as other things during pregnancy.</p>

<p>I was tested for Hep B shortly before delivery, which is why I was surprised when 5 yrs later , when I was donating blood, I was told that I had it. No one else in my family has it .</p>

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<p>^^^had you received a blood transfusion? That was a major route of transmission before they began testing blood for it.</p>