All: PLEASE read RFK Jr's article on autism & vaccines

[lostnfound]

Print it, read it, copy it, pass it around.
Sorry if this thread is 'overkill', but the article is so worth reading, very well-written -- and people may pay a little extra attention to it or put trust in it because of who is the author. Especially interesting, and simple to remember, is the paragraph about the Amish, copied below.
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/061605HA.shtml

As the federal government worked to prevent scientists from studying vaccines, others have stepped in to study the link to autism. In April, reporter Dan Olmsted of UPI undertook one of the more interesting studies himself. Searching for children who had not been exposed to mercury in vaccines - the kind of population that scientists typically use as a "control" in experiments - Olmsted scoured the Amish of Lancaster County, Penn., who refuse to immunize their infants. Given the national rate of autism, Olmsted calculated that there should be 130 autistics among the Amish. He found only four. One had been exposed to high levels of mercury from a power plant. The other three - including one child adopted from outside the Amish community - had received their vaccines.

[AuntiBush]

1. Just heard mention of this the other day.

Olmsted... mentioned at JHH. Most interesting post. Thank you. Anything from RFK Jr's articles is worth a read.

[AuntiBush]

2. Right! The Mercury Levels are Very High - Maryland is Ranked 3rd

Like never before and in PA. Another DU'er mentioned this as well last week. I'll forward this. Highly respect Truthout.org. Again, thanks.

From article... "When a study revealed that mercury in childhood vaccines may have caused autism in thousands of kids, the government rushed to conceal the data - and to prevent parents from suing drug companies for their role in the epidemic."

Oh... this is really pathetic. Hope other DU'ers catch this.

"The drug companies are also getting help from powerful lawmakers in Washington. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who has received $873,000 in contributions from the pharmaceutical industry, has been working to immunize vaccine makers from liability in 4,200 lawsuits that have been filed by the parents of injured children. On five separate occasions, Frist has tried to seal all of the government's vaccine-related documents - including the Simpsonwood transcripts - and shield Eli Lilly, the developer of thimerosal, from subpoenas. In 2002, the day after Frist quietly slipped a rider known as the "Eli Lilly Protection Act" into a homeland security bill, the company contributed $10,000 to his campaign and bought 5,000 copies of his book on bioterrorism. Congress repealed the measure in 2003 - but earlier this year, Frist slipped another provision into an anti-terrorism bill that would deny compensation to children suffering from vaccine-related brain disorders. "The lawsuits are of such magnitude that they could put vaccine producers out of business and limit our capacity to deal with a biological attack by terrorists," says Andy Olsen, a legislative assistant to Frist."

[cry baby]

3. kick

[DELUSIONAL]

4. Yes that bit about the Amish really jumped out --

in effect the Amish were the "control" --

I've forwarded this to several people -- so far few have heard about this or they just remember the "official" debunking of the theory about the link by parents of the autistic children.

The FDA works for the drug industry -- well for god/dess sake does anyone in the damned government work for us??? The tax payers?

[KelleyKramer]

5. This was killed by ABC news

You didnt mention it in the original post, so just in case anyone didnt know .. ABC network killed three previously taped interviews with rfk jr.

[kerrygoddess]

6. Just posted a piece on LUTD...

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Exposes Government Cover-up in Childhood Vaccines
19 June 2005



Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! “A Salon/Rolling Stone joint investigation” written by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has revealed new ugly evidence of a cover-up involving a mercury-based preservative, Thimersol, in childhood vaccines. Thimerosal has been linked to “speech delays, attention-deficit disorder, hyperactivity and autism.”

There are no lengths to the things they hide, the dirt they sweep under the rug, the secret meetings, the “embargoed” data…

DEADLY IMMUNITY
When a study revealed that mercury in childhood vaccines may have caused autism in thousands of kids, the government rushed to conceal the data -- and to prevent parents from suing drug companies for their role in the epidemic.

By Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

June 16, 2005 | In June 2000, a group of top government scientists and health officials gathered for a meeting at the isolated Simpsonwood conference center in Norcross, Ga. Convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the meeting was held at this Methodist retreat center, nestled in wooded farmland next to the Chattahoochee River, to ensure complete secrecy. The agency had issued no public announcement of the session -- only private invitations to 52 attendees. There were high-level officials from the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration, the top vaccine specialist from the World Health Organization in Geneva, and representatives of every major vaccine manufacturer, including GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Wyeth and Aventis Pasteur. All of the scientific data under discussion, CDC officials repeatedly reminded the participants, was strictly "embargoed." There would be no making photocopies of documents, no taking papers with them when they left.

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=1106

[mzmolly]

26. THANK YOU!

I am so glad this issue is getting needed attention on the left.

[DemBeans]

7. it's an excellent article

You know, if this is true - and he makes a compelling case that it is - it might finally wake people up from their slumber to the absolute corruption that's directly touching their lives with this unholy alliance of industry and government. You don't fuck with people's kids.

[goclark]

8. How do we get ABC to put him on?

[H2O Man]

9. Also please e-mail the Imus show

and request that he have Robert on his show this week. On Friday, he talked about how cowardly ABC is to have canceled RFK's scheduled appearances on their network. He said he was thinking of having Robert on his show. It would be helpful if people e-mailed the Imus show. Thank you for helping.

[H2O Man]

10. There is another GD thread

by cthrumatrix, "Call Imus on Monday -- request Robert Kennedy Jr..." I included two paragraphs from his latest book, "Crimes Against Nature," that document the corporate media's attempts to silence him. I would hope people "cut & paste" those two paragraphs, found on post #3. Send them to Imus today, at:

[e-mail]

[mzmolly]

25. I have contacted Mr. Imus, thanks for the suggestion H2O

:hi:

[H2O Man]

27. Thank you.

I think that the Imus show will have the guts to let Robert speak his mind. If there is a substantial number of people contacting the show, they will see an opportunity to rub this in ABC's face.

[mzmolly]

32. Thanks for the excellent suggestion.

I wish I were shocked at the actions of ABC, but seeing how this issue has been buried for so long, I can't say that I am.

I am encouraged that discussion is taking place, that articles are being printed and that notable people on both sides of the political isle are taking notice.

[LibertyorDeath]

11. Excellent article I emailed it all over the place.

another good thread on this here


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3877041&mesg_id=3877041

[doni_georgia]

12. Thanks for getting this out there

My nine year old son suffers from autism. He was a perfectly normal thriving child until he was 18 months old. We had postponed his vaccines, but when I returned to work and he had to go to daycare, he had to be vaccinated. After receiving his vaccines, all speech stopped and he disappeared into his own world. Thankfully by the time he was 3 we had learned about the gluten-free casein-free diet and within 2 weeks of taking him off dairy and gluten he started talking again and was potty trained. Today his diagnosis is Asperger's Syndrome (high functioning autism). He still is not typical, but we are thankful for every gain he makes. Still it sickens me and breaks my heart that my son could have been spared this disorder. He is intelligent, talented and loving. There is a chance that he can live a semi-normal life, but I can't help but grieve the life he could have had. We are currently looking for legal advice concerning the malpractice of the pharmaceutical companies, and government.

[H2O Man]

13. Thank you

for sharing your families' experience with us. And I hope you are able to connect with the best attorney possible. (I would think calling Pace U and asking some of RFK's people for suggestions.)

I think it is much more meaningful when a parent like you steps forward. I hope you will e-mail the Imus show and share your message with them, and request they have Robert on.

[doni_georgia]

14. My post from the other discussion on this topic

I posted the following in response to this person who accused those of us who support the efforts of RFK JR of drinking the "antivaccine KoolAide." Hope it is okay for me to post it again here, because this is something so close to my soul that I want others to read it.

I am the mom of an autistic son. My son was developing normally until he received his MMR vaccine at 18 months. After that vaccine my son's speech development STOPPED. Not only did he not start saying any new words, he QUIT talking at all - NOTHING. He no longer said "mama" or "dada" NOTHING. He started flapping his hands and spending long lengths of time lying in the floor staring at the ceiling fan. In other words, he drifted into another world. This child had hit every developmental milestone EARLY prior to this damn vaccine.

Took us two years to get a diagnosis and some help.
Our pediatrician warned us that some would try to convince us that this was connected to vaccines and for us not to believe it (this was in 1998). She also said that some would try to convince us to eliminate wheat and dairy from his diet, and for us not to do that either. Thankfully we didn't listen to our pediatrician. Her mention of these two things was the first I had heard about the vaccine/autism link and the GFCF diet. I then searched for more information on these topics and put my son on a GFCF diet. Within two weeks of taking him off all dairy, he was talking again (not as well as before - but words none the less) and he was potty trained. As the months continued and we gradually eliminated gluten as well as dairy his condition continued to improve. Within a year, his diagnosis had gone from severe autism to high functioning autism. Within two years he had been moved from a self-contained special ed classroom for moderately/severely mentally impaired children to a regular kindergarten class. His diagnosis is now Asperger's Syndrome. He has baffled the doctors who say that one does not outgrow autism and one cannot be cured. His original prospects were that he would be unable to communicate and take care of himself. Today he is a straight A student with many friends although he is odd and different and will always be that way. We have tried many of the off-the-wall treatments that Quack Watch warns against, but the result was WE HAVE OUR SON BACK! Still he will never fully recover to the boy he should have been.

Do I believe mercury in vaccines are responsible for my son's condition? You bet your ass. Why? Because I know what he was like before vaccines and what he was like after. Do I believe eliminating gluten and casein from his diet controlls his condition? Absolutely, because I see what happens to him if he gets so much as a crumb of bread (eyes dilate, he becomes agressive and uncommunicative). All of the experts can argue all they want, but I live with this every day as do some many others. You want an expert? Ask the parents who live with this day in and day out. We're the experts.

[H2O Man]

16. If you do not mind

I would like your permission to forward that to Robert.

[doni_georgia]

Absolutely - Please do

It's not about me or even my son. It's about stopping this preventable epidemic.

[H2O Man]

18. Thank you.

It's about people. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters. Grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. So I think that it is in large part about your family; but more, you are articulate, and are able to speak about this topic very well.

Thank you.

[doni_georgia]

17. Duplicate self delete

Damn mouse keeps sticking

[mzmolly]

35. It's wonderful your son has a parent who thinks for herself.

Thanks for sharing your story.

[doni_georgia]

41. Just glad to have the opportunity to share

There are plenty of nay sayers in the medical community, but there are those who believe strongly in the mercury/autism link. This professionals joined together to create the DAN (Defeat Autism Now) protocol for treatment. We don't have a DAN doctor on our insurance, so we haven't been able to go to a doctor who is on board, that's why we have had to strike out on our own. Look at the history of other substances which were once accepted as safe which have since been banned. The list is a long one. Just was listening to a show on Mother Jones radio about anti-depressants and suicide link. Seems the conventional wisdom these days is consider something safe until absolutely proven otherwise. I'm sorry, but where my kids are concerned I would rather take the opposite stance - consider harmful until proven otherwise.

[mzmolly]

43. Agreed.

My daughter has Tourette Synrdome and I recently discovered that the Postpartum MMR vaccine I had may have played a role? I guess the "live" vaccine is what might be an issue?

.....ABSTRACT..... Cytokines are released in response to vaccination (i) as part of the processes by which vaccinations induce antibody formation, and (ii) as indicated by the occurrence of fever and, in many children, lethargic behavior. The cytokines so released are causally associated with two other processes: (i) edema within the cns, and (ii) clonal expansions of T-cell and B-cell subsets already activated by specific antigens from recent processes within the central nervous system (cns). Of significance to autism, OCD, Tourette's, ADHD, etc, is that some T-cells and B-cells in peripheral circulation may be encoded with neuron-derived epitopes (NdEs) subsequent to various infections and/or various treatments with antibiotics. In children having such NdE-encoded T-cells, B-cells, and antibodies, vaccination-induced clonal expansions of those T-cells and B-cells may, in some cases, initiate further neuronal damage. In other words, brain regions whose pre-vaccination neuronal damage had been relatively insignificant may, via vaccination-induced clonal expansions, suffer additional damage. The sequence is as follows: individuals primed with NdE-encoded immunological cells may, given cytokines-release induced by one or more vaccinations, experience clonal expansions of those T-cells and B-cells, which can re-cross the bbb into the brain and then induce additional damage, ie, resulting in vaccination-enhanced neuropathy presenting clinically as autism, tics, Tourette's syndrome, OCD, ADHD,

Interestingly enough ADHD, OCD, TICS, AND TOURETTE, are all considered related genetic issues. I find it interesting that they are all noted here as possible outcomes of this reaction. I think vaccination may be one possible biological trigger if one has a predisposition to autism or X ?

My daughter has not been vaccinated since she exited the womb as I felt that it was a questionable practice. But, I didn't consider it at all while I was pregnant. :(

[earth mom]

20. Yes...some of these kids will recover-some will never ever be the same...

It is SICKENING what these bastards did to BABIES and then how they turned their backs on them and their families! :puke: I hope they all burn in hell!

FYI-There are class action lawsuits in the works against the pharma giants-see if you can become part of one. Yahoo groups has over a thousand Autism Groups-some with hundreds and some with thousands of members who might be able to connect you with the proper legal representation in your state. Good Luck! :)

http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=autism&submit=Search

[doni_georgia]

21. Thanks

We are in the process of getting legal counsel on joining one of the class action suits. Money can never makeup for what we have lost, but maybe if enough lawsuits are filed the truth will finally come out. I know what worked for our son will not work for every child. My son didn't get any vaccines until 18 months, so he wasn't damaged as early as so many. What kills me are the ones who still take thier kids for mercury-laced booster shots and who poo-poo trying dietary interventions. If swimming from Manhattan to New Jersey ass naked in the Hudson River would help my son, I'd do it.

[earth mom]

22. I hear ya-I'd do the same for my son!

I'm sending you a PM.

[lostnfound]

56. Equally sickening: burying the issue prevents possibility of treatment

for hundreds of thousands of kids who might benefit.

Assuming that the link is real:
It's an unimaginable injustice that so many more kids were hurt than would have been if thimerosol had been banned from vaccines years ago.

What's equally unimaginable, perhaps many of these kids could be helped towards more normal lives if the government was doing something about it.

And the whole burden falls on the parents.

[doni_georgia]

15. kick - please contact Imus

:kick:

[doni_georgia]

19. Kick from Doni's husband and Damon's dad NT

[doni_georgia]

23. Please visit this blog for other stories of families living with autism

http://www.walkingwithalec.com/

:kick:

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. My cousin is a doctor

Her sister and brother are both attorneys. Their sister in law is a pediatric nurse. I am a special ed teacher. My bro in law's aunt is a professor of special ed.

Last time I saw them a few months ago I mentioned this to them. Saw them all again last night at my nephew's wedding and we had a long discussion.

The consensus among this varied group of professionals is that while there are anecdotal stories from parents who blame the vaccine for their child's autism, there is no scientific research to support a connection. My cousin the doctor said the latest research indicates a genetic marker may be responsible. The reason the autism hits after the vaccine is because that is the age in which it usually first appears as a concern. The nurse in our group said she is personally aware of kids who have not been vaccinated but have autism.

The attorneys said there is a rather significant amount of research in the legal community. IF there is a connection between vaccines and autism, there is a huge amount of money to be made by attorneys suing drug makers. So it would benefit attorneys to be able to connect the vaccine to autism.

Everyone in our group is a Democrat. We all hate * and would LOVE to blame a cover up of this on him. But so far, the evidence is just NOT there. This is also a world wide issue. Researchers outside of the US are also looking for a reason for the increase in autism. So we may not find the answer here, but * and his admin, who we all agreed are in bed with the drug companies, will NOT be able to cover this up if and when the answer is found in a research lab.

[mzmolly]

30. Have you read the article?

Most Science is bought and paid for by someone benefiting from the promotion of a drug.

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. Yes we ALL read the article.

I printed out copies to take to my family. A couple of them had already seen it. Two of us are DU members and most of the rest are lurkers.

Like I said, we are all very interested in this topic and have a wide professional background to draw from.

And I disagree strongly about drug makers buying MOST science. For nearly 20 years, I have been a regular research addict in my field. Most of the credible research in special ed is coming out of universities. The researchers I know and respect would NEVER let a drug company (or anyone for that matter) pay for research to come out a certain way to benefit a party. That is incredibly unethical in my field.

[mzmolly]

37. I am glad you all read the article.

Here is more food for thought:

http://www.psljournal.com/archives/newsedit/gross.cfm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,3604,1155249,00.html

http://www.vidyya.com/vol6/v6i48_7.htm

http://www.ahrp.org/infomail/04/05/18.php

I think there are too many conflicts of interest personally. I also think that science and scientists that question popular vaccination dogma are run shunned and pay a very dear price for doing so.

I have three friends in the medical community who are now active in the Vaccination information movement in my state. I know most docs/nurses feel that vaccination is safe, however there are some who question.

[proud2BlibKansan]

46. Thanks for the links

I will pass them along.

[mzmolly]

51. Thanks for being so polite and open minded.

;)

[proud2BlibKansan]

54. You are welcome

I really want to find the answer here. If we can find the cause, that may lead to a cure. We just need to make sure it is rock solid reliable science. And unfortunately, to convince most professionals, it will probably need to be published in the NY Times, not just Salon or Mother Jones.

[Junkdrawer]

38. Here's the Simpsonwood Transcript (the embargoed report is at the end)...

The report starts at page 260 of the transcript.

http://www.safeminds.org/legislation/foia/Simpsonwood_Transcript.pdf

[proud2BlibKansan]

47. Thank you

[stickdog]

55. Sorry, but establishment science is the same as establishment media or

establishment anything else.

If you spin back the clock a few years the same sort of discussion could have applied to asbestos, tobacco, CDCs & the ozone layer, Gulf War Syndrome or global warming. Even A-bomb radiation sickness was denied by "scientific research" for several years after we clobbered Japan.

We don't know for SURE that mercury-laced vaccines cause autism, but we do know that vaccinations and autism are correlated and that mercury is highly toxic. We also know that the CDC has gone out of its way to suppress evidence of this correlation. We also know that the MAJORITY of the experts who mandate and certify vaccinations are on big pharma's payroll.

What we don't know is what a highly toxic poison is doing in mandated infant and toddler vaccines.

[proud2BlibKansan]

59. Very true

But without the science to back it up, the MSM won't touch it. And until that happens, a lot of people are in the dark. As much as we complain about the MSM, we need them when problems like this arise.

[mzmolly]

28. EVERYONE SHOULD RECOMMEND THIS THREAD!

I know I did.

Thanks for the link to the T/O article.

[Nothing Without Hope]

29. RFK Jr's info on the thimerosol/autism link was SUPPRESSED by ABC:

This is a good thread with excellent links in the replies as well as the OP:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1555022
Thread title: ABC Bosses Tell ABC News Kill The Interviews With Robert Kennedy Jr. …

[BlueStateModerate]

31. The power of vaccines is scary.

If something like this, possibly even more serious, got into the system, the consequences could be catastrophic. A dishonest ruler could hypothetically vaccinate his entire population to be more submissive, more warlike, etc.

I don't think I'm ever going to get another shot... it's worth risking tetanus.

[mzmolly]

34. Welcome to DU.

:hi:

[Junkdrawer]

36. It's not the vaccine, but its preservative that's at issue.

And the preservative seems to have been added to cut costs and increase drug company revenues.

Vaccines in "single use", non-preserved vials are safe. Vaccines in "multiple use", thimerosal preserved vials are not safe.

[mzmolly]

39. Depends upon the vaccine.

This is ONE questionable issue surrounding vaccination "science." But, you are correct, the article sticks to the issue Thimerosal.

For the record however, I don't personally fear being injected with mind control vaccines. ;)

[Junkdrawer]

40. Mzmolly, I've noticed a considerable effort to change the..

"Why the fuck do we have Thimerosal in infant vaccines?" subject into a "Well vaccines save lives, why do you oppose vaccines?" discussion. If I simplify my responses, it's to fight this bit of sophistry.

[mzmolly]

42. Gotcha.

:hi:

And, I understand fully!

[Wow]

44. But the power of the disease is also scary

We live in a generation that has rarely seen the types of diseases we are vaccinating for. The diseases still exist and are still out there, but unlike the generations before us who had friends and family sicken and die from these things, we have never felt their wrath. It is an odd bind: we don't want to go back to losing people to things we could prevent by vaccination, but we need to know that the manufacturers of vaccines and the doctors administering them are making the best and safest choices, and are being provided with all the honest information they need to decide and inform individuals.

[proud2BlibKansan]

49. Thank you

I am so afraid this part of the message is getting lost in the fear of the vaccines.

[Feron]

45. Take the article with a lot of salt

First, autism was not unknown before 1943. 1943 was the year Leo Kanner wrote his paper on the subject. According to the National Alliance for Autism Research, papers describing the condition go back to the 18th century. http://www.naar.org/aboutaut/whatis_hist.htm

Secondly, science is discovering more and more that autism is caused by genetics. The brains of autistic individuals are physically different than that of "normal" people. And furthermore, there is talk of a prenatal test in the future to screen for autism. The Amish may not carry the gene(s) needed for the development of autism whereas the rest of us do.

Finally, correlation does not equal causation. Just because there is a relationship does not mean that one thing caused the other. While i don't trust pharmacutical companies or the goverment, i'm certainly not going to trust a writer who can't get simple facts straight either.

Ancedotes != Data. I don't think that mercury is a good thing to inject ,but i also don't think that it is the big bad that is causing autism either. This article is so skewed that if you knew nothing about the debate, you would assume that every case was caused by a jab. Honestly, the article sounds a solicitation for a lawsuit or maybe i'm overly cynical.

[Junkdrawer]

50. Drugs are routinely approved or rejected by the FDA based on...

a fairly sketchy theory about how the drug should fight the disease and then statistical studies of trials that prove or disprove said theory.

That's how it is with complex biological systems. Straight forward causal relationships are rare.

And in this case, parents and infants were unknowingly enrolled in one of the largest drug trials of all time. Only this time, healthy children were being tested to see if drug companies and/or insurance companies could save a few pennies by distributing the vaccine in multi-use vials vs. single use vials.

Piss poor cost/benefit if you ask me.

[alarimer]

52. Thank you for injecting some sense

I thought this was debunked a long time ago but due to scientific illiteracy it lives on. Mercury has been removed from most vaccines already, yet the rate of autism has not gone down.

[Junkdrawer]

53. The FOIA release of the Simpsonwood report is the news here...

Read it for yourself:

http://www.safeminds.org/legislation/foia/Simpsonwood_Transcript.pdf

I'm sure of one thing: both sides of the issue will dissect this report in the coming months.

Oh, I would have thought that thimerosal would have been banned by now. But apparently that's not the case.

[stickdog]

57. Mercury has NOT been removed from ANY multiuse vaccines!

Furthermore, big pharma has just BEGUN to OFFER mercury-free versions of MANY mandated vaccinations.

In addition, the CDC won't even release the information scientists need to prove or disprove the mercury/autism correlation. Finally, even if the mercury preservative is not causative, that doesn't rule out the huge increase in mandated vaccines as a possible cause.

[BamaBecky]

48. What do we know about over the counter meds?

any information on that?

:shrug:

[Rich Hunt]

58. I'm skeptical of official theories of autism

I'm open to any scientific explanations, but has it occurred to anyone that autism coincided with the proliferation of language through mass media? Just an interesting thought.

The theory based on the Amish is interesting, but what other factors set these children apart from the others?

[Junkdrawer]

60. .

[Nothing Without Hope]

61. TWO RELATED THREADS:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1555022
Thread title: "ABC Bosses Tell ABC News Kill The Interviews With Robert Kennedy Jr. …"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3902152#3910101
Thread title: “Why aren't Dem. Leaders "helping Robert Kennedy Jr" - CDC Cover -up !”