The CDC, Autism and Homeland Security

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In the 1990s, despite credible research and opposition by qualified physicians, the massive push began to vaccinate infants and toddlers with multiple doses for many diseases and vaccines that had questionable science backing up the licensing.

One of the biggest concerns was the MMr and MMr II vaccine. According to Vaccine Liberation:

According to Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN), Chairman of the Government Reform Committee, physicians and a growing number of parents believe that autism affecting their children is related to a mercury preservative used in numerous vaccines. This preservative is called thimerosal, and it contains mercury, a known neuro-toxin. Thimerosal is still present in some vaccinations and surprisingly - virtually all flu shots.

Writing in the Spring 2001 American Association of Physicians and Surgeons journal, Medical Sentinel, Joseph Mercola, M.D. stated: “Immunizations contribute to the enormous and tragic increase in autism in this country, and it is time physicians take a stand on this issue and defend the patient’s right to choose. It seems imperative,” states Mercola, “that the first step for physicians who have not carefully studied this issue is to become informed.”

First Coast News had a shocking release earlier this week on the issue of thimerosal and autism:

“The Centers for Disease Control published a study last fall repudiating any possible link between thimerosal and developmental problems like autism in children. However, First Coast News has obtained non-published documents that show the CDC DID have data supporting such a link-- but kept it from the public.

“Documents released through the Freedom of Information Act, detail the transcript of a meeting held in June of 2000 between members of the CDC, the FDA, and representatives from the vaccine industry.”

The reported number of autism cases is being described as epidemic and growing. As parents struggle to provide treatment for their autistic children, the Bush Administration has taken steps to keep these parents in the dark by petitioning a federal court to keep all documents from the American people on hundreds of cases of autism believed caused by childhood vaccines. On November 25, 2003, Department of Justice lawyers asked a U.S. Court of Federal Claims to “to seal the documents, arguing that allowing their automatic disclosure would take away the right of federal agencies to decide when and how the material should be released.”

How does Homeland Security play into this unfolding tragedy for untold numbers of children and their parents?

The Homeland Security Bill contained two paragraphs in the 475-page document that immunizes vaccine manufacturers against the threat of lawsuits. Specifically, pharmaceutical maker Eli Lilly & Company benefits from such immunity because prior to President Bush signing the bill into law, they were the target of a massive class action lawsuit on behalf of autistic children. The parents of these children believe that the mercury (thimerosol) added to vaccines as a preservative caused their children’s brain damage.

President Bush signed the Homeland Security Bill into law, effectively snuffing out parent’s ability to sue the pharmaceutical companies individually and leaving them with brain damaged children and financial hardship. Supporters of this new law maintain that it was necessary because all these lawsuits could have driven vaccine makers out of business. Opponents point out that by shifting the lawsuits from state courts to the Federal Court of Claims, it represents a financial boon for pharmaceutical companies because dollar awards will come from the government and widespread industry fees than from individual companies.

It is unclear how this lawsuit immunity bonanza for the pharmaceutical industry has anything to do with homeland security, bio-terror attacks or keeping America safe from terrorists. Last summer, President Bush appointed Sidney Taurel, Chairman and CEO of Eli Lilly to the Homeland Security Advisory Council. Since 1989, Eli Lilly alone has given a whopping $5.9 million to congressional campaigns with 3/4ths of the money going to GOP candidates. In the last election cycle, eighty percent of Republican candidates got the lion’s share of the $1.6 million contributed by Eli Lilly who developed thimerosal and has profited handsomely from sales over the past 40 years.

Thimerosal isn’t the only drug linked to other adverse effects on children. Back in February 2001, News 8 Investigates (Dallas-Ft. Worth area) covered questionable science at the root of getting vaccines approved in this country. One of the newer vaccines scrutinized was RotoShield which was given to the newborn son of Melynda Shay. This particular vaccine promised in its advertisements that RotoShield would help prevent childhood diarrhea. Within days after inoculation, Ms. Shay’s newborn's bowels were dangerously obstructed to the point of possibly rupturing.

Federal regulators from the CDC finally discovered more than 100 other infants like Ms. Shay’s son had all suffered the same problem and RotoShield was pulled off the market. On the very same day RotoShield was pulled, the CDC’s Vaccine Advisory Committee drafted a recommendation for another new vaccine called Prevnar.

Clinical trials of Prevnar tested in 38,000 California children produced the following results according to the drug company’s own documentation: children receiving Prevnar with other vaccines had more seizures, more rashes, higher fevers and other side effects than children who received the control vaccine.

Some wonder how these vaccines ever get approval and into the marketplace?

Congressman Dan Burton’s congressional hearings last summer provided some disturbing information that could provide at least some insight on the matter: at least half the members of vaccine committees at both the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the CDC had financial ties to drug companies that are developing different versions of the Rotavirus vaccine. More hearings are scheduled for this spring.