Fwd: MMR Jab Safety Campaign Ditched, UK

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MMR Jab Safety Campaign Ditched, UK

Government's £3m initiative to reassure parents put on hold as new

research finds further links to autism.

[by -Kate Templeton in the Sunday Herald, UK.]

http://www.sundayherald.com/news/newsi.hts?section=News & story_id=14974

Part of a £3 million publicity campaign to persuade parents to

have their children immunised with the controversial MMR vaccine has been

dropped, while the rest has failed to materialise it has emerged.

The announcement in January that the government was to spend

public cash on promotion for the jab angered parents who said the money would

be better used funding research into the causes of autism.

But while a massive campaign including television and newspaper

ads was expected to be launched by the first week in February, it may now be

held off until after the general election.

And this weekend new US research points to a link between vaccines

and autism in children. The research, by Dr Harumi Jyonouchi of the

University of Minnesota, found that autistic children may have an exaggerated

immune response to vaccines.

The study, which was presented this weekend at the annual meeting

of the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology in New Orleans,

concludes: " Our results indicate a high frequency of excessive innate

immune responses in children with regressive autism. These results may partly

explain apparent association between the onset of regression/autistic

behaviour and immunisation in these children. "

The research is now being studied by British lawyers representing

the families of more than 850 autistic children. They say that the US

researchers are coming to similar conclusions to those of Dr

Wakefield, the British doctor who questioned the safety of the MMR

vaccine.

Barr, of lawyers , said: " Somebody

completely separate from Dr Wakefield is saying, 'look, there seems to be a

link

with vaccines.' They have come from a completely different angle and have

found a link between vaccines and regression. This indicates, at the very

least,

that there is some suspicion that, among certain children, vaccines tip

them over the edge. "

This week, the influential health committee of the ish

parliament will meet to consider its interim report on the MMR vaccine,

which is

expected to call for single jabs to be made available.

The report comes after a long campaign by parents who believe MMR

can trigger autism .

Autism groups believe the government publicity campaign has been

deliberately stalled because of the strength of opposition from parents

and autism organisations.

Bill Welsh, of Action Against Autism, said: " It is vitally

important that investment is made into researching the cause and cure of

autism.

To spend £3m on advertising MMR vaccines, while there is an urgent need to

identify if this very same vaccine is implicated in the current epidemic

of autism, is obscene. Parents have become very suspicious of MMR and will

not be swayed by infantile government campaigns designed to patronise them.

+ Article continues at:

http://www.sundayherald.com/news/newsi.hts?section=News & story_id=14974

* * *

New Fears As Tests Link Triple Jabs To Children's Disease

[in the Sunday Express March 18, 2001. The Sunday Express

website is out of order; the webpage for this article is not functioning.]

Scientists discover damning evidence that MMR injections could

cause autism

The most damning and compelling evidence yet of a link between

autism and the controversial MMR jab has been discovered by scientists.

Researchers working on two separate studies have linked the brain

dysfunction to physical abnormalities that could have been triggered by

the multiple vaccine.

The revelation will dismay thousands of parents told by the

Government that the vaccine is safe and they should go ahead with

inoculations. It will also increase pressure on ministers to fund more

research.

The new evidence is far more convincing than results of previous

studies because it is based on clinical tests rather than analysis of

statistical information.

Because scientists were investigating physical symptoms they were

able to put samples under the microscope instead of just numbers.

Shattock, head of the Newcastle-based Autism Research Unit

said the studies represent the most important research into the condition

ever carried out.

He said: " This is what we have been waiting for so many years a

proper scientific look at what may trigger autism.

" We knew that this research was being done, but you do not know

how strong the findings are. These findings could not be stronger in getting

to the bottom of autism. "

And Rosemary Kessick, chief executive of the medical research and

support charity Allergy Induced Autism, said the findings vindicated

what have long believed.

She said: " This is a huge step forward in helping prove what we

have felt from the outset which is that vaccines, viruses and food play a

major part in causing autism in a huge number of children. "

Until now autism has been seen as a purely mental disorder. But

the new research suggests it may be connected to physical conditions that

could have been caused by the MMR jab.

One of the ground breaking reports found that many autistic

children suffer from a condition known as " leaky gut syndrome " .

The disease, which damages the intestine wall, is. often found in

children with autism and very rarely in other children.

Researchers from the Royal Free Hospital in London, who studied

68 children over a period of two years, believe the gut disorder is linked

with, or could even cause autism.

Other research has led experts to believe these symptoms could be

triggered by a reaction to the MMR jab.

World renowned child specialist and the main author of the

report, Simon Murch, said the study was an important advance.

He said: " People have seen autism as a mental, not a physical

illness. We have shown for the first time in a properly controlled study

a clear link between gut inflammation and brain damage. "

A second studied carried out in the United States has found

evidence suggesting that vaccines can cause children's immune systems to go

out

of control.

Child specialists at the University of Minneapolis, studied 35

autistic children and found 27 had abnormal immune systems. The

abnormalities had apparently been triggers by vaccines or other external

factors including viruses and certain foods.

The scientists, due to present their work at the, conference of

the American Academy for Allergy Asthma and Immunology next week, believe

this immune disorder could affect the brain and cause autism.

However the research was dismissed by Government experts who

insist there is not enough evidence to prove any link between inoculations

and

autism.

Salisbury head of vaccines at the Department of Health,

said his advisors had examined evidence from the Royal Free and could not

support their findings.

He said: " We have looked at this work and the conclusions are not

convincing. "

ONE patient under the care of doctors at the Royal Free is

seven-year-old Hewitt, who suffers both autism and " leaky gut

syndrome " .

His doctors recently confirmed he is carrying the measles virus

in his gut and believe this could be linked to his symptoms.

The youngster's mother, Ann, 52, is convinced ' problems

were triggered by the MMR Inoculation.

She said: " He was a perfectly healthy boy and had achieved the

usual developmental milestones -in fact he was very advanced for his age. "

Her son's health and behaviour suddenly changed after he was

given the MMR jab at 13 months, She recalled: " He became very unsettled. He

screamed and would bang his head against the walls. "

Ann, from in Wood Green, North London, later discovered

had a form of autism and serious digestive dysfunction. He is now on powerful

medication, can barely eat, and suffers constant pain and diarrhoea.

The Royal Free, which runs a unit specialising in child stomach

disorders, still believes parents should vaccinate their babies.

However, it argues that the Government should fund proper scientific

research into

the potential risks. The hospital currently has an 18-month waiting list for

children from across the world seeking its medical expertise and

struggles to fund research.

had started to talk at nine months and was even beginning to

walk by the time had was given the jab.

But weeks later he started become very agitated. It was this

point when he started having screaming fits and banging his head against

walls.

" At first we just didnt understand it, " recalls Ann. eventually

took him to his GI who identified that a stomach disorder.

>>

--- [AutismOntario] MMR Jab Safety Campaign Ditched, UK

Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 01:49:21 -0500

From: " cindy faria " <cifaria@...>

Reply-AutismOntario

<AutismOntario >

MMR Jab Safety Campaign Ditched, UK

Government's £3m initiative to reassure parents put on hold as new

research

finds further links to autism.

[by -Kate Templeton in the Sunday Herald, UK.]

http://www.sundayherald.com/news/newsi.hts?section=News & story_id=14974

Part of a £3 million publicity campaign to persuade parents to

have

their children immunised with the controversial MMR vaccine has been

dropped, while the rest has failed to materialise it has emerged.

The announcement in January that the government was to spend

public

cash on promotion for the jab angered parents who said the money would

be

better used funding research into the causes of autism.

But while a massive campaign including television and newspaper

ads

was expected to be launched by the first week in February, it may now be

held off until after the general election.

And this weekend new US research points to a link between vaccines

and

autism in children. The research, by Dr Harumi Jyonouchi of the

University

of Minnesota, found that autistic children may have an exaggerated

immune

response to vaccines.

The study, which was presented this weekend at the annual meeting

of

the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology in New Orleans,

concludes: " Our results indicate a high frequency of excessive innate

immune

respon ses in children with regressive autism. These results may partly

explain apparent association between the onset of regression/autistic

behaviour and immunisation in these children. "

The research is now being studied by British lawyers representing

the

families of more than 850 autistic children. They say that the US

researchers are coming to similar conclusions to those of Dr

Wakefield, the British doctor who questioned the safety of the MMR

vaccine.

Barr, of lawyers , said: " Somebody

completely

separate from Dr Wakefield is saying, 'look, there seems to be a link

with

vaccines.' They have come from a completely different angle and have

found a

link between vaccines and regression. This indicates, at the very least,

that there is some suspicion that, among certain children, vaccines tip

them

over the edge. "

This week, the influential health committee of the ish

parliament

will meet to consider its interim report on the MMR vaccine, which is

expected to call for single jabs to be made available.

The report comes after a long campaign by parents who believe MMR

can

trigger autism .

Autism groups believe the government publicity campaign has been

deliberately stalled because of the strength of opposition from parents

and

autism organisations.

Bill Welsh, of Action Against Autism, said: " It is vitally

important

that investment is made into researching the cause and cure of autism.

To

spend £3m on advertising MMR vaccines, while there is an urgent need to

identify if this very same vaccine is implicated in the current epidemic

of

autism, is obscene. Parents have become very suspicious of MMR and will

not

be swayed by infantile government campaigns designed to patronise them.

+ Article continues at:

http://www.sundayherald.com/news/newsi.hts?section=News & story_id=14974

* * *

New Fears As Tests Link Triple Jabs To Children's Disease

[in the Sunday Express March 18, 2001. The Sunday Express

website is

out of order; the webpage for this article is not functioning.]

Scientists discover damning evidence that MMR injections could

cause

autism

The most damning and compelling evidence yet of a link between

autism

and the controversial MMR jab has been discovered by scientists.

Researchers working on two separate studies have linked the brain

dysfunction to physical abnormalities that could have been triggered by

the

multiple vaccine.

The revelation will dismay thousands of parents told by the

Government that the vaccine is safe and they should go ahead with

inoculations. It will also increase pressure on ministers to fund more

research.

The new evidence is far more convincing than results of previous

studies because it is based on clinical tests rather than analysis of

statistical information.

Because scientists were investigating physical symptoms they were

able to put samples under the microscope instead of just numbers.

Shattock, head of the Newcastle-based Autism Research Unit

said

the studies represent the most important research into the condition

ever

carried out.

He said: " This is what we have been waiting for so many years a

proper scientific look at what may trigger autism.

" We knew that this research was being done, but you do not know

how

strong the findings are. These findings could not be stronger in getting

to

the bottom of autism. "

And Rosemary Kessick, chief executive of the medical research and

support charity Allergy Induced Autism, said the findings vindicated

what

have long believed.

She said: " This is a huge step forward in helping prove what we

have

felt from the outset which is that vaccines, viruses and food play a

major

part in causing autism in a huge number of children. "

Until now autism has been seen as a purely mental disorder. But

the

new research suggests it may be connected to physical conditions that

could

have been caused by the MMR jab.

One of the ground breaking reports found that many autistic

children

suffer from a condition known as " leaky gut syndrome " .

The disease, which damages the intestine wall, is. often found in

children with autism and very rarely in other children.

Researchers from the Royal Free Hospital in London, who studied

68

children over a period of two years, believe the gut disorder is linked

with, or could even cause autism.

Other research has led experts to believe these symptoms could be

triggered by a reaction to the MMR jab.

World renowned child specialist and the main author of the

report,

Simon Murch, said the study was an important advance.

He said: " People have seen autism as a mental, not a physical

illness. We have shown for the first time in a properly controlled study

a

clear link between gut inflammation and brain damage. "

A second studied carried out in the United States has found

evidence

suggesting that vaccines can cause children's immune systems to go out

of

control.

Child specialists at the University of Minneapolis, studied 35

autistic children and found 27 had abnormal immune systems. The

abnormalities had apparently been triggers by vaccines or other external

factors including viruses and certain foods.

The scientists, due to present their work at the, conference of

the

American Academy for Allergy Asthma and Immunology next week, believe

this

immune disorder could affect the brain and cause autism.

However the research was dismissed by Government experts who

insist

there is not enough evidence to prove any link between inoculations and

autism.

Salisbury head of vaccines at the Department of Health,

said

his advisors had_ examined evidence from the Royal Free and could not

support their findings.

He said: " We have looked at this work and the conclusions are not

convincing. "

ONE patient under the care of doctors at the Royal Free is

seven-year-old Hewitt, who suffers both autism and " leaky gut

syndrome " .

His doctors recently confirmed he is carrying the measles virus

in

his gut and believe this could be linked to his symptoms.

The youngster's mother, Ann, 52, is convinced _ problems

were

triggered by the MMR Inoculation.

She said: " He was a perfectly healthy boy and had achieved the

usual

developmental milestones -in fact he was very advanced for his age. "

Her son_s health and behaviour suddenly changed after he was

given

the MMR jab at 13 months, She recalled: " He became very unsettled. He

screamed and would bang his head against the walls. "

Ann, from in Wood Green, North London, later discovered

had a

form of autism and serious digestive dysfunction. He is now on powerful

medication, can barely eat, and suffers constant pain and diarrhoea.

The Royal Free, which runs a unit specialising in child stomach

disorders, still believes parents should vaccinate their babies.

However, it

argues that the Government should fund proper scientific research into

the

potential risks. The hospital currently has an 18-month waiting list for

children from across the world seeking its medical expertise and

struggles

to fund research.

had started to tall nine months and was even beginning to

walk

by the tin had was given the jab.

But weeks later he started become very agitated. It was this

point

when he started having screaming fits and banging his head against

walls.

" At first we just didnt understand it, " recalls Ann. eventually

took

him to his G who identified that a stomach disorder.