Fwd: Part 1 - REGRESSIVE AUTISM AND MMR VACCINATION

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Sat, 1 Nov 2003 05:03:59 -0800

EXTRA! SUPPLEMENT, NOV.1, BREAKING NEWS FROM REDFLAGSDAILY

" Nicholas Regush "

 

Special Extra! Supplement

 

November 1, 2003

 

Yesterday, a scientific controversy concerning the MMR (measles, mumps,

rubella) vaccine broke out in the UK and then in the U.S. The link between

this vaccine and autism has been debated for many months.

 

Dr. Edward Yazbak, a well-known pediatrician, and a RFD columnist, had

prepared a major piece on the MMR and autism for the online Autism

Conference, scheduled to begin at RFD on November 3.

 

We decided to publish this extraordinary investigation by Dr. Yazbak

without delay. It is now posted on the home page at RFD. Everyone

interested in vaccines, the practice of medicine and the manner in which

the Medical Establishment conducts itself should read this entire piece.

It is one of the strongest publications ever at RFD. We strongly recommend

it.

 

http://www.redflagsdaily.com

 

You can also read yesterday's news backround on the MMR controversy in the

FLASH! news section on the RFD home page.

 

Best,

Nicholas Regush

Editor,

Redflagsdaily.com

---

http://www.redflagsweekly.com/yazbak/2003_nov01_1.html

 

 

REGRESSIVE AUTISM AND MMR VACCINATION

 

By RFD Columnist, F. Edward Yazbak, MD, FAAP.

 

TL Autism Research

Falmouth, Massachusetts

 

E-mail: tlautstudy

 

Autism, as an entity, was unknown before the early 1940s when it simply appeared

in small numbers. A steep increase in its prevalence was noted in the United

States starting in the late 70s and in the United Kingdom after 1988 following

the extensive use of the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine in both

countries. The vaccine authorities in both countries are convinced that there is

no connection between MMR vaccination and autism.

 

A new clinical picture also started to emerge around the same period. While

earlier, symptoms of autism were noticed shortly after birth, “He was born

autistic”, lately many of the affected children are healthy and developmentally

normal in the first 12 to 15 months of life. Sometime between 15 and 18 months

of age, they suddenly stop acquiring new skills and then start regressing,

losing speech and social dexterity. At the same time, neurological, immune and

gastro-intestinal symptoms appear: some children develop seizures, some have

recurrent infections and are prescribed repeated courses of antibiotics and some

start with peculiar eating habits and severe diarrhea, obstinate constipation or

a combination of both. Most affected children today are not simply “autistic”, a

psychiatric behavioral description. They suffer from a multi-system medical

syndrome, called Regressive Autism. They do not require psychiatric care and

medication only; they need medical treatment, dietary

intervention and the close attention of a multidisciplinary team of therapists.

The parents must be taught how to cope with aberrant behavior but they also need

advice on diet, supplements, detoxification, management of obstipation, control

of recurrent infections and development of education plans.

 

Relatively more affected children now have IQs above 70, respond to dietary

restrictions, improve with Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and can be

gradually mainstreamed. This recent more frequent clinical picture and the fact

that in many cases some symptoms can be improved and behavior controlled, seem

to support the parents’ conviction that their children were normal for months,

that they had acquired skills and that, with help, some of those skills can be

retrieved, at least partially. As far as many parents are concerned, the timing

of the behavioral, speech and cognitive changes appeared to follow the first

dose of MMR.

 

Some parents have also reported that their children, after improving on special

diets, supplements and behavioral therapy, regressed a second time around the

age of 5 years shortly after receiving their MMR booster. Such double-hit

situation (challenge-rechallenge) has been accepted in courts and by a committee

of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) as proof of causation.

 

The vaccine authorities do not know what causes autism but they are certain that

the administration of the MMR vaccine is NOT responsible for Regressive Autism

and are convinced that any “temporal association” between the two is simply a

coincidence “because autism usually occurs at about the age of 18 months”,

shortly after the administration of the MMR vaccine.

 

Bernard Rimland, Ph.D., Founder of the Autism Society of America and

Founder/President of the Autism Research Institute (ARI) in San Diego,

disagrees:

 

“Late onset autism, (starting in the 2nd year), was almost unheard of in the

‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s; today such cases outnumber early onset cases 5 to 1”.

 

Dr. Rimland bases his statement on information derived from the Autism Research

Institute’s huge database, the largest nationwide.

 

In a large study in South London, 4 out of 5 children subsequently-diagnosed as

having an autistic disorder appeared normal at 18 months, exhibiting good eye

contact, fantasy play and pointing.

 

In a 1998 Italian study by De Giacomo and Fombonne “The mean age of children was

19.1 months when the parents first became concerned, and the first professional

advice was sought when children were 24.1 months”

 

Obviously, no one believes that the increase in the prevalence of autism is only

due to MMR or other vaccinations. The present dramatic rise in the number of

cases, described by Dr. Rimland as an explosion and by others as an epidemic, is

due to many causes. Some are genetic but in all likelihood, the majority will be

proven to be environmental. Genetic illnesses simply do not present as

epidemics.

 

Thimerosal, a mercury derivative added to vaccines since the late 30’s to assure

sterility, has been also suspected by a well-informed group of parents and by

experts in the field, of causing some cases of autism. The fact that the number

of cases of regressive autism still continued to rise rapidly in the 90’s, after

MMR vaccination rates had been consistently high for several years, seems to

support this theory.

 

The vaccine authorities have also ruled out such a connection.

 

The possibility that a child, often a boy, who has a genetic predisposition to

immune disorders, may be first affected by mercury [in the vaccines administered

from birth to his first birthday] and then succumb after receiving 3 or more

live virus vaccines and several other antigens on the same day at a vulnerable

age, has never been ruled out conclusively, by reliable unbiased clinical

studies.

 

Mercury has been reportedly removed from pediatric vaccines. Hopefully, the

vaccine manufacturers will be able to assure sterility without injecting a known

poison into newborns and little infants. If not, they can always shift to

manufacturing single dose vaccines and increase their profits. The fact that

mercury was added to injected pediatric vaccines in the 30s to assure sterility

is hard to believe. That this practice was never reviewed in 75 years is

incredible.

 

Historical Review

 

Measles

 

CDC data show that about 300,000 to 400,000 cases of measles were reported

yearly between 1950 and 1960. Epidemics occurred every 2 to 3 years. The worse

year of that decade was 1958 with 763,094 cases of measles and 552 deaths. In

1962, there were 481,530 cases of measles and 408 deaths. According to the CDC

“Following licensure of vaccine in 1963, the incidence of measles decreased by

more than 98%, and 2-3 year epidemic cycles no longer occurred.” In 1970, there

were 47,351 cases of measles and 89 deaths nationwide. The MMR vaccine was

licensed in 1971, and the incidence of measles continued to decrease. In 1978,

there were 26,871 cases of measles and 11 deaths.

 

Nationwide, the number of cases of measles dropped by 90% between 1962 and 1970

compared to 43% between 1970 and 1978 [one year before to 7 years after the

introduction of each vaccine]. Because many US physicians kept using the

monovalent vaccine exclusively even after the MMR vaccine was introduced (See

below); the decrease in the number of cases of measles after 1971 may not be

solely due to the triple vaccine. Clearly the monovalent vaccine worked well

and the MMR vaccine was never “better” in controlling measles.

 

Measles mortality in the United States decreased before the introduction of both

the monovalent and the trivalent vaccines, because of improved health and better

nutrition, hygiene and medical care. (Table I)

 

Table I Measles Mortality in the United States

 

Population (,000)

 

Cases

 

Deaths

 

Death rate

 

1912

 

95,331

 

155,798

 

3,974

 

4.2

 

1920

 

106,466

 

465,048

 

7,600

 

7.1

 

1930

 

123,077

 

419,465

 

3,783

 

3.0

 

1940

 

131,954

 

291,162

 

706

 

0,5

 

1950

 

150697

 

319,124

 

468

 

0.3

 

1960

 

179,323

 

441,703

 

380

 

0.2

 

Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Although the incidence of measles remained relatively constant and fluctuated

with epidemics during the 50 years before measles vaccination, the number of

deaths decreased dramatically for other reasons.

 

The monovalent mumps vaccine was introduced in 1967 and the rubella vaccine in

1969. The incidence of both diseases also declined remarkably.

 

The Measles and MMR vaccines

 

As mentioned, the MMR vaccine became available in 1971-72. In the United States,

it has always contained the exact same three “monovalent” vaccines marketed

individually as Attenuvax (measles), Mumpsvax (mumps) and Meruvax (rubella).

When the new MeruvaxII was introduced, the triple vaccine became the MMRII. The

vaccine manufacturer’s greatest concern was that the live virus vaccines would

interfere with each other when combined. Much time was spent to prove that they

did not. The data quoted by the manufacturer suggest that the MMR vaccine is

almost as effective as its components and that the “slightly better statistics”

of the single vaccines should not be too significant. The efficacy requirement

for licensure was thus fulfilled.

 

The monovalent measles vaccine is still used in major vaccination programs in

third world countries where measles mortality rate remains very high because of

malnutrition.

 

The safety studies on the MMR vaccine on the other hand were short and

inadequate. The relatively few and limited follow-ups lasted 3 to 4 weeks on

average with only 2 extending to 8 weeks. Chronic or long-term adverse events

were never investigated or looked for. The difficulties the children are facing

today may have been due to the fact that in the late sixties, “vaccinology” as a

science was much more advanced than immunology. Jenner inoculated Phipps with

cowpox in 1796 and called the procedure vaccination from “vacca”, Latin for cow.

Lately the more glamorous term “immunization” has been used more frequently,

more to intimate that the vaccination results in immunity than to get rid of the

bovine connection. In fact, vaccination is a more accurate term. Not all

“immunizations” produce immunity every time.

 

Anyway, no one really knew in 1971 what happened to the immune system of a

susceptible child in response to the simultaneous injection of three live

viruses. In fact, it is safe to say that no one, to this day, knows for sure.

 

The fact is that older pediatricians [this one included] always noticed that

children were very sick when they had two (or three) infectious diseases at the

same time. They were therefore rightly concerned about administering three live

virus vaccines, even if they had been “attenuated”, to a small child with a

still immature immune system.

 

The immune assault (and the response) to natural disease and live viral

vaccination are different. With the natural disease, the virus invades the

respiratory tract where the lymphoid barrier softens the impact. Injected

vaccines short-circuit the process, bypass the respiratory defenses, and

introduce the live viruses directly and precipitously “into the system”, leading

to a sudden unexpected immune stress and, in some cases the formation of

auto-antibodies, antibodies against one’s self. This is the reason why several

teams of researchers have been working furtively to develop an intra-nasal

measles vaccine, which will mimic the clinical disease, and avoid the immune

stress of the injected vaccine. One must wonder why the launching of this

vaccine is taking so long! It would certainly make thousands of parents and

doctors happy.

 

Many US pediatricians, who had been impressed with the performance of the single

vaccines and who were concerned about increased reactions with the MMR, were

slow to endorse it at first. In those years, the American Academy of Pediatrics

recommended many “preventive” office visits and the administration of the

measles vaccine at 15 months, the rubella vaccine at 21 months and the mumps

vaccine at 24 months made a lot of sense. The monovalent vaccines were also well

accepted by parents. Indeed, those of us practicing then noticed that parents

rarely missed a visit in which a vaccination was scheduled.

 

In the late 70’s things changed.

 

§ HMOs decided to cut down (out) the number of “regular check-ups”

 

§ They also decided that they would not pay the nominal fees

($1-3.00/injection) they were paying for the administration of each of the 3

vaccines when ONE vaccine containing all 3, was available.

 

§ The State Health Departments, which in an effort to improve vaccination

rates had started providing vaccines, free of charge, to the pediatricians and

well-baby clinics, opted for the triple vaccine to save on personnel and

refrigerated space.

 

The pediatricians capitulated and the MMR vaccine became widely, and almost

exclusively used in the United States. In 1988, as mentioned previously, the MMR

vaccine was introduced in the United Kingdom in the midst of a highly publicized

national vaccination campaign, and the use of the single measles, rubella and

mumps vaccine in children was curtailed.

 

In 2001, Wakefield and Montgomery published “Measles, mumps and rubella vaccine:

through a glass, darkly”, (1) in which they reported that:

 

§ Pre-licensing trials of the MMR vaccine revealed gastrointestinal events

that persisted to the end of the trial period in significant numbers of children

from developed countries. Despite this, the follow up period for subsequent

trials was reduced from 28 days to 21 days.

 

§ The decision to combine the three vaccines in one (undoubtedly atypical)

exposure was taken without specific consideration of the known associations

between concurrent exposures to common childhood infections and later

consequences.

 

The authors pointed out that: “… in the context of MMR, one plus one plus one

never did equal three.”

 

In the same issue of Adverse Drug Reactions and Toxicological (ADRT) Reviews,

where the report appeared, the Editor endorsed Wakefield’s findings and Dr.

Peter Fletcher, formerly the British counterpart of the FDA director, stated:

" the granting of a product license was premature”.

 

As a courtesy, Dr. Wakefield had notified the health authorities several months

in advance of the publication. When an attempt to coerce the editor not to

publish the article failed, the vaccine authorities and Wakefield’s opponents

came out “en masse” against the report. Professor Walter O. Spitzer, Emeritus

Professor of Epidemiology at McGill University (2) commented comprehensibly on

the controversy in the following issue of ADRT Reviews, which also contained my

comments on the unexplained increasing incidence of autism (3)

 

Originally the MMR vaccine was administered alone at 15 months and only if the

child was in good health. This has changed and the vaccine is now given as early

as 12 months of age, often with the last dose of HIB (Haemophylus Influenzae B)

vaccine, the third dose of hepatitis B vaccine and the live chicken pox vaccine,

even if the child is sick and/or on antibiotics “as long as he does not have a

high fever”.

 

There is no reasonable medical justification for such an overload of immune

stresses at such a vulnerable age, now that the risk of contracting those

diseases is nil or very low. Pressure from the vaccine authorities to continue

this practice is illogical. Pressure from the HMOs in order to protect the

bottom line is immoral

 

The Incidence of Autism

 

In all likelihood the most accurate figures on autism in the pediatric age group

are derived from statistics obtained from the special education departments in

the different school systems. These are usually reported to the Department of

Education (DOE) in each state and forwarded to the US DOE. Each year, a

comprehensive report is sent to the US Congress in compliance with IDEA, the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This act was signed into law in

1975 to ensure equal educational opportunities for children with disabilities.

State and local education districts must provide a " free appropriate public

education, " based upon an " individualized education program " (IEP) geared to

each student's needs. Earlier, autism was included in the larger group of

Developmental Disabilities. As the number of cases of autism increased, a

decision was made to list autism as a separate entity starting with the

1991-1992 school year. Services are provided to individuals with disabilities

till

their 21st birthday. The increase in autism among children and young adults,

ages 6 to 21 in US schools is evident in Graph I.

 

 

 

Graph I Cases of autism in US Schools, Ages

6-21

 

Source: U.S. DOE, Office of Special Education Programs,

Data Analysis System

 

In 1991-1992, there were 5,415 students with autism ages 6-21 in US schools. In

the latest just released report for 2002-2003, there are now 118, 602 students

with autism, in that same age group. (4) There was a 21.2% increase in the

number of affected children since the previous report.

 

These figures do not include diagnosed children aged 2 to 6 years.

 

Diagnostic criteria and in all probability, the majority of the teams, medical

and educational, making and approving the diagnosis, have not changed since 1994

and the introduction of the more stringent and restrictive criteria of DSM IV

[Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition, American Psychiatric

Association.]

 

The increases in autism and all disabilities since 1994, in children 6 to 21 in

US schools, are shown in Table II.

 

Table II Number of Children Ages 6-21 Served under IDEA

 

1994-1995

 

2002-2003

 

% Increase

 

All Disabilities

 

4,915,168

 

5,946,202

 

21

 

Autism

 

22,780

 

118,602

 

420

 

Source U.S. DOE, Office of Special Education Programs, Data

Analysis System

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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