PRESS RELEASE
January 16, 2009
Federal Members Of Advisory Committee Block Vaccine-Autism Research, Defy Wishes Of Its Own Scientists, Autism Community, and Congress
SafeMinds Withdraws Support for Autism Research Strategic Plan, Asks Daschle to Investigate.
JANUARY 16, 2009 - In a highly unusual departure from procedure, government representatives to the Federal Interagency Autism Advisory Committee (IACC) voted this week against conducting studies on vaccine-autism research despite approval of the same studies at their prior meeting. The research was supported by numerous autism organizations and requested by IACC's scientific work groups and Congress. The maneuver to re-vote on the vaccine-autism studies was initiated by the IACC's representative from the CDC and pushed through by the IACC Chair, Dr. Tom Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health of NIH.
Unlike most Federal advisory committees, the IACC is dominated by government representatives occupying 12 of the 18 seats. Of the 6 public members, 5 voted to retain the vaccine research at the meeting. The lone dissenting public member resigned from her organization, Autism Speaks, the night before the meeting. Autism Speaks has issued a statement objecting to her vote.
The CDC, part of HHS along with NIH, has been criticized by parents citing failure to uphold vaccine safety. In a surprising moment of candor, Dr. Insel cited HHS conflicts of interests on vaccine-autism research due to the over 5,000 autism lawsuits pending against HHS. His comment supports the autism community's contention that those in charge of promoting vaccine use while assuring safety are fundamentally conflicted and should not investigate themselves.
IACC Member and SafeMinds Vice-President Lyn Redwood stated, "Revisiting objectives already approved did not appear on the meeting's agenda." She added, "Advocacy groups and legislators have been marginalized in this process."
Senators Enzi, Dodd, Kennedy and Santorum, as well as Representatives Barton and Smith made statements which are part of the Combating Autism Act of 2006 legislative history that research on vaccines and their components and autism should be implemented by the IACC.
Due to the IACC's actions, SafeMinds has withdrawn its support of the IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Research and requests that incoming HHS Secretary Daschle investigate the IACC's action and reconstitute the committee, including removal of NIMH as its lead agency.
SafeMinds is a private nonprofit organization that investigates and raises awareness of the risks to children of exposure to mercury from the environment and medical products, including thimerosal in vaccines.
All truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident . Facts are stubborn, and refusal to accept them does not avoid their inexorable effects-the tragic consequences are now upon us - Hellen Keller. The time has come for everyone to step up and be an advocate for our children. It is no longer enough to simply ask questions. We need to demand answers.
5 comments:
I don't get it! It just frustrates me to no end that something so evident is being completely ignored. I don't get it.
We've had two pediatricians in the past month tell us that the MMR shot had nothing to do with my oldest son's health challenges...which I haven't blogged about yet as we have yet to tell our families...and a naturopath who is convinced that the MMR shot is the culprit.
Have you read Healing the the Childhood Epidemics by Kenneth Bock? It's a great read. Makes me want to go to Rhinebeck NY and get help right now.
I just saw your blog and wanted to ask if you minded if I add you to my autism blog list. Let me know...I've already added, but wanted to double check with you. :)
Hey why did you stop using this blog?
Ahh,I don't know. Lots of reasons I guess. I actually have been really yearning to write on her again lately. Time is a factor. I am a single, full time mama (no Daddy around), full time student (full time summer load), and I have a part time job with a mortgage co. KC has apponitments up the ass. OT, PT, DT, this doctor, that doctor, blah blah. Another reason, my less of a cop out reason, is that I ran out of fight. When KC first got sick, I discovered what I believe which is that it was the vaccines that triggered something inside of him and I was pissed. I went to Washington to fight for safer ingrediants for vaccines, started this blog, and talked to everyone I knew. But stuff kept coming up with KC, so I ran out of energy to fight for safe vaccines, when I needed all my extra energy to fight for KC. Sooo, I stopped. I am off school in a few weeks, so I will probably write some more. I am actually half way decent writer when I am in the right frame of mind. I might not focus on vaccines. I might just focus on everything that has been going on. Anyway, my answer is much more than you bargained for I'm sure lol, but like I said, I've been thinking about this already. Ok gotta go to my next class now ;)
Crystal...Yes of course I don't mind. Thank you for your support!!
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