Autism and Vaccines Researcher for CDC, Indicted for Fraud and Money-Laundering
SafeMinds demands long-overdue independent review of vaccine/autism research for data manipulation and conflicts of interest. Vaccine safety remains questionable.
Poul Thorsen, the principal coordinator of multiple studies funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used to deny a vaccine/autism link was indicted on April 13th on 13 counts of fraud and 9 counts of money laundering. The charges relate to funding for work he conducted for the CDC, which claimed to disprove associations between the mercury-based vaccine preservative, thimerosal, and increased rates of autism.
SafeMinds first voiced concerns in 2003 regarding a series of epidemiology studies out of Denmark and under the jurisdiction of Thorsen that provided the basis for the Institute of Medicine's claim that there was no association between thimerosal and autism. That claim has been responsible for the continued unsafe use of mercury in influenza vaccines in the United States and infant vaccines around the world. Continue reading full release.
Hear David Kirby discuss on KOGO radio in San Diego.
Read J.B. Handley's report on Age of Autism.
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Daughter of Journalist Robert MacNeil States that Son Regressed Into Autism After Vaccines
SafeMinds and Alison MacNeil call for immediate, properly-designed and independently-conducted vaccine safety studies in an effort to identify infants at risk for vaccine injury.
 | | Autism Now: Meet Nick, Robert MacNeil's Grandson |
Alison MacNeil issued the following statements today regarding vaccines. MacNeil's family Autism story is running on PBS this week:
"When I vaccinated my son Nick, I did not know vaccine manufacturers are not required to test the safety of vaccines given simultaneously - the outcome remains largely unknown. Many thousands of parents with Autistic children report that, like Nick, their children were progressing normally until they were vaccinated, after which they were never the same again. Following receipt of the DTaP, MMR and Hib at a 15 month doctor's visit, and a loss of skills, Nick was diagnosed with Autism at 21 months. He has since been diagnosed with encephalitis, seizures, inflammation in his gastrointestinal tract, and a mitochondrial disorder."
"In the U.S., we mandate 36 vaccines for 14 diseases by 1st grade. This is the most aggressive vaccine schedule in the world and it is also a grand experiment. Are we trading the elimination of childhood disease for a lifetime of disability? One fifth of all U.S. children take at least one prescription medication today. Children in the U.S. are sicker today than ever before, yet few mainstream doctors dare to ask if there might be a vaccine link. This is hardly surprising, given that over 80% of pediatric revenue is derived from well-baby vaccine visits."
"I have never met a parent willing to sacrifice their child for the good of the herd. The vaccines have become more important than the child. It is time to stop allowing our children to be used as pharmaceutical pincushions. It is time to demand transparency in the tight relationship between pharmaceutical profits and government vaccine mandates."
Read full release.
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SafeMinds Asks Administration to Establish an Autism Task Force with A Sense of Urgency
On Monday April 11th, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) meeting was held in Washington, DC. The meeting featured special presentations and activities to celebrate HHS Autism Awareness Month. Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor for Strategic Engagement to the Senior Advisor, Executive Office of the President, Michael Strautmanis J.D. and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Anand Parekh, M.D. both addressed the committee.
SafeMinds Director and IACC public member Lyn Redwood addressed both representatives from the administration stating that from the public comments she had received from parents, there was an apparent disconnect between the families dealing with autism that had little to celebrate and the administration. She reminded the administration that although millions of dollars was spent over the past decade there was still little knowledge of effective treatments or understanding what is causing this epidemic and what can be done to prevent 1 % U.S. children from being diagnosed with ASD. Redwood asked the administration to establish a task force that really addresses this issue with a sense of urgency, the same type of urgency the administration we put forth toward H1N1 and obesity. Redwood also reminded the administration of President Obama's campaign promise to appoint a Federal ASD coordination to oversee all federal ASD efforts. The coordinator would be tasked with coordinating all federal ASD efforts, to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles that may be delaying implementation of important ASD measures (like wandering and elopement) and to insure that all federal dollars being spent is done in a manner that prioritizes results.
In addition, an Office of National ASD Policy modeled after the current Office of National AIDS Policy under the White House Domestic Policy Council would be a step forward in addressing the urgent and unmet needs of individuals with ASD. Redwood plans to follow-up with the administration regarding her requests at a White House meeting on autism next week.
Watch Lyn's comments at the IACC meeting by clicking below and going to the clip titled "Public Comments Discussion"
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