'Vaccines court' rejects mercury-autism link in 3 test cases

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http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/node/5026

Autism Decisions and Background Information

3/12/2010 Special Master -

Mead v. Secretary of Health and Human Services Case No. 03-215V

3/12/2010 Special Master Hastings

King v. Secretary of Health and Human Services Case No. 03-584V

3/12/2010 Special Master Vowell

Dwyer v. Secretary of Health and Human Services Case No.

03-1202V

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'Vaccines court' rejects mercury-autism link in 3 test cases

The finding supports a broad scientific consensus that the

mercury-containing preservative thimerosal does not cause autism, and

will likely disappoint parents who are convinced otherwise.

By H. Maugh II

12:57 PM PST, March 12, 2010

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-autism13-2010mar13,0,1003758.story

The government's " vaccines court " ruled Friday in three

separate test cases that the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal

does not cause autism, a finding that supports the broad scientific

consensus on the matter but that is likely to disappoint parents who are

convinced that their child's illness has been caused by

vaccines.

The court had ruled 13 months ago that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine,

commonly known as MMR, does not cause the disorder, and the new ruling

may finally close the bulk of litigation on the matter. More than 5,000

parents had filed claims with the court, formally known as the U.S. Court

of Federal Claims, seeking damages because they believed their children

had developed autism as a result of vaccinations.

The cases that three special masters for the court chose to include in

the omnibus proceeding were considered among the strongest, so the

outlook appears grim for others making the same claim.

Special Master K. Vowell wrote in one of the decisions that

" petitioners propose effects from mercury in [vaccines] that do not

resemble mercury's known effects in the brain, either behaviorally or at

the cellular level. To prevail, they must show that the exquisitely small

amounts of mercury in [vaccines] that reach the brain can produce

devastating effects that far larger amounts experienced prenatally or

postnatally from other sources do not. "

She also dismissed claims that some groups of children are unusually

susceptible to the effects of mercury. " The only evidence that these

children are unusually sensitive is the fact of their [autism]

itself. "

The special vaccine court was established in 1986 because vaccine

manufacturers were facing many liability suits that threatened their

ability to continue manufacturing the valuable medicines. The court holds

no-fault hearings to determine if a child has, in fact, been damaged by a

vaccine. Compensation comes from a special fund based on a surcharge

leveled on each dose of vaccine.

The court has made many awards to parents who successfully showed that

their children were damaged neurologically or otherwise by vaccination --

a rare, but nonetheless real event -- but has refused to accept claims

that autism is caused by vaccination.

thomas.maugh@...

, The Los Angeles Times

..

Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Hahnemannian

Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Washington State, USA

Vaccines -

http://vaccinationdangers.wordpress.com/ Homeopathy

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