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CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY
CQ HEALTHBEAT THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2006
CONTROVERSY OVER AUTISM-THIMEROSAL LINK FLARING ANEW

The self-described "wait a second" crowd is getting bigger. So named by parents and advocates of autistic children who believe the Institute of Medicine (IoM) has erred in ruling out a link between a vaccine ingredient and autism, it has the ear of a growing number of lawmakers who agree more research is needed to resolve whether there is a link. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y., is the latest member of Congress to spotlight the issue, saying Thursday she will introduce a bill in late April requiring a study comparing children who have received vaccines with the ingredient, the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal, to those who are unvaccinated..

Maloney said such a study is needed because of stories written by United Press International editor Dan Olmsted reporting no cases of autism in unvaccinated Amish children and in some 30,000 children seen over the years by doctors in a Chicago-area HMO that does not vaccinate children. "To date, no autism study of note" has used a control group to compare children exposed to thimerosal in vaccines to unvaccinated children, she said.

However, IoM President Harvey Fineberg has defended the institute's review of data on the link as thorough, saying it's time to focus research on other possible causes of autism.

Other lawmakers also recently called for additional research. In a Feb. 22 letter, Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, reminded the new director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) at the National Institutes of Health about report language in the fiscal 2006 Health and Human Services spending bill (PL 109-149) urging research on a possible thimerosal-autism link.

The report language said that conferees on the measure believe that a database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could be helpful in resolving the issue. But because of skepticism on the part of parents "concerned with vaccine safety" about CDC's credibility on the issue, NIEHS not CDC should lead a study examining the Vaccine Safety Datalink database, the senators said in their letter, also signed by six House members.

Meanwhile, the number of co-sponsors on a bill introduced by Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., to bar the marketing of mercury-containing vaccines to children and pregnant women has grown to 72, with the number of

Republican and Democratic sponsors virtually the same. According to HHS spokeswoman Christina Pearson, thimerosal has been removed from all children's vaccines other than for flu. Parents can request thimerosal-free versions, Pearson said.

Focus on a Best Seller

Helping to fuel the growing questions about the IoM's May 18, 2004, study is "Evidence of Harm," a New York Times best seller whose author David Kirby appeared with Maloney at a Washington press briefing Thursday. Kirby noted arguments by parents of autistic children that the IoM report relied on broad epidemiological studies rather than on biological research examining the impact of thimerosal at the cellular level.

Four of the five epidemiological studies examined the use of thimerosal in Europe, where lower doses of thimerosal were used in vaccines, Kirby said. And the IoM review did not examine subsets of children who for genetic reasons might be particularly vulnerable to neurological damage caused by mercury, Kirby added.

There has been growing biological evidence that "in a small subset of children with a certain genetic predisposition, they are unable to properly process the mercury they were exposed to," Kirby told TV newsman Tim Russert in an August 7, 2005, appearance on "Meet the Press." At Thursday's briefing, Kirby highlighted NIEHS-funded study results released March 21 linking thimerosal to cellular changes that could weaken the immune system in mice. It's important to examine tissues and animal models, not just epidemiology, Kirby said.

The IoM's View

IoM spokeswoman Christine Stencel said Thursday that while there have been additional biological studies, "they provide hints, they provide clues, of what should be explored further, but they do not necessarily equate to what is happening in the human body."

Fineberg told Russert on the "Meet the Press" broadcast that Kirby's emphasis on biological data was unwarranted. "When you're trying to assess a specific association, there are biological studies that are relevant, and there are epidemiological studies that are relevant. All of these studies are not equally valid," Fineberg said. The IoM committee that prepared the study "went through very carefully and assessed each of those studies representing its strengths and weaknesses." The epidemiological studies "were carried out in the United States, in Great Britain, in Denmark and Sweden," Fineberg said. "These studies covered hundreds of thousands of individuals, children, in these populations. They compared systematically in different ways whether you received vaccine with no thimerosal, with some thimerosal, with more thimerosal, and they looked at the relationship of those experiences with the development of autism. Uniformly, the best of those studies all show no association between receiving vaccine of different amounts with thimerosal or without and the development of autism."

Fineberg said "other avenues of research looking at other possible causes today are much more promising ways to spend our precious resources" trying to identify the causes of autism.

ASA Participates in Press Conference on Mercury and Autism
Thursday, March 30, 2006
By: Kate Ranta

ASA President & CEO Lee Grossman Discusses Autism Epidemic in America

BETHESDA, MD—March 30, 2006—The Autism Society of America (ASA)--along with Evidence of Harm author David Kirby, UPI journalist Dan Olmsted and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)--participated today in a press conference in Washington, D.C., on vaccines, mercury and autism. ASA President & CEO Lee Grossman briefed attendees, which included several media outlets, on the staggering numbers of those with autism in this country, the ever-growing numbers of children being diagnosed and the economic impact autism will have on America in the future.

"Autism is one of the most important health, social and economic crises in this country," Grossman said. "With over 60 new cases being diagnosed per day, autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the U.S. Currently, the annual cost to provide services to the autism community is $60-90 billion, but apparently only about 10% of costs are being met by the government agencies; unfortunately, the other 90% either comes directly out of parents' pockets, or services are not being provided. We estimate an enormous rise in the cost of autism to nearly $300-400 billion in coming years."

Grossman also outlined four key messages: 1) autism is treatable, 2) individuals with autism are recovering, 3) we need a shift in thinking about the importance of services and interventions for those with autism, and 4) individuals with autism deserve to receive appropriate services across the lifespan. He pointed out that autism is a lifelong condition--that most individuals live a normal life expectancy--yet the adult population with autism is terribly underserved. "With 1 in 166 children today being diagnosed with autism, we are going to see a tsunami effect of adults coming into a service sector that is grossly unable to serve of needs even of those today," he said, calling for more funding for adult services.

As for ASA's position on mercury and autism, Grossman made it clear that ASA supports greater funding for research into a connection, specifically clinically-based research rather than epidemiological. "ASA also believes that those injured by vaccines must be fairly compensated and receive appropriate services," he said. "We support legislation that removes thimerosal from vaccines, and were the first to support Rep. Weldon's bill calling for its removal."

Grossman noted that ASA is currently seeking answers through a $100,000 grant from the John Merck Fund to raise awareness about the broad range of environmental contributors to autism spectrum disorders. Given the increase in prevalence of autism and its implications, this project will focus on the possibility that neurotoxicants and other environmental health concerns are culprits in damaging the gene construct and triggering the symptoms known as autism, and raising awareness on this issue.

Four-year-old Winston Ridley can read.

When he was 20 months old, a doctor told Winston's mother that her son was a vegetable and would never be a contributing member of society.

Winston has autism. But thanks to treatment known as applied behavioral analysis, experts say, Winston has a chance to be a normal little boy and to grow into a fully functioning man.

Nearly 100 S.C. lawmakers are supporting a bill that would allow other children with autism to receive the same kind of treatment.

But the bill - with more than 80 co-sponsors in the House and another

16 in the Senate - is far from a sure thing. Insurers say the proposal would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and could hurt all S.C. residents.

Insurers say the higher costs would be passed along to consumers, making insurance too expensive for some as more mandatory coverages are added. They also say the measure would help only a slice of those who need it because it would not apply to at least 70 percent of the state's autism patients.

The legislation, proposed by Rep. Nathan Ballentine, R-Richland, would require insurers to cover treatment for autism and other conditions known as pervasive developmental disorders.

Committees in the House and Senate will consider the proposal in the next few weeks.

And - despite the fact that the bill would not help her son because of the type of insurance they have - Winston's mother will be there to tell legislators why it's so important: It's making her son better.

"This is my only shot," Marcella Ridley said of the therapy. "This is the only chance he's going to have."

Pay Now, Pay Later

The treatment is expensive. It can cost up to $100,000 annually and generally lasts up to five years.

Insurance companies do not cover the cost, and few S.C. families earn enough to pay for the treatment.

Marcella Ridley and a group of other parents of children with autism have spent weeks and thousands of dollars trying to convince lawmakers of the bills' merit. They have told lawmakers:

. The therapy works. Studies show nearly half of children who get at least 40 hours of therapy a week can be mainstreamed into first grade on time. Another 40 percent make substantial progress but still need treatment; the rest made minimal gains.

. It saves the state money. An autistic child who receives no treatment or not enough treatment almost always ends up institutionalized as an adult. That can cost the state up to $4 million per patient, studies have shown.

Seventeen other states have mandated some level of care for children with autism.

Making A Difference

The bills - sponsored by Ballentine and Sen. Ray Cleary, R-Georgetown, and based on an Indiana law - are straightforward: They require insurance companies to cover autism and autism-related disorders.

An estimated 2,000 S.C. children under age 18 have autism, according to the state government. The great majority are eligible for at least some care through Medicaid.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the state paid more than $20 million for autism care in fiscal year 2005.

But Medicaid does not provide the levels of intensive, one-on-one treatment that autism specialists recommend. Plus, supporters of the legislation say, some of the money is delivered through Department of Education programs that fall far short of the treatments that have proven to be most effective.

Talk of broader coverage, however, is raising concerns from insurance companies and business organizations. They say:

. The proposal costs too much. It would lead to higher premiums because insurers would pass higher costs on to employers and the insured.

This could cause smaller companies to stop offering insurance or to raise employee premiums to levels that make it too expensive.

. Benefits would be limited. Private insurers cover less than one-third of families with autistic children. The rest get coverage not addressed by the bills - through Medicare, some federal employee plans or large companies that find it cheaper to act as their own insurer - or have no health insurance.

Insurance companies "would like to help these parents, these unfortunate few parents that have children with autism," said Larry Marchant, an industry lobbyist. "But we also have an obligation to try and keep (the cost of) health care as low as we can.

"We don't want a situation where hard-working men and women in this state who can barely afford health insurance have to take on this mandate that everyone agrees would cause a huge cost increase in the market."

+ Read more: http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/14189191.htm

NOTE: If you have an interest in getting health insurance to cover treatments for autism in your state, contact Bob Krakow of A-CHAMP at rkrakow@earthlink.net -LS.

By James Ottar Grundvig
Special to The Epoch Times - April 01, 2006
http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-4-1/39964.html

(The Epoch Times)

In the summer of 1980, I worked with a former New York City homicide detective on a construction crew. He had patrolled and survived the drug-infested streets of the South Bronx for two decades. But I remember him not for his toughness, but for something I will never forget: he was hyper-allergic to bees.

A bee sting was more of a death sentence to that ex-policeman than a knife or gunshot wound. If he didn't get immediate medical care after being stung, he would suffocate from the hives that closed his throat and blew up his skin like a strawberry.

I recall that story every day when I see my six-year-old autistic son struggle to make out a word, fail to use the laptop glidepad with his fingers, or stay focused for long stretches of time. Most people do not have life-threatening reactions to the venom in a bee's stinger; so too, most people do not have the immune reactions such as produced autism in my son. But the differences between the rare few whose immune systems are susceptible to bee stings and the children of the autism epidemic are as night and day.

For instance, people who have the genetic flaw that makes them defenseless against bees are numbers that grow at a constant rate with the population.

That, however, cannot be said of the vaccine-thimerosal-autism triangle that began in 1929, when the population of autistic spectrum disorder children (ASD) was zero. Fourteen years after the introduction of thimerosal (a mercury-based preservative then under the trade name Merthiolate) by the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, Leo Kanner at John Hopkins Medical Center diagnosed the peculiar behavior associated with autism in eleven kids for the first time. That was 1943. The following year in Switzerland, Hans Asperger identified another subgroup of high-functioning autistic children with Asperger's Syndrome.

Coincidence? Hardly. The circumstantial evidence between the timeline of thimerosal's introduction in vaccines and children having the disorder fourteen years later, and then further amplified by the parallel rise in the quantity of vaccines given and the explosion of the autism epidemic makes it overwhelming. Thimerosal and autism throughout the past century go hand and hand.

For the thirty years after autism was identified, it grew at the constant rate of 1-in-10,000 babies born. Although more prevalent than individuals who were allergic to bee stings, the number of autistic infants only grew if the population did. So when my generation had one or two vaccines in the 1960's, the rate of children having autism stayed the same. That would change, however, not from an increase in population, but due to the growing number of vaccines given to babies, most of which contained thimerosal.

In 1978, the CDC added the triple shot MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) to the growing baby immunization program. Although MMR as a "live-cell" vaccine does not contain thimerosal—because the mercury-based preservative as an antibacterial agent would kill the deactivated virus in the vaccine and thus render it impotent—it started a frightening, irreversible, and detrimental trend: Doctors began giving more vaccines, at younger ages, for many diseases to which babies wouldn't be exposed until later in life (hepatitis B), with the new vaccination protocols all blessed and sanctioned by the CDC. None of the new baby vaccines was backed by a single study on its individual safety; nor was a single study done on the safety of the multiple vaccinations now given.

By the 1980s, my nieces and nephews received 8-9 vaccines when the U.S. resident population was 236 million people. By 1978, the rate of autism had increased four times, going from the previous rate of 1-in-10,000 to 1-in-2,500. Over the next ten years, the autism rate would climb again to 1-in-1,000 in 1991, when the DTP triple shot and hepatitis B were added to the vaccine chart, both of which contained thimerosal.

By the end of 2000, the year when my son was born, the rate mushroomed yet again to 1-in-250. Not only did the population of ASD children grow, so did the total number of vaccines given to babies, including my son, from about ten in 1990 to 22 vaccines or more today. The result of this ill-advised, force-fed mandate has been catastrophic. The rate of children born with ASD has increased again to 1-in-166, or 1-in-150 in many parts of California, Florida, and New Jersey.

In short, the occurrence of autism has increased at a rate of 1,700% over the past twenty years or more than 6,000% over the past thirty years. Meanwhile, the U.S. population during the past twenty years has grown from 236 to 300 million people, or at the rate of 21%. Still, the U.S. government, which has allowed to this very day the continued use of mercury (in infant flu shots) and thereby sanctioned the poisoning of infant's bodies, doesn't get the one underlying fact about autism: ASD children have disastrous reactions to thimerosal.

Once they are contaminated, they cannot excrete heavy metals out of the system.

Like the bee sting that could topple a Goliath or a hardnosed NYPD detective, no amount of thimerosal, no matter how minute, would ever be safe in the bodies of infants predisposed to autism. Trace amounts in susceptible newborns can damage a nervous system at once vulnerable and beginning to develop. But unlike bee stings, there is no serum or medication to reverse the poison. That's because thimerosal is even more insidious—it is a neurotoxin embedded in the brains, organs and tissues in its heavy metals form.

So if the rape of a child is against the law, then why isn't poisoning babies a crime? If an individual chose to poison another person with ricin, rat poison, anthrax, or even mercury from a thermometer, that individual would be sent to jail. So why is the use of thimerosal in 2006 not banned as a toxin in babies?

To answer this question and to see why the immunization mandates were imposed that caused the recent explosion in autism rates, one needs to understand the incestuous relationship between the agencies and institutions that should be protecting our children: the FDA, CDC, and the big pharmaceutical companies. The key to that relationship is greed.

By shielding big pharmaceutical companies from prosecution, by preserving the continued use of thimerosal in vaccines, by passing the financial liability from the perpetrators to the victims and their states, the U.S. Government, from the CDC and the FDA to Congress and the White House, have failed an entire generation of children.

The ugly truth about autism—it's here to stay.

Disease declines since removal of a mercury-based preservative from many vaccines

By Michael Arnold Glueck – ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

A new study shows that autism is probably linked after all to the use of a mercury-based preservative in childhood vaccines.

This writer has previously commented on a suspected mercury-autism link and takes some solace in the hope that this new information will clarify the causes of autism, which afflicts many of our children and grandchildren.

An article in the March 10 issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons (JPandS.org) shows that since mercury was removed from the vaccines, an alarming increase in reported rates of autism and other neurological disorders in children not only stopped, but actually dropped by as much as 35 percent.

Authors and independent researchers David A. Geier Mark R. Geier analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and the California Department of Developmental Services (CDDS) for their study, "Early Downward Trends in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Following Removal of
Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines."

From 1989 to 2003, there was an explosion of autism. The incidence of autism (and other related disorders) went from about 1 in 2,500 U.S. children to 1in 166. There are more than 500,000 autistic children in the United States.

In California, reported autism rates peaked in May 2003. If that trend had continued, the rate would have skyrocketed by the beginning of 2006. But, in fact, the Geiers report that the number actually went down – with a real decrease of 22 percent.

This analysis directly contradicts 2004 recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), which examined vaccine-safety data from the CDC's National Immunization Program. The IOM, not willing to either rule out or corroborate a relationship between mercury and autism, soft-pedaled its findings.

Geier and Geier wrote: "The IOM stated that the evidence favored rejection of a causal relationship between Thimerosal (mercury-based) and autism, that such a relationship was not biologically plausible and that no further studies should be conducted to evaluate it."

As more and more vaccines were added since 1889 to the mandatory schedule of vaccines for children, the dose of the mercury-based preservative Thimerosal rose, so that the cumulative dose injected into babies exceeded the toxic threshold set by many government agencies. Mercury is known to damage nerve cells in very low
concentrations.

The Iowa Legislature banned Thimerosal from the state after it documented a 700-fold increase in cases in Iowa. California followed suit, and 32 states are considering doing so.

Up until about 1989 preschool children were given three vaccines: polio, DPT, MMR). By 1999 the CDC recommended a total of 22 vaccines before the first grade, including hepatitis B, which is given to newborns within 24 hours of birth. Many of these vaccines contained mercury. In the 1990s approximately 40 million children were injected with vaccines containing mercury. The cumulative amount of mercury in the total recommended vaccinations would be 187 times the EPA daily exposure limit.

In 1999, on the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics and U.S. Public Health Service, Thimerosal was removed from most childhood vaccines as a "precautionary" measure – i.e., without admitting to any causal link between Thimerosal and autism.

While now out of many childhood vaccines, Thimerosal is still routinely added to some formulations of flu (influenza) vaccine administered to U.S. infants, as well as to several other vaccines (e.g., tetanus-diphtheria and monovalent tetanus) administered to older children and adults.

Jane Orient, M.D., executive director of the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), said, "Concerns about mercury and sushi have gotten a lot more play in the press than mercury and autism.

"Though epidemiological findings are always problematic to interpret, we have the equivalent of a 'challenge/dechallenge' experiment. Autism rates, as measured by two independent government databases, went up as mercury dose increased and are going down as mercury dose decreases," Orient said.

Unfortunately, we may be imprudently undertaking a "rechallenge" phase by mandating Thimerosal-containing influenza vaccine for children. As a consequence, assessing the safety of Thimerosal-containing vaccines remains a matter of significant importance.

Until there is solid scientific evidence to the contrary, parents would be wise to avoid all mercury-containing vaccines. When we make decisions regarding the future health of our children and grandchildren – and the well-being of our families – why take any risk?

About the author
The Newport Beach physician writes on medical-legal issues and is a Visiting Fellow in Economics and Citizenship at the International Trade Education Foundation of the Washington International Trade Council.

"Many of us in Congress are concerned about the possibility of an association between autism and thimerosal in vaccines." From 2/22/06 Congressional letter to NIEHS

http://www.a-champ.org/Congressionalletter2-22-06.html

In a groundbreaking move, the U.S. Congress has enacted legislation aimed at investigating the association between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. In an effort to represent the interests of our children the A-CHAMP's (Advocates for Children’s Health affected by Mercury Poisoning) legislative team worked with Congress to pass this unprecedented legislation. The aim of the legislation is to create independent research into the Vaccine Safety Datalink _ the secret government database that may hold the key to the vaccine-autism controversy.

In December 2005, Senator Joseph Lieberman ( Connecticut) listened to the concerns of parents and troubling questions brought to him by A-CHAMP. In response Senator Lieberman consulted with his colleagues, and obtained support for the following language to be included in the Labor/HHS Appropriations Bill:

To the National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

The conference agreement includes $647,608,000 for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences as proposed by the House instead of $667,372,000 as proposed by the Senate.

The conferees urge NIEHS to work with CDC and expert independent researchers on research that could identify or rule out any association between thimerosal exposure in pediatric vaccines and increased rates of autism. The conferees believe that the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), a CDC-constructed database that follows 7 million immunized children from 1990 to present, could be helpful in the research, especially regarding pre-2001 VSD data and post- 2000 VSD data, since thimerosal was removed from most childhood vaccines in 2001. The conferees urge NIEHS and CDC to organize a workshop by May 2006 to explore the research possibilities and scientific feasibility of such a study and report back to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees soon after.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To ensure that the intent of Congress is followed, a bi-partisan letter sent by Congressional leaders in the House and Senate was sent to David Schwartz, Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Among other very strong statements the letter says the following:

"If the federal government is going to have a study whose results will be broadly accepted, such a study cannot be led by the CDC."

Independent research is important because the management of the CDC itself may be called into question should a thimerosal-autism link be established.

The rest of the letter is just as good. Read it for your self. Read the entire letter at

http://www.a-champ.org/Congressionalletter2-22-06.html

By Jon Brodkin/ Daily News Staff
Friday, March 17, 2006

Congress has asked for a new investigation into a potential link between mercury-containing vaccines and autism, as some lawmakers claim the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has inadequately researched the topic.

    "If the federal government is going to have a study whose results will be broadly accepted, such a study cannot be led by the CDC," Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and seven other members of Congress wrote in a letter to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

    A budget appropriation approved by Congress urges the NIEHS to examine the Vaccine Safety Datalink, a CDC database that follows 7 million immunized children from 1990 to the present.

    Some lawmakers believe a new review of this database may show a link between autism and thimerosal -- a vaccine preservative containing mercury.

    A local parent who said he believes his two autistic children were harmed by vaccines applauded Congress for requesting a new investigation. The parent, Jared Hansen of Framingham, said he thinks the CDC is reluctant to expose dangers of thimerosal because the agency is responsible for ensuring public acceptance of its vaccination program.

    "They've proven far more willing to overstate the risks of disease and understate the danger of vaccination," Hansen said. "No one in their right mind can say that giving mercury intravenously is a smart thing to do."

    Autism rates soared during the 1990s when thimerosal was most heavily used in childhood vaccines. Levels of mercury injected into infants were 120 times greater than federal safety limits for oral ingestion of mercury, congressmen wrote to the NIEHS.

    Government officials asked manufacturers in 1999 to remove the mercury-based preservative from vaccines, but it is still used in flu and tetanus shots.

    CDC's research on the Vaccine Safety Datalink is flawed, Lieberman and his colleagues wrote, because it "was based on data collected prior to the removal of thimerosal and failed to explicitly compare the outcome of children who received thimerosal-containing vaccines with those who did not."

    The CDC refused to comment on the criticism of its research.

    But Dr. Marie McCormick, a Harvard professor who chaired an Institute of Medicine committee in 2004, said the group ran several analyses of the CDC data and found no link between thimerosal and autism.

    "Nothing you could do changed the results," McCormick said. "The results of the...study have been replicated in England. They found no association between thimerosal and other neurodevelopmental disorders."

    In the letter to NIEHS, members of Congress criticized the IOM for relying heavily on European data, even though American children were exposed to mercury at levels 75 percent greater than in Europe.

    The letter was not signed by any Massachusetts congressmen. But U.S. Rep. Martin Meehan, D-5th, said he agrees with its content and would have signed on had he been aware it was being written.

    "Mercury is known as a brain poison and in the 1990s a greater number of children were being exposed to mercury (in vaccines)," Meehan said. "I think this is a serious public health concern and we need more research."

    A spokeswoman for the NIEHS could not be reached for comment.

    (Jon Brodkin can be reached at 508-626-4424 or jbrodkin@cnc.com.)

By Bobbie Manning in Mothering Magazine.
http://www.mothering.com/sections/news_bulletins/march2006.html
http://tinyurl.com/r2eev

March is roaring in like a lion for the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as the controversy surrounding the autism thimerosal debate is capturing the attention of the media in a flurry of news stories:

On March 1, a new peer-reviewed study published by Association of American Physicians and Surgeons found autism rates declining following the removal from thimerosal (mercury) from childhood vaccines. The study was widely reported and was even picked up and reported by radio commentator icon, Paul Harvey, _the link between mercury & autism has been confirmed."

Prepublication copy of the article is posted at www.JPandS.org which includes links to the VAERS and CDDS databases.

Also on March 1, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. jumped back into the thimerosal controversy with an article disclosing newly obtained letters written in

1999 between vaccine manufacturer SmithKline Beecham (SKB) and CDC Director Jeffrey Kaplan. In the documents SKB offers to supply mercury-free DtaP vaccines for the entire U.S. pediatric population through 2000. In response, Director Kaplan does not accept the manufacturers offer and states, the CDC will _continue to provide States with a choice among currently licensed brands of DtaP vaccine_. Basically saying, thanks but no thanks.

Recognizing the failure of the CDC to make child safety a priority, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined with parent advocacy organization, A-CHAMP (Advocates for Children’s Health affected by Mercury Poisoning) in calling for a senate hearing to investigate CDC's failure to remove mercury from vaccines when they had the opportunity and responsibility to do so. Kennedy’s article, the documents and A-CHAMP joint press release are available at http://www.a-champ.org/cdcmercuryremoval.html In a press release, the National Autism Association (NAA) called for an investigation and released information accusing the CDC of violating The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) laws in order to obtain the confidential school records of autistic children, for a secret autism study. NAA reported, _A former employee of the Arkansas school district informed the child’s family of the secret gathering of information after the fact, indicating that school personnel had been expressly forbidden to inform parents of the study, or that confidential records had been accessed and re-typed._ For more information, go to www.nationalautism.org

The CDC's reputation took another hit with back-to-back articles challenging CDC credibility.

Following up on a series of stories on autism, reporter Jon Brodkin, disclosed in a front page article that in the early 1990_s, long before thimerosal was on anyone’s radar, before parents were questioning thimerosal's safety, before there were any law suits filed, public health officials were already seeing reports of autism following vaccination in the government owned Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS).

In an article posted on the Huffington blog, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took issue with the CDC’s flu vaccination recommendation that would include children from 2 to 5 years old. Kennedy’s article points out there are not enough mercury-free vaccines to cover the 17 million children that fall into this recommendation and that CDC is not asking companies to provide more mercury-free flu vaccines even though they have the ability to do so.

Kennedy states, "Sanofi has said that the company was prepared to double production of thimerosal-free children's flu vaccine, but that there were no requests from CDC or the State Health Departments that it do so._ The Kennedy article highlighted a reverse in policy to limit the amount of mercury given to infants and children.

All of these news reports come on the heels of an organized campaign by public health agencies aimed at stopping the legislative efforts to ban thimerosal at the state level. In Colorado, Maryland, Ohio and Washington opponents to the thimerosal legislation mounted aggressive campaigns to influence state legislators against the bills. Among those actively working to defeat the thimerosal bills are the States Department of Health, American Academy of Pediatrics, physician groups and CDC officials. Parents and concerned citizens have been critical of the fact that these same agencies advocated for the removal of thimerosal in 1999, but are now mounting a vigorous defense for its continued use. The Colorado Health Committee killed the legislation with a 6-1 vote. Maryland and Ohio are still pending. Washington’s legislation just passed and it now awaits the Governor’s signature.

In conjunction with the Defeat Autism Now! Conference, parents and activists will hold a rally/ protest on Capital Hill on Thursday, April 6th. Details for The Mercury Generation March are available at www.themercurygenerationmarch.org

Mar 16, 12:10 PM (ET)

EMERYVILLE, Calif. (AP) - The biotech company linked to recent flu shot shortages said Thursday that it was recalling and withdrawing a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine it supplies to developing countries and Italy because of a higher rate of adverse effects than similar vaccines.

Chiron Corp. (CHIR) said about 5 million doses of the Morupar vaccine were distributed to developing countries in 2005, and about 450,000 doses were distributed in Italy.

The company said the side-effects included fever, allergic reactions and glandular swelling, which occurred just after inoculation.

Chiron said in a statement the reactions do not indicate any long-term risk and that the recall and withdrawal were a precaution.

The recall does not affect its other vaccines, Chiron said.

Emeryville-based Chiron set off a public health panic in 2004 when it failed to deliver half the nation's expected 100 million flu shots after British regulators discovered contaminated vaccine at its Liverpool, England, manufacturing plant.

Last fall, Chiron Corp. again said it wouldn't be shipping as many flu shots as it initially had hoped, saying production delays and decreased output occurred after it made repairs at its Liverpool plant.

Chiron has said it delivered 13 million flu vaccine shots in 2005, well below the 18 million to 26 million doses it had initially planned to make.

Chiron said it will work closely with the World Health Organization to conduct a risk-benefit analysis to see if the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine should be re-released in limited quantities.

The recall prompted the company to lower its fourth-quarter results by 3 cents per share.

The company revised its earnings to $138 million, or 68 cents per share, from $144 million, or 71 cents a share, for the fourth-quarter, and to $180 million, or 94 cents per share, from $187 million, or 97 cents a share, for the year. Chiron reported results in late January.

The Morupar vaccine booked $10 million in sales for 2005. Chiron wrote off about $6 million of Morupar inventory for 2005 and recorded $1.7 million of reserves for anticipated product returns.

Shares of Chiron fell 6 cents to $45.64 in midday trading on the NASDAQ Stock Market.

The Federal Trade Commission has approved the company's acceptance of a $45-per-share buyout offer from Swiss drug maker Novartis AG. (NVS)

Novartis already owns 44 percent of Chiron and has offered $5.1 billion in cash for the rest of the stock. The two companies hope to close the deal in the first half of this year, but four shareholders owning a combined 17.5 percent of the company oppose the deal as too cheap.

One of those shareholders, ValueAct Capital, said Wednesday it will call for the ouster of Chiron Chief Executive Howard Pien if he backs Novartis' bid and the shareholders turn it down.

"If Howard Pien is going 'on the road' to argue for the appropriateness of the Novartis offer, we can only conclude that our confidence in him has been betrayed, and that he has chosen not to accept responsibility for maximizing shareholder value," ValueAct partner G. Mason Morfit wrote in a letter to Pien and the Chiron board.

By Kathie Durbin, Columbian

http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/03282006news16366.cfm

For Mary Ann Newell, Monday brought a sweet reward.

The tireless anti-mercury activist from Vancouver traveled to Olympia at the invitation of Gov. Chris Gregoire to witness the signing of a bill that will bar vaccines containing more than trace amounts of mercury for pregnant women and children younger than 3.

On July 1, 2007, when the bill takes effect, Washington will join at least six other states that have similar laws on the books.

"It's amazing that a few people really can make a difference," said Newell, a regular in Olympia during the past two sessions as the measure worked its way through the Legislature. "I'm so proud we have done this. But it's just a start."

Also attending Monday's bill-signing were Garry and Maria Lund of Vancouver and their 7-year-old son, Kyle. Garry Lund, a design engineer at Hewlett-Packard Co. in Vancouver, said his son developed a severe form of autism after receiving vaccines containing thimerosal, a preservative that contains about 50 percent organic mercury. Kyle underwent treatment to remove mercury from his system and now exhibits only mild symptoms of autism, Lund said.

Though science hasn't established a conclusive link between thimerosal and autism, parents such as Lund are convinced it exists. He told Kyle's story to a Senate committee last year when he testified against injecting small children with mercury.

"I just want to thank (Gregoire) for protecting our children," Lund said Monday. "That's what it comes down to. If we're going to do vaccinations, I want them to be safe."

It's been 10 years since Newell went public with her own mercury horror story. In the mid-1990s, she began experiencing mysterious and painful symptoms: Her teeth and tongue hurt, the right side of her face hurt, her taste was impaired and she had too much saliva.

The dentists and medical specialists she visited refused to take her symptoms seriously. At last she found a dentist who helped her solve the mystery of her aching mouth: her gold crowns were coming into contact with the mercury in her fillings and producing a galvanic reaction that felt like an electrical current.

"I felt like I was being electrocuted," she recalled. Tests of her hair, blood and urine confirmed mercury poisoning. She spent $7,700 having

11 of her mercury-laden amalgam fillings removed and replaced with a nonmercury composite.

"The morning after the fillings were removed, my tongue didn't hurt, I could sleep on the side of my face and my excess saliva went away," she recalled. Newell later underwent chelation therapy to remove mercury from her body.

Sometime during her ordeal, her sister gave her an article from Mothering Magazine entitled "A Mouth Full of Mercury." She began reading up on amalgam fillings, which contain 50 percent mercury. A growing number of consumers refuse to let dentists put amalgam fillings in their teeth because they fear mercury will leach into their bodies. The American Dental Association says amalgam fillings are safe.

In 1998, while researching the health hazards of mercury, Newell learned that many of the vaccines given to small children contained the preservative thimerosal, which is half mercury. As she studied the issue further, she found out that the number of thimerosal-containing vaccines given to children had increased dramatically in the 1980s and 1990s. In the late 1990s, doctors and educators began recording a startling increase in the number of young children diagnosed with autism.

She was outraged. Her husband said, "Quit singing to the choir." So she did.

Newell joined forces with the Mercury Awareness Team, led by Ann Clifton of Olympia and Christy Diemond of Woodinville, which was lobbying for a bill to get mercury out of childhood vaccines. She wrote letters to newspapers (37 to The Columbian alone since 1996), buttonholed lawmakers, even persuaded her Republican precinct caucus to support a resolution calling for an informed-consent law on mercury fillings.

+ Read more:
+ http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/03282006news16366.cfm

TACA is recruiting members for two new committees -- the Parent Advisory Committee and the TACA Fundraising Committee.

TACA Parent Advisory Committee will meet twice a year to review TACA's mission and programs to ensure we are meeting objectives and the needs of the communities. The committee will evaluate current programs and make recommendations to the Board for new programs. This committee will also be responsible for helping review and process applications for a new program, to be launched later this year, called Families in Crisis.

Committee Qualifications: 1) Must have a family member with autism 2) Be willing to commit the time needed for committee meetings and assigned tasks 3) Have regular attendance at TACA meetings (at least 3 per year) and most importantly, 4) really want to help our children and families!

If you are interested in serving on the Parent Advisory Committee, please contact Lisa Ackerman.

TACA Fundraising Committee will meet four times per year and works to raise the funds that supports TACA's missions. The committee will help develop and evaluate the fundraising plan, support fundraising events, help identify prospects, and assist us in creative ways to secure donations that will enable us to do as much as we possibly can for families dealing with autism in California.

Committee Qualifications: 1) Must be enthusiastic!!! 2) Be willing to commit the time needed for committee meetings and assigned tasks 3) Have regular attendance at TACA meetings (at least 3 per year) and most importantly, 4) really want to help our children and families!

If you are interested in serving on the Fundraising Committee, please contact Violette Prentice

We want to hear from our members as to how we can better serve them. Please let us know if you are interested! Thank you!

In order to provide the seven TACA meeting locations with topics our members want to hear more about, we do annual surveys of interest.

We would like to hear from you. If you would like to participate in this survey you can in two ways:

• at TACA meeting locations, you can pick up a survey form
• Email us for your own survey form to fill out and mail back to TACA.

Thanks for helping us provide relevant and important meeting topics for our members!

FRANK’S LO CARB MARKET – has re-opened as LOS ALAMITOS NUTRITION

I'm very excited to let you know I've reopened the store at a new location. We are located in Los Alamitos on the border of Seal Beach. This store carries many of the gluten free, casein free items our kids need.

Store info:
Los Alamitos Nutrition
4292 Katella Ave.
Los Alamitos Ca 90720
(562)493-4105

EXTREME SPORTS CAMP – A summer camp experience for Autism Athletes

For many teens and preteens, summer is a time to immerse themselves in rigorous sports activities which challenge the mind and body. Now, children and teens with autism can have the same opportunities.

Extreme Sports Camp is an overnight summer camp in Aspen, Colorado, where older children with autism spectrum disorders can safely engage in sustained physical activities and find personal growth through a supportive, individualized, and adaptive program of recreational sports.

Registration is open now!
Camp Dates & Activity Schedule

• Session I: June 11-17 Travel camp – water skiing on Lake Powell with houseboat
• Session II: July 9-15 Specialty camp – dance, gymnastics, plus other sports
• Session III: July 30-August 5 Specialty camp – rock climbing, ropes course, plus other sports
• Session IV: August 6-12 General (all sports)
• Session V: August 13-19 General (all sports)
• Session VI: August 20-26 General (all sports)

Additionally, Extreme Sports Camp is looking for Junior & Adult Counselors for Summer 2006.

Please visit our website for complete information and camper/counselor enrollment forms. We look forward to seeing you in Aspen Colorado!

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Miller
Executive Director
email: info@extremesportscamp.org
phone: 970-920-3695
web: http://extremesportscamp.org

The 2006 Lanterman Act “printable pdf” edition is now available on the DDS Home Page (link, below). Please note that DDS is not printing the Lanterman Act booklets this year. We hope to make hard copies available in 2007, however. For those of you that utilize “searches” of the Lanterman Act, the search function now works with the Lanterman Act pdf.

Please feel free to distribute this information to co-workers and constituents. Special thanks to DDS Information Systems for putting this on the Home Page so quickly.

Thank you.

2006 Lanterman Act ( PDF)  (216 pages/620 KB)
This is a print ready, searchable Adobe PDF document complete with footnotes prepared by the California Legislative Counsel . It includes both the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act and the California Early Intervention Services Act and incorporate changes to these acts as of January 1, 2006.

• Note: Due to budget limitations, DDS will not be printing the Lanterman Act booklet this year.

FREE TWO-WEEK STUDY & CHIROPRACTICS FOR ASD CHILDREN:

Dr. Rochelle Neally is offering a complimentary 2-week study for any parents interested in having their autistic children try chiropractic therapy.  She is offering 2 weeks of care for free if they can commit to bringing them 3 times a week or 6 times and she can use their information for a short study on autism and chiropractic.  You can contact her at (562) 480-7795 if you are interested in participating in the study or if you have more questions regarding the study.

Dr. Neally is located in the Long Beach area.

Note:  Dr. Neally has spoken at several of our meetings.  She is also a DAN! Doctor and follows the DAN! protocol.  I have received good reports from parents who have taken their children to see Dr. Neally.

BOOK:

Evidence of Harm –
by David Kirby -
NOW IN PAPERBACK!

MORE RECOGNITION FOR THIS AMAZING BOOK

http://www.ire.org/history/pr/2005IREawards.html

EVIDENCE OF HARM RECEIVES INVESTIGATIVE
REPORTERS AND EDITORS AWARD

Author David Kirby is cited for “careful and meticulous reporting” in his book on thimerosal and autism

NEW YORK , March 28, 2006 – “Evidence of Harm – Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic” ( St. Martin’s Press – Paperback edition March, 2006) has been awarded the “Investigative Reporters and Editors 2005 Award for Outstanding Investigative Reporting in a Book,” the organization announced today.

“I am honored to be recognized by such a prestigious jury of my peers,” Kirby said. “I hope this award will inspire other investigative writers to follow their leads and their hunches, and to report on all controversial topics that warrant a closer look. Thankfully, freedom of the press survives in America.”

In their comments, award judges – comprised of some of the most experienced investigative journalists in the country – noted that, “Kirby told the story of stonewalling, denial and cover-up by federal regulators, medical groups and the pharmaceutical industry.” And, they added, “He documents covert efforts by some of those same powerful forces - along with the U.S. Congress - to grant blanket immunity for drug companies that put mercury in vaccines.”

“Like so many scientific controversies involving complex science and big business, the topic is controversial. Kirby's careful and meticulous reporting is exemplary in its balance, accuracy and documentation,” the judges said.

IRE, founded in 1975, is a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to training and supporting journalists who pursue investigative stories and operates the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, a joint program of IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism. IRE Awards will be presented during the Saturday, June 17, luncheon at the 2006 IRE Annual Conference in Fort Worth. More information on IRE and the awards can be found at http://www.ire.org/contest/05winners.html.

“Evidence of Harm” is also a finalist for the The New York Public Library Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism . The winner will be announced at a special luncheon at the Library on May 10, 2006.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW.EVIDENCEOFHARM.COM

Living Your Best Life with Asperger's Syndrome - How a Young Boy and His Mother Deal with the Challenges & Joys of Being Eleven, Brilliant and Socially Absent, authored by Karra Barber is out April 1, 2006.  Karra facilitates a monthly ASD parent support group in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Often, she arranges guest speakers (free) to discuss topics relevant to those on the autistic spectrum. All other parent resource information is listed on her ASD web site www.AspergersResource.org

About The Book Effectively accommodating the social and academic needs of children on the autistic spectrum is an important task in every school. This book is a practical guide to benefit parents, teachers, Local Education Authorities and international autism organizations. Each chapter provides a summary followed by anecdotal stories that illustrate a point, describing how a young boy navigates his way through the social challenges that he faces every day.

Pump it up is back for 2006: Back by popular demand
Monthly Pump It Up nights in Huntington Beach

NOTE: Want a similar function in your area??
Please Contact us to volunteer, help organize and manage these for your community!

FOUNTAIN VALLEY SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS EASTER EGG HUNT

Who: Middle School children and younger with special needs
When: April 15, 2006 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Where: Mile Square Park across from the Recreation Center
Cost: FREE
Two slow-paced egg hunts ( 11:15 and 11:45)
One Easter egg hunt especially for wheelchairs
Includes:
Bounce Houses
Face Painting
Pictures with the Easter Bunny
Games and Prizes

Presented as a Girl Scout Silver Award Project for our community
in coordination with the Fountain Valley Recreation Center.

Be sure to visit our website at http://fvgstroops.tripod.com/specialegghunt/

Registration must be received prior to the Easter Egg Hunt.

Child’s Name _________________________________ Age __________________

Parent’s Name _______________________________ Phone _________________

Child’s Disability _______________________________ Zip Code _____________

Child’s Limitations ___________________________________________________

Email Address _______________________________________________________

The above information will not be shared.

Please return registration to: 8571 Shadow Lane, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 or
email to: fvgsspecialegghunt@yahoo.com or leave message at: 714-775-8511

First things first, I want to wish my two babies HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Both Lauren and Jeff celebrate their birthdays two days apart in early April, and even though there are 14 years separating them, they are so close. I love them so much!

Second: Testosterone – I have been to most of the TACA locations or am about to be, and I have to tell you: I love seeing the men at the ALL THE TACA meetings!! I love seeing men involved with their children. We truly love seeing the dads so involved at meetings and TACA activities! Keep it up, guys!

And finally:

April is Autism Awareness month and to get you in the mood we are launching TACA’s 2 nd Annual Friends and Family campaign. We will be rolling this campaign out from April through June to help educate individuals about autism, build awareness and community, and for TACA to help raise much needed funds.

Last year I asked you to go a little bit further – to reach out to your extended community and to raise autism awareness and funds to help TACA continue to fulfill its mission of improving the quality of life for families living with autism.

You all came through amazingly when I called, and we raised $35,000!! That campaign alone allowed us to hold six New Parent Seminars and distribute 750 Autism Journey Guides. What a difference your help made for new families struggling with the autism diagnosis.

This year our community has grown even more – and TACA's costs for providing services have grown as well. It is our goal to continue to provide TACA's programs and services free to all families. But I need some help to make this happen.

Many of our family, friends and colleagues often ask us, "How can I help?" They have seen us go without sleep for weeks at a time, struggle with finding appropriate services for our children, heard us talk about the stress to our families, worry about our children's health, and cry about what the future holds for our beautiful children. I know how that feels, because I have done it so many times about Jeff. For years, I did not know how to respond when my family and friends asked . . . and I didn't ask them for help . . . because I didn't know how.

We have never charged membership dues at TACA, knowing that there is a huge community we have built, and that that extended family wants to help. This is how the TACA Family & Friends campaign was born. It is a way for you to reach out to your circle and tell them exactly how they can help your family and other families like yours.

YOU have a tremendous ability to help TACA and families with autism through your extended network. Not only do we need them to understand what autism is all about, we also need them to know that TACA is there to help families like yours and mine.

I'm asking you to come through for us again this year – maybe stretching yourself a little further outside of your comfort zone, extending your circle just a little bit. If we are all able to do that, together, I know that we can raise $50,000 that will allow TACA to continue its current programs and add additional services needed in the community.

Please help TACA assist not only your family, but the many families entering the autism journey. TACA adds between 10 and 40 new families each month. They need our help and strength so they can get off to the right start. Thank you for sharing your time and your passion – for taking some valuable minutes away from your child/family and help with this very important campaign.

If you are interested in receiving your Friends & Family campaign package – we will provide them at TACA meetings or you can request one to be mailed to you. Please email me for more information.

Hugs, thanks, and BE SAFE
Lisa A Jeff's mom

And Editor: Kim Palmer (thanks Kim!)

Web Page for TACA Group: www.tacanow.com
check it out and let us know your thoughts

Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) provides general information of interest to the autism community. The information comes from a variety of sources and TACA does not independently verify any of it. The views expressed herein are not necessarily TACA’s. TACA does not engage in lobbying or other political activities.IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO RECEIVE THESE EMAILS, just respond and I will be happy to remove you from the list.

P.S. TACA e-news is now sent to 2,356 people!
(This number represents families – 95%, and the rest are professionals.)