ADDED ATTACHMENTS - MMR, Autism and Thanksgiving by Dr. Yazbak

[Guest guest]

http://www.redflagsdaily.com/yazbak/2005_dec02.html

Dr. Yazbak, a pediatrician, now devotes his time to the research of

autoimmune regressive autism and vaccine injury.

MMR, Autism and Thanksgiving

By Red Flags Columnist, F. Yazbak, MD, FAAP

(tlautstudy@...)

The day before Thanksgiving, the U.S. Department of Education released its

28th annual report to Congress. It revealed, as usual, a sustained increase

in autism and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) in the United States. (1,

2) In the school year 2004-2005, there were 25,902 children with autism

aged three to five, enrolled in preschool programs in the 50 states, the

District of Columbia and Puerto Rico - and 166,302 students aged six to 21.

Between 1991, the first year autism was listed separately, and the present,

the total number of children serviced under the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) increased 3,449 percent - from 5,415 to

192,204.

Some researchers, many with PhDs, still believe that autism has not

increased and that the present situation is a mirage due to better

detection. They apparently believe that the diagnosis of autism was

routinely missed years ago and that we have recently acquired superior

abilities. Obviously these " experts " have not cared to tell us yet how

come, now that we are so much better at diagnosis, we are not finding the

thousands of old autistics that were missed 20 or 30 years ago. Some have

even asserted that the children diagnosed with autism/ASD and receiving

services in U.S. schools in compliance with IDEA do not really have autism

and that the local school boards are providing services needlessly.

At a congressional hearing on April 6, 2000, Bernard Rimland, PhD, who

founded the Autism Society of America in 1965 and the Autism Research

Institute (ARI) two years later, stated, " Autism starting at 18 months rose

very sharply in the mid-1980s, when the MMR vaccine came into wide use. " (3)

In a later statement (July 14, 2003), Rimland remarked, " 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, the increase

paralleling the increase in required vaccines. " Rimland should know. His

extensive database at ARI, continually updated for four decades, is the

largest in the U.S. today. (4) In spite of all that, many continue to

believe that the present epidemic is purely genetic.

Thanksgiving 2005 and my three friends

While most Americans last week were discussing the weight of the turkeys

they cooked and the number of pies they baked, many others were trying to

survive the holiday and cope with a child with autism.

Three friends of mine in New Jersey, Chicago and Arizona will not have fond

memories of this Thanksgiving " holiday. "

My New Jersey friend and his wife traveled to Delaware on Nov. 22 to bring

their 20-year-old, 6'2 " , 170-pound, very strong son with severe autism,

home for the holiday from the residential school where he lives. He had not

been home since his birthday on Jan. 17. On the way back, on a cold, rainy

and dreary night, a simple flat tire turned the family's trip into a

hellish nightmare on the New Jersey Turnpike. Dad had to pull over and call

for help. The young man, unable to comprehend why their van (with its

autism awareness magnetic sticker) was stopped, while hundreds of cars and

huge noisy trucks zipped by at high speed, decided to have a major and

violent meltdown. With his mother sitting beside him, trying to calm him

down, he started biting, head-butting, kicking, scratching and pulling her

hair.

The following day, my friend in Chicago, who weighs about 105 pounds

noticed that her 11-year-old son, who weighs five pounds more, was having a

pre-convulsive aura, while standing in the tub getting ready to take a

shower. She was able to control his fall so he did not hit his head on the

edge of the tub, but then stood helplessly watching him in a major grand

mal seizure - hoping and praying that it would stop.

By coincidence, a third friend in Arizona called me the same day, concerned

because months had passed and her daughter's fractured leg bone had not

healed. This only child, who was 11 in August, has severe regressive autism

with major gastrointestinal and joint difficulties. She had sustained an

open fracture of her leg after falling during a convulsive seizure, her

bones having been weakened by the corticosteroids (steroid osteopenia) she

needed for her swollen painful joints.

The MMR vaccine and my three friends

These three children and their mothers have much in common. The children

had developed normally in the first year of life and suddenly stopped

acquiring speech and social skills after they received their MMR

vaccination. They later regressed into typical and severe autism and their

regression was well documented. They also all had thorough and

comprehensive workups in top-notch medical facilities.

All three mothers had received either a rubella vaccine or an MMR vaccine

booster as adults, two of them during the postpartum period.

The young man from New Jersey has had two endoscopies/colonoscopies (New

Jersey and New York) with documented colon findings similar to those

described by Wakefield, the physician who first suggested, in 1998,

a link between MMR, autism and bowel disease.

Unfortunately, the 20-year-old's tissue sample was not satisfactory when it

reached the special study laboratory in Dublin. He had abnormal immune

studies and tested positive for myelin basic protein autoantibodies. His

serum measles antibody titer was the highest ever recorded in one of the

two reputed research laboratories where it was tested.

The boy from Chicago had his endoscopy-colonoscopy at the Royal Free

Hospital in London, where typical findings of autistic entero-colitis were

documented with evidence of measles virus genomic RNA in the gut wall.

Later in the United States, examination of his cerebrospinal fluid also

revealed the presence of measles virus genomic RNA. In 2004, he needed a

repeat endoscopy, which revealed extensive esophageal pathology with

ulcerations and he was started on 6-MP. His associated seizures have been

difficult to control in spite of large doses of anti-epileptic medications.

A MRI of the brain has been scheduled.

The 11-year-old girl from Arizona had her endoscopy and colonoscopy in New

York and is known to have a severely ulcerated esophagus, in addition to

entero-colitis with aphthous ulceration. Her intestinal biopsy was positive

for measles virus genomic RNA. She has IBD-associated arthritis (with

hind-foot deformities) and uveitis. A year ago, she developed a severe

pancreatitis and started having seizures. She has had a gastrostomy and is

tube-fed by continuous drip because her caloric intake by mouth remains

inadequate.

These three children have incontestable scientific evidence linking their

regression to their MMR vaccination. Their parents have no doubt that their

affected children regressed after they were vaccinated. It is testimony

such as theirs that needs to be heard - not that of the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.K. Department of Health, and drug

company-financed epidemiologists. These children, though a minority, were

victims of our vaccination programs.

The IOM, the CDC, the U.K. Department of Health and the MMR vaccine

On May 11, 2005, I wrote to Harvey V. Fineberg, MD, PhD, president of the

Institute of Medicine (IOM), requesting the withdrawal of the report of the

Immunization Safety Review Committee Meeting (# 9) of Feb. 9, 2004, and the

formation of a new committee under a new chairman to re-examine the

vaccine-autism body of clinical evidence now available. (5)

I strongly objected to the fact that the committee had decided that

" further research to find the cause of autism should be directed toward

other lines of inquiry that are supported by current knowledge and evidence

and offer more promise for providing an answer. " By doing so, the committee

had effectively shut down all MMR and thimerosal autism research.

Fineberg neither acknowledged my letter nor responded to it.

On the television show " Meet the Press, " a few weeks ago, Fineberg assured

the nation that pediatric vaccines were safe now that thimerosal had been

removed. Obviously, the MMR vaccine never contained the mercury

" preservative. "

Gerberding, MD, the CDC director, also supported her staff and the

2004 IOM Committee report: the MMR vaccine did not cause autism - ever.

Period.

In England, the Department of Health, citing the 2004 IOM conclusions, (6)

reported, " The Committee concludes that the evidence favors rejection of a

causal relationship between MMR vaccine and autism. "

Its attempt to reassure everyone met with little success, evidently because

a study about the attitude of parents towards the MMR vaccine published in

September 2005 (7) concluded that " Both MMR-accepting and refusing parents

were supportive of immunization, yet the high level of concern about the

safety of the vaccine expressed even by parents who had immunized their

children is worrying in its implications for public confidence and trust in

health care. "

Another threat to childhood vaccinations in the U.K. became apparent on

Nov. 28. A recent survey suggested that over 14 percent of GPs (1 in 7)

were considering opting out of providing vaccinations and another 10

percent were likely to " stop chasing up children's vaccinations because the

money they are paid for doing them has dropped by more than half. " British

GPs are paid bonuses for achieving 90 percent childhood vaccination rates.

Until April, four vaccines were administered: MMR, DTP, HIB and polio.

After Pediacel, the five-in-one vaccine, was introduced, vaccine payments

were based on just two vaccines, MMR and Pediacel.

Because many parents are still not eager to have their children receive the

MMR vaccine, and since it now counts for half of the calculation rather

than a quarter, many GPs were and will remain unable to reach their 90

percent target and get their bonus. In Kent, the number of practices

hitting the target fell from 92 to 16 percent. The spokesperson on

vaccination for the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: " There

will be dire consequences, huge consequences. The department will have the

biggest problem it has ever had on vaccination. " (8)

The Cochrane MMR Review

Like many skeptics in the U.S. and Great Britain, the Cochrane

Collaboration must have had its own doubts about the ill-fated 2004 IOM

special committee report, when it felt obligated to issue its recent

updated MMR Review. (9)

The abstract of that 2005 Review (2005) by Demicheli, Jefferson, Rivetti

and Price started, " Public debate over the safety of the trivalent measles,

mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and the resultant drop in vaccination

rates in several countries, persists despite its almost universal use and

accepted effectiveness. We carried out a systematic review to assess the

evidence of effectiveness and unintended effects associated with MMR. "

The abstract of a study by Jefferson, Price, Demicheli and Bianco published

in Vaccine in September 2003 started, " Public debate over the safety of the

trivalent measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and the resultant drop

in vaccination rates in several countries, persists despite its almost

universal use and accepted effectiveness. We carried out a systematic

review to assess the evidence of effectiveness and unintended effects

associated with MMR. "

Both abstracts surprisingly concluded, " The design and reporting of safety

outcomes in MMR vaccine studies, both pre- and post-marketing, are largely

inadequate. The evidence of adverse events following immunization with MMR

cannot be separated from its role in preventing the target diseases. "

One can only wonder why the Cochrane Collaboration, while stating that the

MMR safety studies have been " largely inadequate, " would think that the

2005 review would be any more convincing than the 2003 study.

Courage and Academic Integrity

On Nov. 17, Carnegie Mellon University hosted an important lecture evening

on the Wakefield hypothesis of MMR and autism; I was one of the speakers.

We reviewed the clinical aspects of our research and of our personal

experiences.

None of us are anti-vaccination as was clearly stated throughout the evening.

The proceedings can be viewed at: http://www.chem.cmu.edu/wakefield/

This lecture evening provided unambiguous evidence that the clinical

research the IOM terminated needs to go on. Epidemiological studies, big

and small, are simply not able to overrule the presented clinical and case

study evidence that MMR vaccination could be associated with autistic

regression in a small percentage of children who are genetically predisposed.

The real facts

* A small percentage of children developing regressive autism after MMR

vaccination is a huge amount of misery, a near-100-percent destruction of

many families and an enormous financial toll on the budgets of our

educational and health systems.

* In spite of the " success stories " often recounted, severe regressive

autism is a permanent and irreversible disability.

* The very best epidemiological studies lack the power to show conclusively

that a small number of children are not adversely affected by MMR; they

simply cannot prove a negative in a small percentage of children.

* Studies have so far also failed to show that children were not adversely

affected by MMR vaccination.

* Our vaccination program should be thoroughly reviewed and vaccines

administered to children should be safe and effective.

* Congressional hearings on vaccines and autism must resume because we

cannot afford to lose more children.

* Bias and conflicts of interest should be eliminated from scientific

research and reviews.

* May be then we will all have happy holidays.

References

* http://www.ideadata.org/tables28th/ar_1-2.htm

* http://www.ideadata.org/tables28th/ar_1-3.htm

* http://www.curezone.com/art/read.asp?ID=79 & db=2 & C0=735 and

http://www.house.gov/reform/hearings/healthcare/00.06.04/rimland.htm

* http://www.autismcanada.org/News/RimlandstatementJuly2003.htm

* http://www.redflagsdaily.com/yazbak/2005_may16.html

* http://www.mmrthefacts.nhs.uk/news/newsitem.php?id=74

*

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Ab

stract & list_uids=16157422 & query_hl=1

* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1893658,00.html

* Alive and Well: The MMR-Autism Connection

http://www.redflagsdaily.com/yazbak/2005_oct28.php

Attachment I

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Ab

stract & list_uids=12922131 & query_hl=1

Vaccine. 2003 Sep 8;21(25-26):3954-60.

Unintended events following immunization with MMR: a systematic review.

Jefferson T, Price D, Demicheli V, Bianco E; European Research Program for

Improved Vaccine Safety Surveillance (EUSAFEVAC) Project.

Reparto Epidemiologia Clinica, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Viale Regina

Elena, 299-00161 Rome, Italy. toj1@...

Public debate over the safety of the trivalent measles, mumps and rubella

(MMR) vaccine and the drop in vaccination rates in several countries

persists despite its almost universal use and accepted effectiveness. We

carried out a systematic review to assess the evidence of unintended

effects (beneficial or harmful) associated with MMR and the applicability

of systematic reviewing methods to the field of safety evaluation. Eligible

studies were comparative prospective or retrospective on healthy

individuals up to 15 years of age, carried out or published by 2003. We

identified 120 articles satisfying our inclusion criteria and included 22.

MMR is associated with a lower incidence of upper respiratory tract

infections, a higher incidence of irritability, similar incidence of other

adverse effects compared to placebo and is likely to be associated with

benign thrombocytopenic purpura (TP), parotitis, joint and limb complaints

and aseptic meningitis (mumps Urabe strain-containing MMR). Exposure to MMR

is unlikely to be associated with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis,

autism or aseptic meningitis (mumps Jeryl-Lynn strain-containing MMR). The

design and reporting of safety outcomes in MMR vaccine studies, both pre-

and post-marketing, are largely inadequate. The evidence of adverse events

following immunization with MMR cannot be separated from its role in

preventing the target diseases.

PMID: 12922131 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Attachment II

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Ab

stract & list_uids=16235361 & query_hl=9

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Oct 19;(4):CD004407.

Vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella in children.

Demicheli V, Jefferson T, Rivetti A, Price D, Demicheli V.

BACKGROUND: Public debate over the safety of the trivalent measles, mumps

and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and the resultant drop in vaccination rates in

several countries, persists despite its almost universal use and accepted

effectiveness. OBJECTIVES: We carried out a systematic review to assess the

evidence of effectiveness and unintended effects associated with MMR.

SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled

Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library Issue 4, 2004), MEDLINE (1966 to

December 2004), EMBASE (1974 to December 2004), Biological Abstracts (from

1985 to December 2004), and Science Citation Index (from 1980 to December

2004). Results from reviews, handsearching and from the consultation of

manufacturers and authors were also used. SELECTION CRITERIA: Eligible

studies were comparative prospective or retrospective trials testing the

effects of MMR compared to placebo, do-nothing or a combination of measles,

mumps and rubella antigens on healthy individuals up to 15 years of age.

These studies were carried out or published by 2004. DATA COLLECTION AND

ANALYSIS: We identified 139 articles possibly satisfying our inclusion

criteria and included 31 in the review. MAIN RESULTS: MMR was associated

with a lower incidence of upper respiratory tract infections, a higher

incidence of irritability, and similar incidence of other adverse effects

compared to placebo. The vaccine was likely to be associated with benign

thrombocytopenic purpura, parotitis, joint and limb complaints, febrile

convulsions within two weeks of vaccination and aseptic meningitis (mumps)

(Urabe strain-containing MMR). Exposure to MMR was unlikely to be

associated with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, autism or aseptic

meningitis (mumps) (Jeryl-Lynn strain-containing MMR). We could not

identify studies assessing the effectiveness of MMR that fulfilled our

inclusion criteria even though the impact of mass immunisation on the

elimination of the diseases has been largely demonstrated. AUTHORS'

CONCLUSIONS: The design and reporting of safety outcomes in MMR vaccine

studies, both pre- and post-marketing, are largely inadequate. The evidence

of adverse events following immunisation with MMR cannot be separated from

its role in preventing the target diseases.

PMID: 16235361 [PubMed - in process]

--------------------------------------------------------

Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Classical Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

$$ Donations to help in the work - accepted by Paypal account

vaccineinfo@... voicemail US 530-740-0561

(go to http://www.paypal.com) or by mail

Vaccines - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm

Vaccine Dangers On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccineclass.htm

Homeopathy On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/homeo.htm

ANY INFO OBTAINED HERE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL

OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION TO VACCINATE IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE.

******

" Just look at us. Everything is backwards; everything is upside down.

Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy

knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy information

and religions destroy spirituality " .... Ellner