If one in 250 children were being abducted, Ait would be a national emergency,@ observes Jon Shestack. Yet autism has, in effect, Astolen [my son's] mind, leaving his bewildered body behind@ (Vastag B. JAMA 2004;291:29-31).
While it is said that Aresearchers are just beginning to explore the causes of autism@ (ibid.), some of the accumulating evidence of iatrogenic causes was presented at a February meeting of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Institutes of Health ( www.aapsonline.org/vaccines/iom.htm).
Neurologic damage from mercury doses that are ordinarily not harmful to the majority of children may result from a mercury efflux disorder, suggested Vas Aposhian, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona. The mercury level in the first baby haircut was on the average 7.7 times lower in autistic children than in controls. Such children may accumulate in their brains the mercury that they receive from thimerosal in childhood vaccines, or from their mother as a result of diet, dental amalgams, influenza vaccine, or RhoGAMTM [Rho(D) immune globulin] manufactured prior to 2002.
(Canned tuna is a major source of protein for many, Dr. Aposhian notes. White tuna or albacore tends to have the highest levels of mercury. Fish such as trout that are small enough to fit on your plate will not have accumulated enough mercury to be a problem.)
Jeff Bradstreet, M.D., outlined the genomic, toxicologic, immunologic, and virologic data pertaining to vaccine safety concerns for the IOM panel. His paper with 43 references is posted on the AAPS web page cited above. He also provided a discussion of the possible link between observations on thimerosal and measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, which does not contain thimerosal.
Removal of thimerosal from vaccines is problematic, according to the World Health Organization, because it is needed to kill bacteria during the nonsterile manufacturing process. Vaccines manufactured without it might have to go through an entire new testing and approval process. Because thimerosal may be an integral part of the process and not be intended to serve primarily as a preservative, labels that say a vaccine is Apreservative free@ may not be thimerosal free ( www.aapsonline.org/vaccines/thimerosal.htm).
Data probably exist to help confirm or refute the hypothesis that autism is more prevalent in children who receive thimerosal-containing vaccines. Researchers, however, have been barred from accessing it, on the pretext of confidentiality concerns.
If the thimerosal connection is valid, the incidence of new cases should diminish drastically once the use of thimerosal-containing vaccines is halted (existing stockpiles have not been recalled). This could make the 10-year goal of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee appear less than serious.
The failure of regulatory authorities to add up the dose of mercury, even as they mandated more and more vaccinesCalong with current perceptions of denial, coverup, and stonewallingChas eroded public confidence in officialdom. More parents are refusing vaccines altogether.
AThe only way to restore confidence in our much needed vaccine program is to admit our past mistakes, correct them as soon as possible and to conduct accurate, honest and open discussion of the problems associated with vaccines,@ write Mark and David Geier ( pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/eletters/112/6/1394).
Additional information: Civil Defense Perspectives, Nov. 2000 and Jan. 2003, posted at www.oism.org/cdp. Drs. Boyd Haley, Jeff Bradstreet, and Bernard Rimland will give relevant talks at the 22nd annual meeting.
Erratum: the EPA-recommended limit for mercury ingestion is 0.1 mcg/kg/day, not 0.4 as stated in the January issue.
Britain is leading the way in the reintroduction of diseases once eliminated in the developed world. With the admission of 150,000 legal but medically untested immigrants per year, one London borough has a tuberculosis rate higher than that of China, and twice that of Brazil. About 95% of the cases of hepatitis B are imported.
The U.S. does have a law against admitting aliens afflicted with a disease of public-health significance. The Immigration Act of 1891 has never been changed. Failure to enforce the laws, however, has resulted in an annual influx of 300,000 untested persons, and an imbedded population of 8 million who desire to remain anonymous and avoid contact with government officials. In 1987, most American epidemiologists believed that tuberculosis would soon be vanquished. Soon after that, the current upsurge began, coinciding with the immigration amnesty of 1987, which made 2.1 million illegals legal overnight.
Besides tuberculosis, primarily from Mexico, central America, Africa, and southeast Asia, the U.S. could also be at risk for importing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) through tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants who enter illegally each year through Canada. The U.S.-Canada border is arguably less guarded, longer, and much easier to cross than the U.S.-Mexico border.
Third-World health conditions already prevail in some parts of the U.S., with leprosy in El Paso and San Diego, and hepatitis rates of up to 50% in children along the southern border of Texas.
Failure to enforce immigration laws could end 110 years of steady gains in public health, writes attorney Matt Hayes (Otto Scott's Compass 8/1/03).
We are sad to announce that Nancy Deale Greene died on March 2, after a valiant battle with cancer. She was a long-time stalwart supporter of civil defense, and an expert on human intelligence operations. She served as President of The American Civil Defense Association (TACDA). Family may be contacted at 13900 Old Harbor Lane #108, Marina del Rey, CA 90292. In lieu of flowers, her family is requesting donations in her name to TACDA, (904) 964-9640, or DDP.
Plan to come early to make the Friday morning tour that includes fire-devastated areas near San Diego. Learn what might have been done to prevent much of the devastation. Possible stops include the dam that finally provides an emergency water supply for San Diego (which is dependent on imports for 95% of its water), and a major route for smuggling and illegal immigration. Friday afternoon you are encouraged to attend the meeting of The American Civil Defense Association (TACDA). DDP will jointly sponsor a return engagement of the highly successful civil defense question-and-answer session. Sharon Packer, Paul Seyfried, Art Robinson, and Shane Connor will participate.
A registration form is enclosed. Make your reservations at the Mission Valley Marriott now! Their telephone number is (619) 692-3800.
DDP, 1601 N. Tucson Blvd. Suite 9, Tucson, AZ 85716, (520)325-2680, www.oism.org/ddp