Kid’s Unlimited Welcome to Dr. Armand Rossi’s email newsletter:
Kid’s Unlimited October 13, 2005
Kid’s Unlimited is a monthly, or semi-monthly, newsletter of various articles, funnies, tidbits and opinions relating to our children and chiropractic. My opinions will always be in red and italicized. Please feel free to share the appropriate articles with patients, friends, and other chiropractors. I never buy any lists or put names on my email list unless the names were submitted to me directly. If you wish to be removed from my list, just reply with the word “remove” in the subject line.
Thank you… Together we will make a difference.
This issue deals with quite a bit of material on vaccination. It seems that as schools are back in session we hear all the pros and cons about vaccination, MMR, dealings with autism etc. Everyone needs to read and form their own opinion. I have never been vaccinated and neither has other members of my family. Not only am I concerned about the effects of vaccination and poisoning my system, I don`t like what vaccination implies. Think about this. He we are, taking our children to the medics and then they are vaccinated. They have just been told subconsciously that they were not created good enough to handle their environment. They something from outside-in to protect them. The kids grow up with the subconscious understanding that they are not good enough. What a crime! I never believed that we needed to install limitations and concepts of inadequacy in our children. We need to teach them to honor their bodies and respect how it was created. It`s one thing to may need some type of help because of the toxins and trauma we caused on ourselves, but it is a totally other issue to start using fear and call it prevention. That, to me, is the biggest crime of vaccination. It demeans us and our creator.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20050921-12580300-bc-ageofautism.xml
The Age of Autism: Adverse events
By DAN OLMSTED
Years before the alarm sounded nationwide about a possible link between vaccines and autism, some doctors were making that connection themselves.
The evidence: 83 reports filed with the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System associating the onset of autism with childhood immunizations. The reports, compiled and catalogued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, were analyzed by Age of Autism.
A report from 1992 listed Feb. 21 as both "vaccination date" and "adverse event date" for a 1-year-old boy: "Patient received MMR vaccination (measles-mumps-rubella) and experienced fever, autistic behaviors, encephalitic condition, began to tune out; sound sensitivity, hand-flapping, wheel-spinning, nighttime sweats, appetite increase."
The child`s diagnoses included autism, encephalopathy (brain swelling), mental retardation, personality disorder and speech disorder. Another report: Two days after being vaccinated in August 1994 a 1-year-old girl experienced "low fever, much discomfort. Patient laid in bed and cried and moaned; three-four days post-vaccination, rash traveled over patient`s body and lasted at least one week. Within six weeks of vaccination patient was observed as losing previously gained language and social skills; diagnosed autistic."
The reports do not prove that any of the autism cases resulted from vaccination. Rather, their potential significance is that a number of qualified observers -- primarily doctors and other health professionals -- suspected a connection and made the effort to report it well before the issue was on the national radar.
In July 1999 the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that manufacturers begin phasing out a mercury-based preservative that was in several childhood vaccines. The concern: As the number of required vaccinations expanded around 1990, children inadvertently got too much mercury, a known neurotoxin.
Since then federal health officials, along with a panel of the Institute of Medicine, have dismissed the concern as unfounded. But some scientists and parent groups continue to assert that childhood immunizations are behind a major rise in autism diagnoses.
The adverse-event reports examined by Age of Autism were sent to VAERS between June 1991 and June 1999 -- the month before the CDC recommendation to phase out thimerosal.
Based on a 1994 report by a California physician, 10 of the 83 cases are unknown children "who received vaccination and (were) diagnosed with autism and encephalopathy." That doctor reported "there are currently 10 cases of autism in children who received DPT/OPV/MMR at 15-18 months." (The reference is to the diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus, polio and MMR vaccines.) That report also cites a statement from an unidentified vaccine manufacturer: "Dr. ... is not treating physician and does not possess any original records; unclear whether reporter is suggesting possible causal association."
The following excerpts start with the date the report was received by VAERS and the age of the child when vaccinated. The type of vaccine is not always clear and is indicated here only when specified in the event narrative.
Medical abbreviations are spelled out for clarity.
June 5, 1991, age 1.5. Four days post-vaccination developed running fever. To emergency room, temperature 104 and very lethargic. Several tests for various things and couldn`t find anything wrong; given antibiotics as a precaution; then lost speech and was diagnosed with autism.
July 7, 1995, age 1.9. Patient developed localized swelling with redness in injection site following vaccination. Also had high temperature, loss of balance, limping followed with high-pitched screaming and loss of speech. Diagnosed pervasive personality disorder/autistic.
May 29, 1996, age 1.3. Patient received vaccination, experienced a fever of 104.6 which lasted for approximately three to four days. Patient was very lethargic and appeared changed in temperament and abilities; symptoms of autism such as head banging were noticed.
April 3, 1997, age 1.2. Evening of vaccination, patient developed temperature of 104.2 and cried all night with high pitched screaming. (Next day) patient wouldn`t eat and was listless; patient went off all solid foods; within next three months patient lost all speech abilities; diagnosed with autism.
April 15, 1997, age 1.3. Patient received vaccination and developed a big change in mental status that was described as an atypical infantileautistic state with mild seizures; at the age of one or two the patient started sleeping all the time.
Aug. 4, 1997, age 6 months. Patient received vaccination and immediately experienced a fever of 104 and developed a quarter-size lump at the injection site; 30 to 60 days post-vaccination patient developed autism; the quarter-size lump persisted for approximately six weeks.
March 2, 1999, age 1.3. Loss of all developmental milestones immediately post-vaccination; patient has autism; communication disorder, auditory processing disorder, asthma, food allergies, chronic diarrhea, digestive problems.
April 21, 1999, age 1.5. Patient received vaccination; (three dayslater) after midnight patient woke up screaming unconsoulable with hysteria. Later in morning, patient could not talk and could not comprehend anything. Extensive testing done; diagnosis: autism. Continues in this state today.
May 27, 1999, age 1.3. Fever immediately post-vaccination -- diarrhea, ulcers on diaper area; chronic digestive problems, loss of speech; stimming behavior; autism, seizure disorder. The patient`s ulcerative colitis and gastritis are currently under the care of a physician.
Since 1999, the federal government`s vaccine databases have come under scrutiny from critics who charge they have been manipulated to show no connection between vaccines and autism. They also say the CDC has a built-in conflict of interest because it sets the universal childhood immunization schedule that is then adopted by the states.
The agency vigorously defends its research and denies that its role in vaccination policy compromises its objectivity. Last week Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., said he plans to seek funding for an independent review of another CDC vaccine database. "Part of what I`m going to require in this amendment we`re going to put up is that the independent studies not only look at the data, but actually talk to some of the -- examine some of the kids and families to go over family histories," Lieberman said.
This ongoing series on the roots and rise of autism welcomes reader comment. E-mail: dolmsted@upi.com
Copyright 2005 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
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Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Classical Homeopath
Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK $$ Donations to help in the work - accepted by Paypal account
vaccineinfo@tesco.net voicemail US 530-740-0561 (go to http://www.paypal.com) or by mail
Vaccines - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm Vaccine Dangers On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccineclass.htm
Homeopathy On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/homeo.htm ANY INFO OBTAINED HERE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL
OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION TO VACCINATE IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE.
******
"Just look at us. Everything is backwards; everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy information and religions destroy spirituality" ....Michael Ellner
GP who gave MMR warning faces sack
By Daniel Foggo
(Filed: 09/10/2005)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/10/09/nmmr09.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/10/09/ixhome.html
A doctor who has spoken of the possible dangers of children receiving the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and other vaccinations has been charged with serious professional misconduct by the General Medical Council.
Dr Jayne Donegan, 47, is being disciplined over her decision to give expert court testimony on the issue. Her situation echoes the plight of Dr Andrew Wakefield, the gastro-enterologist forced to resign after his evidence linking the MMR jab to autism in children angered the government, drug industry and medical establishment.
Dr Donegan`s disciplinary action, which could result in her being struck off, stems from legal action in 2002 by two mothers opposed to the MMR jab. Her evidence was later described by a judge as "junk science".
Dr Donegan, a London GP, said she was charged with serious professional misconduct in July 2004. "Since then, I have heard nothing and I am still waiting to hear exactly what it is that I am meant to have done wrong."
Ped Ex:
ICPA Practitioner E-Newsletter: 054
National Public Advertising
For 30 years in chiropractic, I always wondered why our organizations did not get involved in National Advertising campaigns to the public. After all, the drug companies have established great exposure with their advertising -- how will the people know there is a choice unless we tell them!!
A little over a year ago, the ICPA initiated a national advertising campaign on behalf of chiropractic. Unprecedented in our profession, the ICPA invested in such a campaign bringing the message of Family Chiropractic to the public.
Our results were rewarding -- numerous members contacted us in appreciation for the referrals they were receiving. Calls from the public increased significantly looking for chiropractors. Web site visits to our membership referral directory skyrocketed. The momentum is underway.
As our national advertising campaign continues to expand and generate more referrals to your office, we need your help!
We are ready to renegotiate our contracts with Mothering, E-pregnancy, Pregnancy, and Midwifery Today. We are also ready to begin advertising in Canada and Europe. Our advertising budget for 2006 is $150,000.
As an organization, we do not recieve the financial return from this advertising -- we do it to get the chiropractic message out and send referrals to your office. This investment is beyond what your annual membership dues cover, so to continue to reach out to the public on your behalf we need donations towards our Advertising Campaign immediately!
This is the type of scenario where you cannot sit back and depend on someone else to pick up the slack -- we need all of our members to step to the plate and contribute to the cause now!
Our ads are reaching over 500,000 potential chiropractic patients. We want to double this exposure. Would you?
How much is it worth to you to continue to reach this many parents with the chiropractic message?
$100 annually is $0.27 per day
$500 annually is $1.37 per day.
$1000 annually is $2.74 per day.
Not too much to ask for national exposure.
You make the decision--but make it today....
Visit our contribution link here: http://www.icpa4kids.com/members/advertising.htm
Many Blessings,
Jeanne Ohm DC
ICPA, Executive Coordinator
www.icpa4kids.com
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Please share this Ped Ex with colleagues who would be interested.
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ProQuad: The new kid on the block
By Red Flags Columnist, F. Edward Yazbak, MD, FAAP
(tlautstudy@aol.com)
What is ProQuad?
If you answered number 5, you are correct.
In the hills of southern France, sightseers use four-wheel, all-terrain vehicles to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the “Cotes du Luberon” during the day and relax with the wonderful meals and wines of the region in the evening. “This is the real Provence, full of character. A sweet dolce vita of a climate and pure clean air which just breathes the incredible contrasts between a rich, and variable natural environment: the blue strides of lavender, the subtle nuances of green in the forests, the flamboyant and blinding colors of the cliffs of ochre, or the austere white of the limestone hills.” (1, 2)
Roller skates called 429 Pro Quad are supposed to be fast and provide firm ankle support, “soft-touch” comfort lining and a deluxe padded collar. (3)
In a bait shop, the Titanium Pro Quad Spinnerbait lure is recognized by its four hammered 24-carat gold or nickel plated blades — available in two shapes — which simulate baitfish and precede the well-known multicolored lure.(4)
Only experienced and well-informed adults, taking every possible precaution, use these toys.
The French ATV riders (in the photos) are protected from head to toe by high-impact helmets, safety goggles, heavy clothing, gloves and boots. Any reasonable roller skater would never consider lacing up without a first-class helmet and reliable elbow, knee and shin pads. And it is no secret that fishing lures are handled with extreme caution by anglers, who always have their “fisherman tool” handy, just in case of a “lure in the finger” emergency. (5)
Unlike the new vaccine, the ProQuad ATVs, roller skates and lures are used only by mature and consenting individuals, who are fully informed about their dangers and “adverse events.”
Parents dealing with vaccination decisions, on the other hand, seem to be going on faith alone, when they allow their one-year-old children to receive multiple vaccines together in an attempt to protect them against diseases that have disappeared or are so rare that medical students start and finish their training without ever seeing a case.
On Sept. 6, 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ProQuad™ by Merck. It is a combined attenuated live virus vaccine containing measles, mumps, rubella and varicella viruses for use in children aged 12 months to 12 years. The vaccine was also approved for use “if a second dose of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is to be administered.”
ProQuad™, which is, in fact, a combination of MMR II (measles, mumps and rubella) and Varivax (varicella) vaccines, was reported to be similar to its components in immunogenicity, antibody persistence, safety and adverse events. (6)
By an incredible coincidence, when I first saw the ProQuad information, there was a fact box beside it on FAMVIR®, or famciclovir, an antiviral drug used to treat acute herpes zoster (shingles). (6)
It is now well known that a nationwide increase in the incidence of shingles has occurred since the introduction of the chicken pox vaccine in 1995 and that a new vaccine, Zostavax, also by Merck, is being tested to control the recent iatrogenic outbreak of shingles. (7-11)
Although there may be justification for the administration of the measles vaccine in the second year of life, the need for mumps, rubella and chicken pox vaccinations at that age is less obvious.
Mumps is a benign illness in childhood and administration of the mumps vaccine shortly before puberty to those boys who did not have disease-acquired immunity is much more reasonable.
At present, there is no rubella in the United States and the administration of the rubella vaccine to boys and girls at the age of one in order to protect susceptible adults seems at least questionable if not strange. (12) Vaccinating girls shortly before puberty is more logical and would provide superior and longer-lasting immunity.
The administration of the chicken pox vaccine to all U.S. children does not have valid clinical reasons. Its alleged economical benefits — often cited as the real reason for the national recommendation — have now, as demonstrated by G. S. Goldman, PhD, been eclipsed by the larger cost of controlling the resulting shingles outbreak.
After my recent column, “Trust me. I have the statistics to prove it” (7), a Red Flags reader reminded me that the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has actually stated that shingles occur more frequently in individuals who developed chickenpox before the age of 18 months. (13)
It is only reasonable to suspect that the live attenuated vaccine would mimic the natural illness and likewise lead to an increase in the incidence of shingles as demonstrated in several studies, including one sponsored by the CDC.
The CDC’s decision to recommend the administration of the chicken pox vaccine at the age of one appears therefore problematic and merits attention.
Whether the Institute of Medicine (IOM) immunization safety review committee is the right body to investigate the recommendation is another story. (14)
It is widely expected that the CDC will deny any guilt and will simply state that it followed the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a group of 15 experts selected by the Secretary of Health and Human Services “to provide advice and guidance to the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary for Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the most effective means to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases.” (15)
Such an excuse is not valid because the two organizations have historically been very close. ACIP’s official information is available on the CDC’s National Immunization Program Web site; its email address is ACIP@CDC.GOV; and its mailing address is Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Immunization Program, Division of Epidemiology and Surveillance, Mail Stop E61, 1600 Clifton Road, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30333
The CDC will undoubtedly also claim that nothing can be done now that the chickenpox vaccine has been incorporated in ProQuad™— again supposedly “on the ACIP recommendation” — and because we must protect children from measles “a disease that kills thousands in Africa.”
* * *
What’s in a name?
When first licensed, the chickenpox vaccine was to be administered at least a month after the MMR vaccine. Later, pediatricians were told that administering the two vaccines in different sites on the same day was acceptable. However, if the chickenpox vaccine was not given with the MMR, it had to be delayed at least a month.
For years, pediatricians have known that there were plans to combine the MMR and Varivax vaccines and that clinical testing was ongoing. Consistently, the new combination vaccine was referred to verbally as MMRV and in written documents as MMRV or MMR-V.
The registered names of the previous monovalent “single” Merck live virus vaccines were Attenuevax (measles), Mumpsvax (mumps), Rubeovax I and II (rubella) and Varivax (chickenpox).
Registered names of the previous combined Merck live virus vaccines were simply the initials of their components: MM (measles–mumps), MR (measles-rubella) and MMR I and II (measles, mumps and rubella I and II) vaccines.
There were obviously many meetings and reviews concerning MMR-V and it seemed clear that its endorsement by the ACIP and its licensure by the FDA were assured.
A launch in the fall of 2005 was actually anticipated but what was not expected was a sudden change of the vaccine’s name from MMR-V to ProQuad™ sometime during the summer. (16)
The word “makeover” has recently become quite popular in the United States. On TV, we see individuals and homes transformed in front of our eyes in less than an hour. But a vaccine makeover was certainly a new experience for many. Not being fortunate enough to be included in the “inner circle,” I have no idea why the name of the new vaccine was suddenly changed to a strange and non-traditional name shortly before licensure.
Who knows?
The fact is that there never was a hyphen in MMR II and Merck never produced an MMR III or IV; any confusion would, therefore, have been unlikely. Besides everyone involved knew that MMRV and/or MMR-V simply and clearly indicated that there were four components in that vaccine: measles, mumps, rubella and varicella.
Of note is the fact that the suffix “vax” was evident in all remaining Merck vaccines intended for U.S. infants: Comvax, Pedvax-HIB and Recombivax HB.
For reasons unknown, we now have ProQuad™ standing all alone, incognito.
* * *
Financial circles took quick note of the FDA approval of the new vaccine.
On Sept. 6, 2005, MSN Money announced the news in a long and detailed report. (17)
The report included a relatively short note describing Merck as “a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Established in 1891, Merck discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines in more than 20 therapeutic categories. The company devotes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through far-reaching programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them. Merck also publishes unbiased health information as a not-for-profit service.”
This was followed by the usual "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: “These statements involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. The forward-looking statements may include statements regarding product development, product potential or financial performance. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Merck`s business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements in Item 1 of Merck`s Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2003, and in its periodic reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K (if any) which the company incorporates by reference.”
The MSN report also included the following scientific statements about ProQuad™:
* * *
It appears, therefore, that the following facts about ProQuad™ are acknowledged by its manufacturer:
Of note is the statement that the only efficacy studies listed were those of the monovalent measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox vaccines and not those of the actual components of the new vaccine namely MMR and Varivax, which would have been more appropriate. This also appears to raise questions about whether such studies were ever done before the existing combinations namely MM, MR and MMR were licensed.
ProQuad™ does not make much financial sense either. The CDC currently buys MMR II for $16.67/dose and Varivax for $52.50/dose. The total cost of $69.17 is about 60 percent of the cost of a proposed dose of ProQuad™.(18)
* * *
In Europe, GlaxoSmithKline/Belgium has also been testing a European version of MMRV, a combination of PriorixÔ and VarilrixÔ (GSK). Apparently “attempts to develop such a vaccine were made nearly 20 years ago but were not successful.”
So far the new vaccine is still referred to as MMRV. (19)
Forging ahead and starting in April 2005 — before even filing for a license for ProQuad™ — Merck has embarked on yet another new study “to demonstrate that ProQuad™ may be administered concomitantly with a fourth dose of Prevnar™ and a third dose of IPOL™ without impairing the safety or immunogenicity of vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, 7 serotypes of S. pneumoniae or 3 serotypes of poliovirus.” (20)
If interested in enrolling your baby in that study, the toll free number is 1-888-577-8839
And so it goes…
References
[NVIC] Parents, 11-Year-Old Denied Entry To AAP Convention
E-NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTER
Vienna, Virginia http://www.nvic.org
UNITED WAY/COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN #8122
"Protecting the health and informed consent rights of children since 1982."
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Barbara Loe Fisher Note:
I spoke at the Power of Parents demonstration in front of the DC Convention Center where the American Academy of Pediatrics was holding their annual convention on Saturday, Oct. 8. NVIC co-founder Kathi Williams and I witnessed the hostility of AAP officials and the DC police who were called in to disrupt the peaceful parent demonstration. Parents with their vaccine injured autistic children were gathered to appeal to the AAP leadership to stop misleading pediatricians about vaccine risks and stop opposing efforts by parents to pass mercury-free vaccine laws in states. Unfortunately, the AAP`s callous behavior toward parents with vaccine injured children at the demonstration only reinforces the perception that the AAP is teaching pediatricians to use heavy-handed bullying tactics when dealing with parents asking questions about vaccine safety. This kind of behavior, of course, will backfire on all pediatricians as parents learn to fear the doctors who they have always trusted with their children`s lives.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051011/cltu043.html?.v=22
Tuesday October 11, 11:18 am ET
Press Release Source: National Autism Association
Parent Group and 11-Year-Old Child Escorted From American Academy of Pediatrics Convention
"We have the freedom of speech, but not the freedom to be heard," says one parent after being thrown out of conference in DC
WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday morning, six parents and an 11-year-old child were removed from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Convention. They were escorted by security officers after being told by coordinators that they were not welcome. The parents, two of which are medical professionals, were pre-registered to work at a booth and hand out materials to pediatricians about autism.
Two camera crews were also escorted out prior to the ouster of the parent group so that the AAP`s actions could not be recorded by the media. According to parents, Cynthia Airhart, AAP Director of Division of Convention and Meeting Services, said that even though the group was pre- registered, their badges would not be issued because the group had broken the AAP rule of disseminating information at a demonstration outside of the conference. When it was pointed out to her that not all of the parents had done so, she changed her reason for banning them and said it was because they took part in Friday`s "Power of Parents" rally, a non-hostile and family- friendly event on Capitol Hill which focused on the association between mercury and autistic-like symptoms.
One of those asked to leave was an 11-year-old child who had been previously diagnosed with autism and was subsequently found to have suffered from mercury toxicity. After biomedical treatments aimed at correcting the many known sequela of mercury exposure, the child has made remarkable improvement. His plan was to hand brochures to doctors in order to spread awareness about autism and the potential for effective biomedical treatments. After he was escorted from the premises, the young boy was terribly upset. "He only wanted to help raise awareness and felt like he had failed in doing so," said his mother. "It is a sad day when a child is asked to leave a meeting which is supposed to be about the care of children."
Not all participants of the conference agreed with AAP`s actions. Many of the pediatricians were surprised and gave the escorted parents words of encouragement for their work in speaking about the disorder. Many also signed a petition at the booth.
Rita Shreffler was allowed to stay, but was accused of stealing someone else`s badge in order to enter the conference. After she showed proper identification, Ms. Shreffler, a mother of two vaccine-injured children, was followed around the conference for the remainder of the day. "I feel as though the AAP violated our civil rights and grossly overreacted to an embarrassing level," says Shreffler.
Other parents expressed similar dismay over first amendment rights violations after being escorted out by AAP security for wearing T-shirts with messages regarding the role of mercury-containing vaccines in the development of their children`s neurological disorders.
Parents traveled from as far away as Hawaii to have the opportunity to address pediatricians and ask for help for their autistic children. Several political figures were also on the list to be banned. Although Congressman Dave Weldon, Congressman Dan Burton, Senator Debbie Stabenow and Representative Carolyn Maloney had no intention of going to the conference, the AAP stated that they would be turned away after delivering speeches at Friday`s rally.
"We came here today asking for help for our injured children. We brought with us relevant new research and information that the AAP denied its members access to. Why?" asks parent and president of the National Autism Association, Wendy Fournier. "The AAP should be ashamed of the treatment we received here today. I hope its members will look beyond their leadership in search of treatment options for their patients with autism."
Last year, the AAP refused to print an ad in their journal that thanked pediatricians for their work and dedication to the autism cause and asked them to request mercury-free vaccines from vendors. Just this year, the New York AAP fought a measure that, starting in 2008, would limit mercury exposure in vaccines given to children under three and pregnant women.
Governor Pataki was asked by the AAP to veto the measure after it passed unanimously in the State Senate and passed 147-3 in the State Assembly.
For more information on autism, visit www.nationalautism.org.
Contact:
Rita Shreffler, NAA (Nixa, MO) 417-725-6107
Wendy Fournier, NAA (Portsmouth, RI) 401-632-7523
ADHD advice secretly paid for by drugs companies
By Daniel Foggo
(Filed: 09/10/2005)
Support and advice groups for parents of children with so-called behavioural disorders are being secretly funded by pharmaceutical firms, it can be revealed.
The groups give out advice on stimulant drugs and other controversial medical treatments for young children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Their internet sites provide extensive details of medications that doctors can prescribe.
But at the same time they are also being secretly financed by the pharmaceutical companies which make the controversial "chemical cosh" drugs.
Last night one of the groups, a government-funded charity, admitted receiving five-figure sums from the drug giants and one of the companies involved conceded that a desire to sell more of its product was one of its motives for providing the finance.
The revelation comes amid increasing concern over the huge increase in children being fed powerful drugs in order to control overly exuberant behaviour.
Prescriptions of methyl-phenidate, a stimulant sold under several brand names, have increased 180-fold in the past 14 years.
Nicknamed "the chemical cosh" for its ability to slow down children, methyl-phenidate is predominantly prescribed to under-16s and its side-effects include insomnia, unresponsiveness and loss of appetite.
Critics claim that its use is unnecessary in many instances, as the children are exhibiting natural traits for their age which can be alleviated with dietary measures.
The National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service (ADDISS) is a Department of Health-funded charity set up to "provide people-friendly information and resources about ADHD" and its website provides a factsheet giving details of the drugs that can be supplied to children.
It has received funding from three of the major pharmaceutical companies that make methylphenidate and other ADHD medications, which have been accused of sparking suicidal behaviour and liver problems in children.
Andrea Bilbow, the founder and chief executive of ADDISS, admitted that her group had solicited and received total funding of around £20,000 from Janssen-Cilag, which makes Concerta, a form of methylphenidate, UCB Pharma, which also produces another branded form of the drug, and Eli Lilly, which makes a form of atomoxetine, another ADHD drug which is linked to an increased suicide risk in children.
She said: "From time to time we do go to the pharmaceutical companies to ask for money, but we are not getting massive amounts. We don`t sell our soul to the devil but we can`t survive without them."
Ms Bilbow said that she did not identify the companies which have funded her charity on its internet site because to do so would be giving them "something in return".
"If we put the names on the site that would be promoting the companies and I`ve told them I won`t do that," she said. "That would be advertising and I`m not getting enough money from them for that."
Another website, Adders.org, run by the Thanet ADDers non-profit support group, also gives detailed instructions on which drugs are available. Thanet ADDers has received money from at least one drug company. A spokesman for Eli Lilly confirmed that it had provided support in the form of a "small grant". Caroline Hensby, who runs the website, did not respond to calls.
The Eli Lilly spokesman said that the company wanted to help educate people about ADHD, but she conceded that there was a degree of self-interest in it doing so.
A spokesman for Janssen-Cilag confirmed that financial support had been given to ADDISS for a "specific meeting" organised by the charity.
A spokesman for UCB Pharma said: "Whilst we have good working relationships with ADDIS and Adders, we have not provided any significant funding or sponsorship."
Not all ADHD help groups take money from the pharmaceutical companies.
Glenn Slater, who has a child with ADHD and runs the website ADDvice.co.uk, which does not receive such funding, said: "Pharmaceutical companies giving money is not a good idea as people on the outside might get the wrong idea about the sites` motives."
Jim Mackie, former chairman of the Overload Network, which provides support for families affected by ADHD, said: "If they [the charities] are being funded by drug companies who are interested in promoting their products then that should be made clear on the websites."
We applaud Ellen Sweeney for speaking the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! "New Jersey`s proposed law to remove the mercury from vaccines is a step in the right direction, but there are other neurotoxins in the vaccines, including aluminum, and formaldehyde," says Sweeney. The use of live viruses in the measles-mumps-rubella vaccines is also dangerous, she says. "For my son, thimerosal loaded the gun, and the MMR vaccine pulled the trigger," she says.
Ellen is the President of TAAP (The Autism Autoimmunity Project) of NJ
Could those shots that we subjected our kids to really be linked to rising rates of autism and other neurological disorders?
It`s a frightening and upsetting thought.
But a growing number of scientists and parents believe that vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, are in fact a trigger for autism spectrum disorders, ranging from milder cases of Asperger`s syndrome to full-blown autism.
While most childhood vaccines no longer contain thimerosal, it is still found in many flu vaccines, says the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Parents who want their children to get a flu shot, but worry about the potentially harmful effects of mercury should ask their doctors to stock thimerosal-free vaccines.
Those worries could escalate if the state Department of Health and Senior Services goes ahead with a plan under consideration to require young children in child-care centers or preschool to get vaccinated against the flu. A health department spokeswoman says policy considerations are still in the early stages, and any proposal is at least 18 months to two years away.
BANNING THIMEROSAL
Parent groups such as the Autism Autoimmunity Project of New Jersey have been working to convince state and federal governments to ban the use of thimerosal.
Thanks to the group`s efforts, two New Jersey legislators are preparing to launch a bill to limit the amount of mercury allowed in vaccines, says Ellen Sweeney, group president. The bill, which will be introduced this fall by state Sen. Andrew Ciesla and Assemblyman James Holzapfel, both Republicans from Brick, would phase out the use of mercury in vaccines over a three-year periods.
A similar law enacted in New York over the summer limits the amount of mercury in vaccines for pregnant women and children under the age of 3. A federal ban on mercury in vaccines for pregnant women and children, the "Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2005," is under consideration in Congress.
A coalition of roughly 50 groups, including the National Autism Association, SafeMinds, and A-Champ, is planning a march and rally in Washington, D.C. in October to call for more research into the affects of mercury on autism rates. The Power of Parents rally is scheduled for Oct. 7 and 8. For more information, go to www.nationalforce.org.
The rally will also urge federal lawmakers to defeat a bill that passed the House over the summer that would restrict parents` ability to sue pharmaceutical companies over vaccine injuries. The "Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-Cost-Timely Healthcare Act of 2005," which is under consideration in the Senate, is being touted as a tort reform measure. A-Champ, a parent advocacy group, calls it "the Vaccine-Injured Kids Don`t Count Act of 2005."
IS THERE AN EPIDEMIC OF AUTISM?
Autism was a relatively rare disorder in the 1980s, with an incidence of 1 in every 10,000 births, says David Kirby in "Evidence of Harm," a new book about the link between mercury in vaccines and autism.
Today, one in 166 children has been diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder, which affects language and social skills and skews emotional and sensory functioning.
"While it is clear that more children than ever before are being classified as having an Autism Spectrum Disorder, it is unclear how much of this increase is due to changes in how we identify and classify ASDs in people, or whether this is due to a true increase in prevalence," says the CDC.
But others, including the M.I.N.D. Institute at the University of California at Davis, say the increase is real, and can`t be explained by changing classification standards.
Coincidentally or not, the number of autism cases was going up at the same time that children were getting more vaccines earlier – as early as a few hours after birth, says Kirby. The increased number of shots given, beginning in 1988, meant that children were getting three times as much mercury as before.
Throughout the 1990s, the typical two-month-old baby receiving a typical round of three shots was getting 62.5 micrograms of mercury – 125 times the government`s daily allowable exposure level for mercury, a known neurotoxin, says SafeMinds, an organization that supports research on the effects of mercury on children.
Parents who watched their children develop the distressing symptoms of
autism after getting shots started to organize into dozens of groups to demand research into the causes of autism and its association with vaccines.
"My son began to lose his verbal skills and developed sensory issues at 13 months, three weeks after he received his shots. He stopped talking at 18 months, and started banging his head at 19 months. When he was 22 months old, he was diagnosed with autism," says Sweeney.
TOPIC OF DISPUTE
But whether there is a link or not is a hot topic of dispute. The CDC says that a recent study by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found no clear, definitive link.
"The preponderance of evidence consistently does not reveal an association between thimerosal and autism," says Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the CDC.
But others say the evidence does suggest a potential link between thimerosal and speech delays, attention-deficit disorder, hyperactivity, and autism.
"The conclusions reached by the IOM have never added up and in fact, have only lead most autism groups to ask more questions," says Lyn Redwood, president of SafeMinds. "Based on the documents we have seen, the Vaccine Safety panel could never come to such a definitive conclusion. There has to be more."
In 1999 the Food and Drug Administration stated that mercury exposure from vaccines exceeded federal safety guideline, and the CDC recommended that thimerosal be removed from vaccines.
SHOULD KIDS EVEN GET THOSE SHOTS?
Many groups in the thimerosal debate, such as SafeMinds and the New Jersey Alliance for Informed Choice in Vaccinations, say they are not anti-vaccine.
But others say there is no such thing as a safe vaccine.
"New Jersey`s proposed law to remove the mercury from vaccines is a step in the right direction, but there are other neurotoxins in the vaccines, including aluminum, and formaldehyde," says Sweeney.
The use of live viruses in the measles-mumps-rubella vaccines is also dangerous, she says.
"For my son, thimerosal loaded the gun, and the MMR vaccine pulled the trigger," she says.
Yvonne Chilik Wollenberg of Teaneck is a writer and mother of three.
A message from Ogi Ressel:
Warm hellos to everyone,
Two little kids are in a hospital, each lying on stretchers next to the other and outside the operating room. The first kid leans over and
asks, "What are you here for?"!
The second kid says, "I`m in here to get my tonsils out and I`m a little nervous."
The first kid says, "You`ve got nothing to worry about. I had that done when I was four. They put you to sleep, and when you wake up they give you lots of Jell-O and ice cream. It`s a breeze."
The second kid then asks, "What are you here for?"
The first kid says, "A circumcision."
And the second kid says, "Whoaaaa -- good luck buddy. I had that done when I was born. Couldn`t walk for a year!
Here are a list of my upcoming talks and seminars. Please note that these may change.
Oct. 15 - 16, 2005 Minneapolis, Minnesota ICPA – Introduction to Chiropractic for the FamilyOct. 22 - 23, 2005 North Carolina ICPA – Introduction to Chiropractic for the Family
Nov. 12 -13, 2005 Toronto, Canada ICPA – Introduction to Chiropractic for the Family