Vaccines, Autism and the Squelching of the Non-Believers

A couple of interesting news reports on vaccines and autism were recently juxtaposed.

The Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law and Advocacy (EBCALA) has conducted extensive research on the vaccine compensation program as it relates to incidents of autism. In the face of overwhelming and concerted opposition, HDNet’s World Report and its Emmy-award winning journalist Greg Dobbs aired “Vaccines and Autism: Mixed Signals” on August 23. The show, which is available for download through iTunes, took an unbiased look at at cases in which the government has been compensating autism as a vaccine injury over the last twenty years, while still publicly denying the connection.

Dobbs requested interviews from Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, but none were granted. As a matter of fact, HHH Secretary Sebelius requested that the media stop covering parties who are critical of vaccine safety, an Orwellian turn of events in a society that is supposedly based upon free speech and freedom of the press. When pushed to confirm the quote that appeared in a Reader’s Digest interview, the HHS responded in writing that “no one here can remember or determine that this quote is factual.”

Subsequently, EBCALA calls for this response from government and media:

1. Secretary Sebelius should disavow her censorship request.

2. The media should report on censorship in the vaccine safety debate.

As if in call and response, the Institute of Medicine just released a new report based upon a review of 1,000+ research articles by a committee of experts that re-confirmed no causal link between vaccines and autism. In the fine print:

"However, there was convincing evidence that certain vaccines may be linked, albeit rarely, to 14 health outcomes, including seizures, inflammation of the brain and fainting.

The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (M-M-R II, Merck) may result in fever-triggered seizures in some cases, but the seizures rarely yield long-term effects (supposedly). This same vaccine may also cause brain inflammation in severely immunocompromised patients.

The varicella vaccine (Varivax, Merck) was linked to brain swelling

Anaphylaxis may be caused by six vaccines: MMR, varicella, influenza, hepatitis B, meningococcal and the tetanus-containing vaccines."

ESCALA found a high correlation between children who suffered these adverse effects after vaccines and onset of autism. The report concedes one, but not the other.

Now here’s the punchline:

“The review will be key to aiding the Department of Health and Human Services administer the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, according to the authors of the IOM report."

The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program is currently crushing the claims of autism with renewed vigor. This IOM report leaves them locked and loaded for the future and seems to further rule out any promise of congressional inquiry into vaccine safety.

Even Thoughtful House, whom I considered a beacon of light for investigating the synergy of vaccines given closely spaced, has seen an exodus of its founding members, a new name and a diluted, more publicly palatable purpose. Who is continuing on in search of impartial truth in the face of nearly insurmountable opposition?

I myself feel bludgeoned by reports of the definitive safety of vaccines. Trouble is, the more they say it, the less I believe it.