Autism / Autism Spectrum Support Group

http://www.ajc. com/metro/ content/health/ stories/2008/ 03/06/autism_ 0306
.html
>
> Ga. girl helps link autism to childhood vaccines
>
> By ALISON YOUNG
>
> The Atlanta Journal-Constitutio n
>
> Published on: 03/06/08
>
> In a move autism family advocates call unprecedented, federal health
> officials have concluded that childhood vaccines contributed to
symptoms of
> the disorder in a 9-year-old Georgia girl.
>
> While government officials continue to maintain that vaccines don't
cause
> autism, advocates say the recent settlement of the girl's injury
case in a
> secretive federal vaccine court shows otherwise.
>
> The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has concluded the
family
> of Hannah Poling of Athens is entitled to compensation from a
federal
> vaccine injury fund, according to the text of a court document in
the case.
> The amount of the family's award is still being determined.
>
> The language in the document does not establish a clear-cut vaccine-
autism
> link. But it does say the government concluded that vaccines
aggravated a
> rare underlying metabolic condition that resulted in a brain
disorder "with
> features of autism spectrum disorder."
>
> In an interview Wednesday with The Atlanta Journal-Constitutio n,
Hannah's
> parents, Jon and Terry Poling, said the government's concession in
the case
> will help pay for the numerous therapists and other medical experts
their
> autistic child needs — now and for the rest of her life.
>
> "At least we have some commitment from the government to take care
of
> Hannah when we're gone," said Dr. Jon Poling, a neurologist.
>
> But the case also thrusts the family into a national spotlight in
the
> controversial public debate over whether vaccines have played some
role in
> the growing number of U.S. children diagnosed with autism. Of
particular
> concern to some families is the mercury-based preservative
thimerosal, not
> used in child vaccines (except for some flu shots) since 2 0 01.
>
> Hannah's case was one of three vaccine-court test cases alleging
that
> thimerosal caused the children's autism. The other cases go to
trial in May.
>
> Suspicion of vaccines is fueled in part by vocal advocates —
including
> radio shock jock Don Imus and actress Jenny McCarthy — speaking out
on
> radio and TV shows such as "Oprah" and "Larry King Live."
>
> Even Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain said on the
> campaign trail that "there's strong evidence" that a preservative in
> vaccines is fueling the dramatic rise in autism cases across the
country.
>
> As many as 1 in 150 children in some communities have autism
disorders,
> says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
>
> "We need to recognize this is a national crisis," Jon Poling said.
>
> Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that causes problems with
> communication and the ability to have normal social interactions.
Autism
> and related autism spectrum disorders cover a range of symptoms
that can
> vary from mild to severe. The cause is unknown, but scientists
believe
> genes may play a role.
>
> Pediatricians and public health officials worry that this case may
cause
> fear among some parents and prompt them to refuse to vaccinate their
> children, and put them in real danger from measles, whooping cough
and
> other diseases.
>
> "The risks of diseases are real risks," said Dr. Melinda Wharton,
deputy
> director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory
> Diseases. Numerous large studies don't support a relationship
between
> vaccines and autism, according to the CDC and the Institutes of
Medicine.
>
> The Georgia girl's case – and its implications in the vaccine-
autism debate
> – raise more questions than it answers, experts say.
>
> Some medical experts say it's difficult to fully assess the case
because
> the federal vaccine-court documents are sealed from public view.
>
> "It raised a lot of questions for us," said Dr. David Taylo e Jr.,
> president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The national
medical
> group's leadership has been seeking more information about Hannah's
> vaccine-court case since last week when a sealed vaccine-court
document
> detailing the government's settlement was posted on the Internet by
an
> autism book author, then circulated widely among autism groups.
>
> The pediatrics association has been trying to get access to official
> documents in the case so medical experts can delve into the
science, assess
> whether there are implications for other children and answer
questions from
> doctors and families.
>
> "Our responsibility is to make sure the public is given good
information
> and make sure the hype doesn't distract from public health," Tayloe
said.
> "I still would not think that we're going to have evidence showing
a role
> of vaccines actually causing autism."
>
> According to the leaked document posted online, the government's
Division
> of Vaccine Injury Compensation conc l uded that five shots Hannah
received
> in July 2000, when she was 19 months old, "significantly aggravated
an
> underlying mitochondrial disorder" and resulted in a brain
disorder "with
> features of autism spectrum disorder."
>
> Sallie Bernard, executive director of the national autism advocacy
group
> SafeMinds, called the case "unprecedented" in that a link between
vaccines
> and autism is being made public. Federal health officials "have
insisted
> there is no link at all between vaccines and vaccine components and
autism.
> And apparently that is not true," she said.
>
> The case also is significant because other autistic children have
> mitochondrial disorders, Bernard said. "The question is: What is the
> proportion?"
>
> Robert Krakow, a New York attorney representing other autistic
children in
> vaccine court, said the significance of the case is "potentially
> explosive." He said he has several clients with similar histories.
>
> Hannah requires one-on-one care at all times , said her mother,
Terry
> Poling, a nurse and lawyer. The Polings described how Hannah was a
normal,
> verbal toddler until she received several vaccines during a well-
baby
> visit. Within 48 hours of the shots, she developed a high fever and
> inconsolable crying and refused to walk. She stopped sleeping
through the
> night. At 3 months of age, she began showing signs of autism,
including
> spinning and staring at lights and fans. For a while, she lost her
ability
> to speak.
>
> When Hannah was 6 months old, as the family came to grips with the
> likelihood that she was autistic, they turned to leading experts in
> neurology. "I had to know. My daughter didn't just suddenly develop
autism
> for no reason," Terry Poling said.
>
> Hannah's father co-authored an article about her case, which was
published
> in the Journal of Child Neurology in 2006.
>
> Hannah, who has two older brothers, continues to have mild to
moderate
> symptoms of autism. The family says early and ongoing intensive th
e rapy
> has been critical for her.
>
> "The biggest question right now for the public is: How unique is
Hannah's
> case?" said Jon Poling. Poling said he suspects there are other
children
> like Hannah.
>
> Cliff Shoemaker, the Polings' attorney, said the family has filed a
> petition with the vaccine court to unseal all of Hannah's records
and allow
> both the family and the government to fully discuss the case.
>
> Despite this, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice, which
> reprersents the government in court cases, would not grant
interviews or
> explain to the AJC why it isn't releasing the records. HHS
officials, who
> administer the vaccine compensation fund, also declined to be
interviewed,
> citing the court's confidentiality requirements.
>
> Shoemaker said the government's November concession in the case is
public,
> but the government's reasons aren't. "I'm not aware of any other
conceded
> autism cases," he said.
>
> Congress created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
in 1988
> after widespread lawsuits against manufacturers and health-care
providers
> stemming from reports of side-effects of a version of the
> diphtheria-tetanus- pertussis vaccine used in the 1980s.
>
> With companies getting out of the vaccine business for liability
reasons,
> Congress established the program and a trust fund to serve as a no-
fault
> alternative for resolving certain vaccine injury claims.
>
> The average injury compensation to an individual in vaccine court
has been
> about $1 million. In fiscal year 2007, more than $91 million was
awarded to
> people harmed by vaccines.
Posted on 03/06/08, 09:03 am