Dr. Mercola January 02 2008 9,454 views
According to the California State Department of Developmental Services (DDS), in 1998 there were 1,685 new cases of children diagnosed with autism with an incidence rate, based on 1998 population figures, of one in 312 California children now being diagnosed with autism. These figures include only children served by the California Developmental Services System and do not include the more than 13,500 children aged zero to three years in the state’s Early Start Program, yet to be diagnosed, most of whom present with language and developmental delays. Autism as a percent of the total clients’ population served by California’s regional centers nearly doubled between 1987 and 1998, with the most significant increases seen in young children less than nine years of age.
It has been widely accepted that between two to five cases of autism occur per 10,000 live births in the U.S. Based on these estimates, only one in 2,000 to one in 5,000 births in California should eventually be diagnosed with autism instead of the one in 312 which actually occurred in 1998.
The DDS report stated that "the number of persons entering the system with autism has increased dramatically over the past 11 years relative to the other three developmental disabilities (cerebral palsy, epilepsy and mental retardation)" and "compared with other disabilities, net growth in the number of persons with autism is on average about three times greater each year." DDS predicted that the autism population in California would continue to grow and that "independent study of the factors that have contributed to the increase" needs to be conducted.
Calling the report "a warning bell," and pointing out that the dramatic rise in autism in young children during the past decade coincides with dramatically rising vaccination rates in California and other states, the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) joined with Autism Research Institute (ARI), Cure Autism Now (CAN), and Autism Autoimmunity Project in endorsing the state agency’s call for independent scientific research to investigate causes of autism. The parent groups are urging that immunization be examined as one of the possible biological co-factors involved in the development of autism in some children. "Parents are reporting to our organization in record numbers that their children are becoming autistic after vaccination. Our experience in the past 17 years has been that, as immunization rates have increased significantly in all states, we have seen an increase in reports of vaccine reactions, including immune system dysfunction and autistic behaviors." said NVIC cofounder and president, Barbara Loe Fisher.
Bernard Rimland, Ph.D., founder and director of Autism Research Institute (ARI), said "Our database includes thousands of cases of previously healthy children who began exhibiting autistic behaviors soon after getting a routine vaccination." Portia Iverson, founder and president of CAN, the Cure Autism Now foundation, agreed adding "Approximately one-half of the hundreds of parents who call our office each month report that their healthy child became autistic shortly after vaccination." Ray Gallup, Director of Autism Autoimmunity Project, said "We can’t wait any longer to find whether some children are at higher risk than others for developing autism following vaccination."
Six new vaccines were added to the mandatory vaccination schedule in the U.S. between 1963 and 1998, including five doses of live oral polio; two doses of live measles, mumps and rubella; four doses of HIB; and three doses of hepatitis B vaccine. During the same time period, vaccination coverage rates rose in American children under age three from between 60 and 80 percent in 1967 for MMR, polio and DPT vaccines to between 80 and 95 percent coverages in 1997 for DPT; MMR, polio, HIB, and hepatitis B vaccines.
The April 2, 1999 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that "Overall, U.S. vaccination coverage is at record high levels. In 1997, coverage among children aged 19-35 months exceeded 90 percent for three or more doses of DPT ... poliovirus vaccine ... HIB vaccine and one or more doses of measles containing vaccine." Additionally, coverage for three doses of hepatitis B vaccine was 84 percent.
Many previously healthy children, who begin exhibiting autistic behaviors after vaccination, also show signs of an immune system dysfunction. Some of the children have been diagnosed with high measles or rubella titers and have had their autistic behaviors eliminated or reduced through therapies affecting immune system function, such as intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) infusions and diet modifications.
COMMENT: The generally accepted rate for autism is one in 500 children. This is the first report I have seen that is significantly higher. One in every 312 children is nearly DOUBLE the previous rate, especially when one factors in the nearly 15,000 children who were not included in the figure. It is nearly incomprehensible that compared with other disabilities, the net growth in the number of persons with autism in California is 300% greater each year. DDS predicted that the autism population in California would continue to grow. Folks, this is an epidemic in progress. As I have said before, about one out of every three or four of my new patients is autistic. I am convinced that immunizations are a huge part of the reason for the increase. If you have a child or know a child who needs immunizations, PLEASE carefully review the evidence. I have links on my link page on my web site (mercola.com) to the National Vaccine Information Center and to other groups. My article’s page has a very comprehensive sheet that details how you can write a letter that will allow your child to go to school as EVERY state has a religious exemption clause that you can use. They cannot keep your child out of school for not being immunized if you write a simple one or two paragraph letters as detailed in my article.
Dr. Mercola,
After looking back at our son's vaccination history, I and my husband are starting to believe that the MMR vaccination has caused his Mild Autism. On Feb. 4 we found out that NIcholas, our 2 yr. old almost 3, has a Mild form of Autism. We both looked back at his immunization card and recalled all the events and where his milestones were at the time of his first b-day and you won't believe what we found. Because of Nicholas's many ear infections, we had decided to put tubes in his ears. On March 10, 2006 the tubes were inserted. After finally getting all the anethesia out of his system, he was a completely different kid!! You could tell he could hear everything, where as before, he hardly ever responded to anything. On March 23, 2006 Nicholas received his MMR vaccination. As I read in his baby book, his developmental milestones just seemed to keep fading away and away. Now, he is 2 will be 3 on March 6, and only says maybe, 3 words. Where as before he would stand at the front door and look at the cats and say meow to them. Just little things my husband and I recall him doing or not doing, all came to a halt and now we are so... overwhelmed with his new diagnoses we are just besides ourselves.
I have thoroughly enjoyed all of your articles that I have been able to read in my spare time, and appreciate the advice you give about our rights to refuse vaccinations. We have a 10 month old daughter and I am scared to death about getting her vaccinated anymore! What do we do?? As far as we are concerned we'll refuse them.
If you have any advice for us please let us know. This is not a joking matter and with the amount of children being diagnosed with some form of Autism everyday, there has to be something we as parents can do!!
Thank you for your time!!
Amanda D. Smith, Attica, KS
I saw this happen to two of my children and when my third was vaccinated for her 4 month and 6 month shots, but times she got very ill and remained ill for two months. I am not giving her any more vaccinations, at least for a while. I think it's just fine to wait until they are 5 or maybe even more for those vaccines. The bigger they are the more likely they'll hold up through the affects. Also, make sure that what you give is thermisol free, split the vaccines up, and when at all possible do not combine vaccines. Some of these combi vaccines ARE available in singulars, but the insurance only pays for the combis. Ask questions, and look at the labels.
I have four children and all four apear to be autistic. I am also autistic. I do not believe that the vaccines made my children autistic, but I do believe they are sensitive to them.
Feel free to email me springolife@trostfamily.org
Research is now saying that children with autism have compromised digestive tracks and when the vaccines are given it just throws them over the edge. Please go to www.youtube.com and search "autism diet". YOu will see video of 2 women who's children were autistic but has overcome it. Please buy thier books and read it. Autism is curable. I particularly like the book by the European woman (I forgot her name). She also has some great probiatics called Bio-Kult which populates the digestive tracts of these children, along with casin and grain free diets, and other things, and they recover.
We have seen the debate on safety vs. efficacy of vaccines. However, there is also a moral aspect - I am concerned about the use of aborted fetal tissue in vaccine manufacturing. http://www.cogforlife.org/
20 years ago when i was pregnant with my first son, i received a pamphlet in a folder full of them stating that children with feveral seizures and siblings of those should not receive vaccinations (i'll have to dig it out) because of autism connections and other related problems. Something told me not to get him any shots. Needless to say, when he was one year old, he had 2 seizures (my mother had them as a child). This 6'4" 280 pound man is probably healthier than most people. He's never had a shot in his life (except when he stepped on a staple and got blood poisoning from playing fort in an appliance box at 7). I had signed a religious waiver so that he could go to public school with no problems. Now with my 16 year old, the school started trying to force me to get him shots. I allowed the DPT shot twice and each time he got a case of chicken pox. I went and signed another waiver because they were fighting me all the way to the county health department. My boys both got chicken pox when my oldest was 16, good cases too. They've been exposed to alot of germs through school and working in the public. I don't trust anything the FDA says. We drink distilled and german mineral water for 20 years, eat as much organics as we can afford and Ilimit the processed foods as much as possible (they're kids!). I must add that this family is rarely ever sick (i haven't been sick in over 5 years the boys probably 1 1/2 years and my husband i think once in 20 years- yes i said 20 years)
I'm not bragging i'm just saying think for yourselves people, don't believe everything they tell you, don't be a sheeple!!