MMR Row Doctor 'Failed In His Duties'

[maddezmom]

Source: Sky News

The doctor at the centre of the MMR controversy "failed in his duties as a responsible consultant", the General Medical Council (GMC) has ruled.

Dr Andrew Wakefield went against the interests of children in his care, the GMC's Fitness to Practice panel found.

He also acted dishonestly and was misleading and irresponsible in the way he described research later published in The Lancet medical journal, the panel ruled at a hearing in London.

The doctor has argued that he had been acting in the children's best interests.


Read more: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Doctor-At-Centre-Of-MMR-Controversy-Failed-In-His-Duties-GMC-Rules/Article/201001415537552?lpos=UK_News_Top_Stories_Header_0&lid=ARTICLE_15537552_Doctor_At_Centre_Of_MMR_Controversy_Failed_In_His_Duties%2C_GMC

[DesertDiamond]

1. I know personally of kids who became autistic within 24 hrs after receiving MMR.

Dr. Wakefield, don't let them bully you!! It is THEY who lack compassion for children.

[Warpy]

4. Coincidence is not cause

and despite what you BELIEVE, the facts just don't bear it out. This has been researched to death by reputable doctors who care about their patients and no connection has ever been found.

[TrogL]

18. Correlation is not causation

It's also fallacy of the undivided middle.

[defendandprotect]

28. Not something to be dismissed either---!!

[HuckleB]

86. autism epidemic science, autism vaccine science

http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/01/autism-epidemic-science-autism-vaccine-science/

[demigoddess]

57. what if the shot triggered something else, which was the real cause??

they do not do in depth research lately. Just hit the surface.

[Warpy]

64. The epidemiological research turned up no link.

[hlthe2b]

40. I am too weary of this constant argument to weigh in with facts...

Thanks Warpy for picking up tbe flag.... though it seems a thankless task. ;)

[Warpy]

84. My posts on the subject have gotten far shorter

Medically ignorant people are going to believe rubbish no matter what professionals tell them. Being ignorant sets them up that way.

The foot stamping true believers won't bother to look up any of the studies. I'm just hoping the fence sitters will.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[msanthrope]

10. Sure you do. Every anti-vaxer has their favorite anecdotal

tale of the child that became autistic after getting a vaccine.

Because we all know that public health policy should be based on anecdote, subjective recall, and feelings....

[defendandprotect]

31. When we have tens of thousands of these stories and more . . .

we would be insane to ignore them -- !!

And that's pretty much what is on display here with these vaccines ---

Money beating out common sense!

[WriteDown]

33. Weren't you the one that claimed the FDA allows 17% feces in food?

Find a link to that yet?

[fascisthunter]

55. thank you

I feel as if I have to thank you everyday... I become very suspicious when people out-right deny these claims.

[msanthrope]

63. You don't have tens of thousands of stories.....

If you do, please provide the link(s).

[Posteritatis]

68. Many of those are mistaken. Others, such as the one starting this subthread, are clearly lies. (nt)

[WriteDown]

14. I've seen adults become autistic in minutes after receiving a vaccination!

Its horrible! :eyes:

[xocet]

19. Agreed....

Well, I personally know that the Trilateral Commission and the Illuminati have pink grapefruit orbiting Saturn for the purpose of confusing elephants who drink tasty beverages mixed with steak and lettuce, but that is NOT love nor should it be confused with the need for raking leaves in the fall. You see my uncle has a rake, yet the dog stalks kittens without respecting my uncle's wishes. Only by eating grapefruit can we truly save the kittens. Let us please save the kittens!

So, in conclusion, it is obvious that vaccination is a dangerous practice which should be stopped immediately. QED

[trotsky]

58. That happens to be...

the most coherent, logical, and compelling reasoning against vaccination I've ever seen!

(And I'm NOT kidding!)

[naaman fletcher]

20. how do u know when a kid that young becomes autistic?

you don't.

[TrogL]

22. It takes months of observation to diagnose autism

Kids need to show repeated behaviours of failing to interact and socialize. "Having a bad day" isn't good enough.

Hence, claiming a child develops autism 24 hrs after vaccination is ridiculous.

[defendandprotect]

29. Nonsense . . . we certainly know when a child is ill and not behaving normally ...

parents know --

What we have in place here is a system of cover up --

Vaccines bring in a ton of $$$ for pharmaceutical companies!

[WriteDown]

32. Hahahaha...

My gf is an LPC and she will tell you it takes months of careful observation as well as some well defined signs. What's funny is the parents who think their kids are autistic who exhibit no symptoms. Of course they also say that they "know." :rofl:

[TZ]

42. HAHAHAHA!

What a DUMB ASS response. So do you know the instant your kid gets the flu? A cold? An ear infection? Being a parent makes you GOD? Stop fucking lying.
You know that side effects happen after a shot sometimes right? But that they aren't autism. How the hell did you graduate high school being so illiterate?

[Ian David]

80. My friend "ignored" knows everything. He/she is omniscient. n/t

[mzteris]

25. oh puhleee -

what a completely ridiculous statement.

For goodness sake, educate yourself!

(Note: avoid "Mercola, et al. Wakefield is a complete and total fraud. If you knew ANYthing about his "research" you'd know that.)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

36. I'm an astronaut.

[TZ]

41. Not possible

LOL---who even gets any kind of diagnosis in 24 hours, testing for it takes a loooong time. Stupid post, Dr. Wakefield

[Odin2005]

43. That's bullshit and neurologically impossible.

[proud2BlibKansan]

48. So you are an expert at diagnosing autism?

[boppers]

50. Became autistic?

Wow.

Did they become left-handed, too?

[Posteritatis]

67. No, you don't. (nt)

[Codeine]

94. You are a liar and a fraud.

If you had the capacity for shame I'd call you out more, but you clearly do not.

[Warpy]

2. Wakefield started with a conclusion

and fiddled his research to support it, sometimes harming children in his care in order to collect data.

A lot of nervous and guilty parents bought his line of bullshit, especially in the UK, and there has been a resurgence of dangerous and easily prevented diseases because of it.

He is the worst sort of quack.

[kickysnana]

11. That is what all research does...unfortunately.

My sister did a research paper on single-dad parents about 1988 and she told me she wondered how we ever managed to get any good data because of the nature of research.

[Warpy]

16. Occasionally there are honest researchers

who report that the data supported the opposite of their beginning hypothesis.

Wakefield was not one of them. He simply manipulated the data.

[semillama]

24. not only that, he had undisclosed conflict of interests

One, he was in the pay of trial lawyers looking to make a buck off autism lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers.

Two, he had his own measles vaccine he was developing, and sought to discredit the competition.

These two things get conveniently overlooked by the anti-vaccination crowd, especially by those who like to demonize Dr. Paul Offit for actually patenting a vaccine once.

[defendandprotect]

30. Wow --- and this got into the Lancer . . . ?? The whole system is corrupted and

bought out -- !!

[TZ]

45. Is that because you KNOW EVERYTHINGOH MIGHTY GOD?

You seem to be especially proud of knowing nothing.

[tavalon]

3. They've tried to discredit him from day one

He helped my child tremendously. That is about all I care to say on this discussion group about him or autism for that matter. This is not a very sympathetic nor open minded group when it comes to this topic.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tavalon]

9. My child will never be independent, nor have much of a life

Don't speak of that which you nothing about.

[Ian David]

12. I'm not talking about Autism. I'm talking about people who refuse to vaccinate.

Whatever caused your child's autism, it wasn't vaccinations.

Most likely, it's a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

The guy who told you it was a vaccination has now been completely discredited. He lied to you. For money. Because the MMR vaccine was competing with HIS vaccine.

[defendandprotect]

35. And you are the final authority on these vaccines and autism???

[HuckleB]

83. Are you?

[msanthrope]

15. My child has autism, too. I think Wakefield ought to be jailed.

You take a study of 12 kids with bowel disorders and then tell people to stop using the MMR vaccine?

He's a hoaxer and a fraud.

I'm sorry about your child. Their autism didn't result from you vaccinating them.

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mzteris]

26. how, exactly, did he "help" your

child tremendously. I'd be very interested in the details of that.

[tavalon]

59. This isn't a forum that is the least sympathetic

So, I will leave that to your imagination. Don't feel picked on - at least I replied to your comment. I'm not going to reply to any others.

[Odin2005]

44. He is a FRAUD and should be in JAIL.

[TZ]

47. and you put your child at risk of DEATH

You do know about children who have died from his NAZI treatments right? He does unapproved medical procedures on children. THIS IS EXACTLY the type of thing that happened under the Nazi's and why there are ethical regulations on this sort of thing. Funny, I always thought it was the Republicans who thought regulation was a bad thing.
I'm so grateful I don't know any body like you in real life. If I did I would be calling child protective services in a MINUTE.

[boppers]

51. Godwin in...47?

DU must be slipping.

[Ian David]

5. Now, people should finally shut the fuck up and vaccinate their damn children. No more excuses. n/t

[msanthrope]

8. Good. Now take this dishonest frak's medical license away. n/t

[Ian David]

13. They should put him in jail. n/t

[msanthrope]

17. Indeed--the lying on the patent application for his own vaccine

and his suppression of evidence that went against the patent should give rise to a criminal investigation.


patent application for hiw own MMR vaccine--

http://briandeer.com/wakefield/vaccine-patent.htm

Wakefield's own results that disprove his thesis--

http://briandeer.com/wakefield/nick-chadwick.htm

[hayu_lol]

21. Back to about 150 years ago...

50% of children did not live to see their 16th birthday. In many cases, their parents died with them since entire families were wiped out BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF IMMUNIZATION. Until the late 40s, there were no wonder drugs to counter infections. As a result, infection of any kind was sort of left to run its course.

If you are younger than 60, you've probably never driven around your home neighborhood looking at the quarantine signs on the front doors, never buried a friend from one of the dreaded childhood diseases, never seen an iron lung in use on your block and much more of those 'bad' old days before immunizations arrived. All we had when I was born was the smallpox immunization. As a result, we all had most of the childhood diseases.

Those who refuse to immunize their children today put all the rest of the children at risk--those bad old diseases(a very few exceptions)are still around. Since live smallpox still exists in a few labs worldwide, I believe it to be a mistake to discontinue that immunization.

[TrogL]

23. I'm old enough to have dealt with polio

The next door neighbour had a mild form of polio as a kid and walked with crutches.

[mzteris]

27. I hope they strip his license to practice

AND put him in jail.

[defendandprotect]

37. Americans should wake up to the total corruption of our medical system . .

and pharma --

Capitalism corrupts not only democracy --

But anything it touches --

and distorts knowledge and information --

this is nothing new --

[Spider Jerusalem]

39. You mean like Wakefield taking £50K in payments from a lawyer and failing to disclose it?

Or like Wakefield having secured his own patent on a single measles vaccine and therefore perhaps having a vested personal interest in casting doubts on the MMR vaccine? That sort of corruption?

[defendandprotect]

60. Yes . . .isn't that what we're talking about -- but we also need to see our medical

system and the total corruption of it from the highest perspective --

Cancers, for one, are only increasing -- why?

[HuckleB]

87. Read up.

http://www.meds.com/lung/smoking/screening.html

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2003/pr27/en/

[LeftishBrit]

54. Wakefield had to leave a country with single-payer health care for private practice in Texas...

in order to thrive in his career.

So perhaps you're right about the corruption in the medical profession in America. At least in this particular case.

[defendandprotect]

61. You have only to see the growth of health care industry in America to see

the corruption!

Slash and burn medicine --

Cancers constantly increase -- what is it now 1-in every 3 Americans?

Holding back medical marijuana - a medicine for thousands of years!

Young women schedule Cesareans rather than vaginal births!!

Our food/nutrition lacking -- and animal/dairy products involved in creation of

hypertension, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, cancers, breast cances, cataracts --

on and on!

No preventative care -- but care intended to tie the patient to constant visits and

long term prescriptions with very serious side effects!

[LeftishBrit]

75. My point is...

that since this incident happened in the UK, American medical corruption cannot be blamed for Wakefield's original actions, or for the verdict. It may, however, be blamed for giving Wakefield an opportunity to further his career even after our 'socialized' medical system had rejected him.

The American system is certainly IMO corrupt in failing to provide universal health care. But cancer rates are higher nowadays mainly because people live longer than in the past.

I agree that we need much more preventive care (and vaccines ARE one aspect of preventive care); but I get the impression that you want ALL modern medicine to be replaced by 'going back to nature'. I would be prepated to die to save myself from such a fate, as I would certainly die if I were subjected to it.

[Ian David]

38. MMR scare doctor 'acted unethically', panel finds

MMR scare doctor 'acted unethically', panel finds

The doctor who first suggested a link between MMR vaccinations and autism acted unethically, the official medical regulator has found.

Dr Andrew Wakefield's 1998 Lancet study caused vaccination rates to plummet, resulting in a rise in measles - but the findings were later discredited.

<snip>

Dr Kumar said he had acted with "callous disregard for the distress and pain the children might suffer".

He also said Dr Wakefield should have disclosed the fact that he had been paid to advise solicitors acting for parents who believed their children had been harmed by the MMR.

More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8483865.stm

Dr Wakefield is a murderer and a crook, as well as a fraud. These are facts.

And anyone still following his advice in light of these revelations is a hopeless moron bereft of any common sense. They're as stupid as the people who still donate money to televangelists after they've been caught stealing money and having affairs.

[Odin2005]

46. This fucker should be in jail for the mass hysteria he has caused.

[argonrain]

49. ...but was he wrong?

I have written a short article if anyone is interested...

http://argonrain.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/236/

[boppers]

52. Welcome to DU.

Interesting hockey stick, my guess is that there's other factors not being accounted for, for example, childhood domestic uptake of vaccine, and total cases of measles, doesn't account for migrant populations.

As far as "injecting toxic chemicals into your body" being neither safe, nor intelligent, I'm guessing you aren't diabetic, as injecting toxic chemicals is the *treatment*. Same with many forms of cancer, arthritis, and psoriasis.

[muriel_volestrangler]

62. Yes, I think he was wrong

That's why most of his fellow authors retracted the paper:

Controversial MMR and autism study retracted

Ten of the original 13 authors of a controversial 1998 medical report which implied a link between autism and the combined MMR vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella, have retracted the paper's interpretations.

The retraction will be printed in the 6 March issue of The Lancet, which published the original paper. One author could not be reached and two others, Peter Harvey and lead author Andrew Wakefield, refused to join the retraction.

"We wish to make it clear that in this paper no causal link was established between MMR vaccine and autism as the data were insufficient," write the 10 authors in their retraction. "However, the possibility of such a link was raised and consequent events have had major implications for public health."

The original paper, which was based on parental and medical reports of just a dozen children, suggested a "possible relation" between autism, bowel disease, and MMR. The paper added it "did not prove an association".

However, Wakefield argued in a press conference at the time that there was a case for giving children separate injections for measles, mumps, and rubella instead of a single shot for all three. This triggered a collapse in parental confidence in MMR, and uptake rates of the vaccine in the UK fell.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4743

As for the correlation: first of all, consider the number of children unvaccinated, rather than those vaccinated (which more than doubled in some years - from a base of about 8% unvaccinated in 96/97, to 20% in 03/04), and then remember that is the number vaccinated per year, at the age the vaccine is offered by the NHS. This means that the proportion of unvaccinated school-age children lags the figure of 'how many infants weren't vaccinated this year' (and measles typically spreads amongst school-age children). The unvaccinated infect each other significantly when their total contacts with each other get above a certain number. It will take a few years for the proportion of total unvaccinated children to decrease, and it won't return to 1996 levels until the takeup per year has been at, or better than, the 1996 level for several years - unless the parents revisit their mistake, and ask for their children to get the MMR vaccine at an older age.

Finally, there's evidence from the regional measles prevelance that the low rate of MMR vaccination is to blame - the rate in London is significantly below the country average, and London saw the worst outbreak.

[LeftishBrit]

53. k&r

The paper in the Lancet was crap, even apart from the dishonesty later revealed. For one thing, there was no control group- the key to a proper study of that sort. In fact, ideally there should have been three control groups: autistic children without bowel disorders, non-autistic children with bowel disorders, and non-autistic children without bowel disorders.

Subsequent research - e.g. in Japan where the vaccine was withdrawn and later re-introduced - has revealed no link between the MMR and rates of autism.

[cureautismnow]

56. Controls

What controls did the 3 psychiatrists of the Japanese paper that you cite use?

[Odin2005]

65. Nice username, NOT.

:puke:

[cureautismnow]

66. Care to explain why?

I have a 6-year-old autistic son. I would like to have a NT 6-year-old son. Do you have a problem with that?

[Odin2005]

69. In other words you hate your sone for being who he is.

You are a typical curebie bigot.

Edit: BTW, I am an autistic person, so your post is personally offensive.

[cureautismnow]

70. Nonsense. You don't have a clue.

I want my son to be all that he can be. His affliction impairs his ability to communicate and to someday be independent. If the roles were reversed, I would want my parents to do everything in their power to allow me to communicate with others and be self-sufficient. To this end, we carry on.

He recently tested positive for lyme, babesia, and bartonella. It's possible that they were all passed to him through the placenta. We begin treatment next month and hopefully, at least some of his autistic symptoms will ameliorate.

Regarding the mmr, my son had a reaction to it at 12 months. He also had the varicella shot (worthless, BTW, according to his titers) and one other vaccination simultaneously. Back home from the doctor's office, he laid in a fetal position for most of the rest of that day. A couple of days later, his first perseveration began - opening and closing doors. To this day, that's still one of his favorite stimming activities.

WTF is a "curebie bigot?" Is it the opposite of one who does nothing to help their ill child? If so, then count me in.

[Spider Jerusalem]

71. Correlation is not causation, re MMR vaccines, etc.

It doesn't matter what you may want to believe; there have been countless population studies, clinical studies, and long-term analyses of the effects of MMR vaccine on children over the past 12 years to have rather conclusively established that there is NO link at all.

Also, if the 'autistic' symptoms are caused by Lyme Disease, or other infections, then it's not actually autism as clinically defined.

Also, there are many high-functioning autistics and persons with Asperger Syndrome and other autistic spectrum disorders who have no interest in bieng cured, thanks muchly. Even many higher functioning autistics who are on the lower end of the 'high functioning' scale often would rather be able to cope better with the difficulties the rest of the world has with their autism than not be autistic. It's similar in many respects to the attitude of the deaf community to perceived prejudice and intolerance of difference among those born with hearing, actually. (I say this as an autistic adult; I do not want a cure, and wouldn't take one were it offered.)

[cureautismnow]

77. Should a child with an immunodeficiency be vaccinated?

If not, then what steps are the medical community undertaking to insure that immunodeficient children are not jabbed?

Regarding the so-called studies, they were not enough to convince the Vaccine Court that autistic Bailey Banks should not receive compensation for her mmr injuries.

My son was diagnosed as autistic at age 2 by a neurologist, as he had all the symptoms - hand flapping, noise sensitivity (covering ears in public places), lining up objects and perseverating, not talking, no eye contact, constant diarrhea, etc. We are hopeful that he was wrong and we have a case of lyme-induced autism on our hands. Nevertheless, if lyme and co. impaired his immune system, he should NOT have received over 20 shots by the age of 18 months.

As a higher functioning autistic adult, you have every right to choose whichever path you prefer. You make your own decisions. You can communicate your ideas and opinions to the outside world. Congratulations. My son can do neither, so I look for ways to make this happen.

[Odin2005]

72. By Curebie I mean this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=387x1151

Oh and websites for you:

http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/index.php
http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?page_id=2
http://www.autistics.org

[cureautismnow]

79. So, a sick child should not be treated?

No, thanks. I disagree.

Aspies, OTOH, can usually communicate with the outside world. If they are perfectly content with their condition, then more power to them. I applaud their efforts and wish them well.

[Odin2005]

82. We are not sick, that's the damn point!

[cureautismnow]

89. And you speak for everyone on the ASD scale?

[Odin2005]

91. No, I let so-called "low-functioning" autistics speak for themselves.

http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org

[boppers]

88. cureleftiesnow

curegeniusnow
cureartistsnow
curedancersnow
cureatheletesnow
curepoetsnow
cureintrovertsnow
curehomosexualsnow
cureliberalsnow

Part of the problem is that childhood behavior has a fairly wide range, and like most norming issues, some people want their child to "be like them" (or, as they'd like a child to be), and thus, assume that there is an illness to be cured, rather than just a difference. Sometimes the difference is great, and potentially inhibits life-long individual, and/or social, function, other times, the difference is minor, and of little consequence.

[cureautismnow]

95. My ASD son has a true illness. It's not "just a difference."

Constant diarrhea is a true illness. My son never had a solid stool until his doctor gave him an anti-fungal at age 5. He also has lyme disease, bartonella, and babesia. Lyme effects the immune system. He likely had all 3 when he was vaccinated over 20 times up to 18 months of age. This should not have been done. The CDC sez:

"Should immunosuppressed children receive MMR, Varicella, and PPD and should they receive them if they are in the household with immunosuppressed people?

Replication of vaccine viruses can be prolonged in persons who are immunosuppressed or immunodeficient. Evidence based on case reports has linked measles vaccine virus infection to subsequent death in six severely immunocompromised persons. For this reason, patients who are severely immunocompromised for any reason should not be given MMR vaccine,"

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/combo-vaccines/mmr/faqs-nipinfo-mmr.htm

[boppers]

96. You're conflating several different things.

Constant diarrhea is not autism. Lyme disease and tick-borne parasites are not autism. MMR deaths in patients with compromised immune systems is not autism.

[cureautismnow]

98. Take it up with my son's neurologist.

He gave him the ASD label at 2-years-old. And your qualifications for making an ASD determination would be __________?

[boppers]

101. Still conflating, and now deflecting?

My qualifications on making an ASD determination are irrelevant. I'm anonymous on the internet, and I could just make something up.

However, if your neurologist is using tick diseases as an ASD indicator, well... good luck with that, and remember, there's never any harm in getting other medical doctor's opinions.

[cureautismnow]

103. No, No, No... You're not paying attention.

The neurologist gave him the label at 2-years-old. He tested positive for lyme and co-infections now as a 6-year-old for which we suspect he may have had since birth. As a 2-year-old (and now for that matter), he pretty much covered all of the indicators below (plus light/sound sensitivity and fearfulness):
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following is from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM IV):
DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR 299.00 AUTISTIC DISORDER
A. A total of six (or more) items from (1), (2), and (3), with at
least two from (1), and one each from (2) and (3)

(1) qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

a) marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction

b) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to
developmental level

c) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people, (e.g., by a lack of showing,
bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)

d) lack of social or emotional reciprocity ( note: in the
description, it gives the following as examples: not actively
participating in simple social play or games, preferring solitary
activities, or involving others in activities only as tools or
"mechanical" aids )

(2) qualitative impairments in communication as manifested by at least one of the following:

a) delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language
(not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime)

b) in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others

c) stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic
language

d) lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social
imitative play appropriate to developmental level

(3) restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior,
interests and activities, as manifested by at least two of the
following:

a) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in
intensity or focus

b) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional
routines or rituals

c) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole body movements)

d) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects

B. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years:

(1) social interaction

(2) language as used in social communication

(3) symbolic or imaginative play

C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by Rett's Disorder or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is our hope that treatment for lyme & co. will dissipate these symptoms. Lyme-induced autism is discussed at the link below.

http://www.lymeinducedautism.com/lymeautismconnection.html

If this theory is correct, then there are scores of Immunocompromised infants and toddlers being vaccinated. The CDC clearly states that these human beings should not be vaccinated.

[KamaAina]

92. Actually, yes.

What makes you think that NTs are necessarily better than us? I have thousands more DU posts than you do, for instance. :-)

In the words of pioneering autism self-advocate Jim Sinclair:

http://www.autreat.com/dont_mourn.html

Autism isn't something a person has, or a "shell" that a person is trapped inside. There's no normal child hidden behind the autism. Autism is a way of being. It is pervasive; it colors every experience, every sensation, perception, thought, emotion, and encounter, every aspect of existence. It is not possible to separate the autism from the person--and if it were possible, the person you'd have left would not be the same person you started with.

This is important, so take a moment to consider it: Autism is a way of being. It is not possible to separate the person from the autism.

Therefore, when parents say,

I wish my child did not have autism,
what they're really saying is,

I wish the autistic child I have did not exist, and I had a different (non-autistic) child instead.

Read that again. This is what we hear when you mourn over our existence. This is what we hear when you pray for a cure. This is what we know, when you tell us of your fondest hopes and dreams for us: that your greatest wish is that one day we will cease to be, and strangers you can love will move in behind our faces.

[cureautismnow]

97. I never said NT's were "better."

Among many reasons, I want my son to be NT, so he can answer a simple yes or no question, tell me how he feels, what he desires, etc. You, and Jim Sinclair for that matter, can obviously perform these tasks. You are at the end of the spectrum where 2-way communication exists. Communication around here is a 1-way street. I'm sorry you feel that trying to change that is wrong, but I'm pretty sure that Anne Sullivan would concur with my quest.

[KamaAina]

99. So you'd be fine with a son who had autism and could communicate?

Come to think of it, I know a woman whose IQ was once thought to be 10. Then someone hooked her up with an augmented communication device. Now she is a college graduate, sits on a prestigious nationwide committee, and once met President Clinton.

[cureautismnow]

102. We had a Tech Speak once. He threw it in the pool!

I would be very happy with 2-way communication. Hopefully, killing the lyme, babs, and bart inside him will get us closer to our goal.

[LeftishBrit]

74. The children who were not vaccinated against MMR..

as controls for the children who were vaccinated, before and after the period of withdrawal.

They did not show a lower rate of autism, as would be expected if MMR causes autism.

Wakefield claimed that a finding that some children with both autism and bowel problems had measles virus in the gut meant that the measles virus, from the vaccination, had CAUSED the autism.
How can one tell, unless one knows that other children don't have measles virus in the gut? We all have lots of viruses and bacteria in the gut. Some other studies have suggested that some children without autism *do* have such viruses inthe gut.

[cureautismnow]

78. Wrong.

The Japanese epi. study had no controls.

[HuckleB]

85. Read up.

http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2010/01/autism-epidemic-science-autism-vaccine-science/

[cureautismnow]

90. There are plenty who dispute Landrigan's opinions.

Some comments to his piece clearly disagree with his conclusions. BTW, that site has always been pro-vaccine, so his "findings" are hardly surprising.

[HuckleB]

93. ROTFLMAO!

Fewer and fewer disagree with Landrigan, and those that do clearly don't care about the science. That site is honest, which doesn't make it "pro-vaccine," not that being pro-vaccine is bad, if you've done your homework and can leave your preconceived notions behind.

[cureautismnow]

100. You read up.

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/autism-and-environment

This Calif. study rebuts Landrigan's opinion.

“There’s genetics and there’s environment. And genetics don’t change in such short periods of time,” Hertz-Picciotto, a researcher at UC Davis’ M.I.N.D. Institute, a leading autism research facility, said in an interview Thursday.

Funding for studying genetic causes of autism is 10 to 20 times higher than funding for environmental causes, she said. “It’s very off-balance,” she said.

Weiss agreed, saying that "excessive emphasis has been placed on genetics as a cause."

"The advances in molecular genetics have tended to obscure the principle that genes are always acting in and on a particular environment. This article, I think, will restore some balance to our thinking," he said.

[HuckleB]

104. ROTFLMAO! Again.

You're trotting that old one out again, as usual.

:eyes:

Let's start with one that's a little more recent... and, well... I think you'll get the point. But, then again, maybe not.

California Autism Clusters Tied to Parents' Education, Not Environment
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AutismNews/education-level-environment-tied-autism-clusters/story?id=9514773

and...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100105112117.htm

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

And then we'll go to some others...

Study shows lower autism rate in vaccinated kids
http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2009/12/study-shows-lower-autism-rate-in-vaccinated-kids/

Autism Prevalence
http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=1374

The Increase in Autism Diagnoses: Two Hypotheses
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=95

More Evidence for Vaccine Safety
http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=940

Blood Mercury Concentrations in CHARGE Study Children with and without Autism
http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.0900736

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

In regard to the report on the study you offer up, which, again, is an old repeat by you and others at DU, you somehow choose to ignore the reality versus the spin of that single study.

The Alleged Autism Epidemic
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=340

And here's the abstract to the actual study. The conclusion is not that environmental causes are to blame but that they don't know.
http://journals.lww.com/epidem/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2009&issue=01000&article=00016&type=abstract

So instead of being honest, you push spin. That's just not going to cut it.

[cureautismnow]

105. Let's see...

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AutismNews/education-level...

They basically conclude that families with ASD kids have higher education and income levels than those who do not. Duh. Poor folks can't afford to go the doctor (and get vaccinated for that matter!) and follow up with visits for ASD treatments. Physical pollution didn't seem to play a role. And this exonerates vaccines how exactly?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/1001051121...

This is just a rehash of the study above.

http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2009/12/study-shows-lo... /

Right. Lower ASD rates for vaccinated kids. Perfect. I can see Merck cranking out their new-super-duper-improved "MMRA's" a.s.a.p. That new cash cow will fly off the shelves. Where do we sign up? For reality's sake, your Johnny-on-the-spot sez: "To be honest, I don’t think these results are consistent with previous, large population studies of MMR and autism. An odds ratio of 0.17 (meaning you are six times more likely to be autistic if you didn’t get the MMR) should have been picked up."

In other words, can you say F-L-A-W-E-D? I knew you could.

http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=1374

This one is a blog. The last time I checked, blogs were not peer-reviewed. Have things changed?

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=95

Oh, an hypothesis. Wait, make that TWO hypotheses. Need I say more?

http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=940

Oh, goodie. Another blogger. No, wait. Same guy.

Blood Mercury Concentrations in CHARGE Study Children with and without Autism
http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?...

Limitation: This one looked at Hg in the blood, not brain or tissue.

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

Is that all ya got? BTW, would you care to take a shot at my unanswered question above in the thread?

Should immunocompromised infants and toddlers be jabbed with vaccines? We know what the CDC says. What say ye?

[HuckleB]

106. That's a lot of words to use to say, "I don't care about the science."

You have an agenda, and you don't care what the evidence against your preconceived notions is, you must push forward. You use the "blog" excuse to ignore studies within those posts and critiques by physicians and researchers. You use your own BS to ignore an entire study. You call another study flawed, which only shows that you failed to read the piece provided. In the end, you refuse to see that the plethora of studies available does not support your agenda. Then you offer up red herring/diversion questions. In other words, intellectual honesty is not something you are willing to employ.

That's sad, but that's your choice. It's also my choice to refrain from wasting any more time on someone who does not care about knowledge, learning, or actual discussion.

Good bye.

[cureautismnow]

107. Yada, Yada, Yada. You still didn't answer the question.

Should an immunocompromised child be jabbed with your vaccines?

Science reveals that the answer is no, but you sadly refuse to acknowledge this fact. I have seen the damage with my own eyes and I have home movies to support my position.

If you continue to support the vaccination of immunocompromised children, then their blood is on your hands.

[HuckleB]

73. K & R.

[mr blur]

76. Whatever happened to "First, do no harm"?:

From today's Guardian:

The GMC looked into the cases of eleven children who were entered into the trial. Many rules had been broken. Wakefield's contract was for "experimental gastroenterology" and he was not allowed to treat children, but he ordered tests and procedures that were not necessary for their health. In the interests of proving Wakefield's theory, children were given lumbar punctures in the spine, colonoscopies and barium meals – all significant procedures. Children were enrolled who did not fit the strict criteria for entry to the trial and they had not come from a GP who was referring them because they needed treatment.

Wakefield, now based in the US, has also been found not to have been open with the Lancet. He did not tell them that £55,000 funding for the study came from the legal aid board. Wakefield was advising Richard Barr, a solicitor who wanted evidence to sue the vaccine manufacturers on behalf of the parents of children with autism. It was a clear conflict of interest and should have been declared.

All three doctors will now come back before the panel in April, where the GMC will decide if they are guilty of serious professional misconduct, which could end in one or more of them being stripped of their licence to practise medicine.

Harris said Wakefield's reputation and that of his campaign was "in tatters and it is sad that it has taken so long for this to be demonstrated.

"That the GMC has found Wakefield guilty of unapproved and unnecessary invasive tests, including spinal taps, on young children, is the most damning indictment possible. The findings of failure to declare financial interest are a secondary consideration."

The guy's an arsehole.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jan/28/andrew-wakefield-mmr-vaccine

[Pavulon]

81. $ and ego..(nt)