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

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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@...

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