POLL: Association between vaccines and autism diagnosis

[MissRubyandKen]

Do you believe there may be an association between vaccines and autism diagnosis? Feel certain there is? Or do you think the case is closed, the science is in, and there is no link whatsoever? Unsure? Other?

Please post your reasons for your answer. I'd also love to know if you have read any of the studies on either side of the debate and/or what your reasons are for your answer.

[MissRubyandKen]

I voted I think there may be an association. I'm currently trying to read the studies on both sides from fourteenstudies.org and participating in the study read along threads, here and here. I'm presently more convinced there is some connection between vaccines and the regression these children are having.

[Deborah]

I voted that I'm sure there is a connection in some children. The extreme vehemence of the denials over the last 10 years is what convinced me, actually. Plus the Vioxx debacle. There is some serious scientific malfeasance out there. I can't imagine any reason that vaccines would be immune. [pun intended, sorry!]

[Marnica]

I voted I feel certain there is a connection....I am also wading my way through the studies on the website.

For me all of the hundreds of thousands of "coincidences" are not anecdotal evidence. Too many parents have watched their perfectly healthy babies disappear before their eyes after vaccinations were given

[Jugs]

From my anecdotal experience, yes.

[Lollybrat]

I think that vaccines may be a contributing factor in some cases and definately are not a factor in others. Part of the problem with this debate is that "autism" as we currently know it is not one disorder, but an umbrella term used to describe several different disorders with similar and overlapping symptoms. This is why the spectrum is so broad and varied.

There seems to be quite a bit of difference between children with regressive autism and with congenital autism. Those with the regressive type are perhaps more likely to have been affected by vaccines. Children like my son, who had signs of autism from birth (although only recognized in retrospect), were affected before ever getting a vaccination. To make the question even more problematic, there are a couple of children in our local autism group who have a regressive type of autism, but are completely unvaccinated.

I believe that we will not be able to really say what causes autism until our medical science can seperate out and identify all of the different conditions that are currently diagnosed as "Pervasive Developmental Disorders".

[just_lily]

I feel that autism, and many of the other disorders we are seeing an increase of in our children, are being influenced by over all toxic load, of which vaccines play a part.

[emma1325]

I chose the first answer, based on the fact that if you inject neuro-toxic ingredients into a child who is still developing neurologically, it isn't that much of a stretch to think that the child could suffer neurological injury.

I think the mainstream medical community is misleading people by saying vaccines cannot cause autism. They don't know this. They've never studied vaccinated vs. unvaccinated...so how could they possibly know this?

Also, I believe they are playing word games with people. If you back a doctor into a corner, you can probably get him/her to admit that vaccines can possibly trigger neurological symptoms which are "autistic-like" such as in the case of Hannah Poling.

Well, if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck...

And 3 friggin doctors diagnosed the kid with autism...

[spero]

Originally Posted by Lollybrat

I think that vaccines may be a contributing factor in some cases and definately are not a factor in others. Part of the problem with this debate is that "autism" as we currently know it is not one disorder, but an umbrella term used to describe several different disorders with similar and overlapping symptoms. This is why the spectrum is so broad and varied.

There seems to be quite a bit of difference between children with regressive autism and with congenital autism. Those with the regressive type are perhaps more likely to have been affected by vaccines. Children like my son, who had signs of autism from birth (although only recognized in retrospect), were affected before ever getting a vaccination. To make the question even more problematic, there are a couple of children in our local autism group who have a regressive type of autism, but are completely unvaccinated.

I believe that we will not be able to really say what causes autism until our medical science can seperate out and identify all of the different conditions that are currently diagnosed as "Pervasive Developmental Disorders".

Completely agree with this.

[Verity]

I do think there is a connection, perhaps not with all vaccines and definitely in all cases (because some completely unvaccinated kids are autistic), but I think the assault of a multitude of vaccinations on a developing immune system cannot be ignored.

It boggles my mind that most mainstream doctors refuse to acknowledge any sort of danger with regard to vaccination. When I refused some vaccinations and wanted to delay others, I got stern lectures from my doctors. This is the same profession that encourages women to line up for their mammograms. Why is it a good idea to screen for cancer using a known carcinogenic agent, radiation? If we are so eager to cure cancer, why can't we come up with a way to screen for it that isn't harmful in itself? Why don't we address environmental factors and chemicals in everyday products, and ban those known to be associated with cancer? I'm sorry--I'm getting off on a tangent here.

Call me skeptical of anything recommended by the mainstream medical community, particularly when there's a buck (or millions) to be made by pharmaceutical companies.

[Mom2Mason]

I think there may be an association, and that in at least some cases there definitely is an association (Hannah Poling, Bailey Banks). I don't believe vaccines are the definitive cause of regressive autism. I agree with the PP who said that until we can sort out all the different disorders that are labeled PPD or Autism, we will not get to a definitive cause.

That being said, I don't think you can discount the thousands of stories being told by parents who saw their children regress after vaccines. I wholeheartedly believe there is some connection, we just haven't gotten to it yet (although I think we're getting closer with our understanding of mito disorders, etc.) Science cult, pro-vaccine people will argue to the death that just because Hannah Poling had vaccines that triggered an "autism-like" reaction, or Bailey Banks had ADEM triggered by vaccines, which then led to an "autism-like" condition, does NOT mean that vaccines cause autism. The semantic gymnastics is ridiculous, in my opinion. It's already been shown that in at least some kids, vaccines trigger autism.

[littlecindy]

i think autism might be one of the more common things associated with vaccinations and a whole host of environmental toxins that we are exposing our children, too. i wonder about ADD, early puberty, juvenile diabetes, etc. i think vaccines are among the most dangerous of environmental toxins because we inject them into our bodies and some of the ingredients never leave our bodies. and i think the aggregate effect of vaccines on a small, developing child probably contributes to autism. and i think the gut connection to autism and the measles virus/vaccine is very interesting.

all in all, we don't have enough research to say either way. i usually "follow the money" and figure that most of the research out there is funded by those who have lots of money to gain from us being in fear of the diseases and to get the public believe that vaccines are safe and effective.

so i "think" there is a connection. my gut tells me i can be certain, but i can't be 100% certain.

[gardenmom]

Originally Posted by just_lily

I feel that autism, and many of the other disorders we are seeing an increase of in our children, are being influenced by over all toxic load, of which vaccines play a part.

:

We can't ignore parents who have watched their children regress hours/days/weeks after routine vaccinations. But I also believe there is probably a genetic component that takes part in some cases, along with escalating exposure to environmental toxins at the same time our nutrition has become worse as our soils are depleted and our diet has shifted away from whole foods.

I don't believe that Nature-God-Earth "designed" us to live this way, and the health implications are beginning to show in statistics (for example, the current generation is widely believed to be the first expected to have shorter livespan than their parents). Anyhow, I think it is a complicated issue and not one that likely will be resolved by corporations and/or government, and vaccines do play a role in both Autism and overall lack of health.

[gardenmom]

Originally Posted by Verity

If we are so eager to cure cancer, why can't we come up with a way to screen for it that isn't harmful in itself? Why don't we address environmental factors and chemicals in everyday products, and ban those known to be associated with cancer? I'm sorry--I'm getting off on a tangent here.

Call me skeptical of anything recommended by the mainstream medical community, particularly when there's a buck (or millions) to be made by pharmaceutical companies.

I HAD to answer you because I think your line of thinking is totally relevant to the vaccine discussion. When in college, dh and I were having a discussion with a roommate who was a grad student--a geneticist who was studying cancer. When we asked him when he was going to come up with a cure (and be famous), he replied "If I find a cure I'll be out of a job".

At the time we thought he was joking. Not any more...

[PaigeC]

I chose the second choice.

As far as research goes I think it is all crap so far because it is a) epidemiological; b) it is dubiously motivated/funded; and c) it is poorly constructed (some thermisol vs a little more thermisol; no studies of the whole vaccine schedule etc.).

In my opinion the most promising direction for research on the topic is taking place here and here. I concur that it is a small sample and the verdict is still out but at least they are testing the whole schedule vs. unvaccinated.

In general, I believe it is insane to think this is a "case closed" even amongst veterinarians it is agreed that vaccines can cause chronic disease in animals (they even have a name for it - vacinosis) - but human vaccines are 100% no doubt safe?

(P.S. vivisection makes me )

[newmum35]

I chose the first answer because I feel mothers know their child the best, and the overwhelming number of mothers who have seen their "perfectly normal" sometimes even "advanced" child slip away into the dark realm of autism is too great for me to brush off as merely cooincidental. They have identified the trigger and are speaking out about it and they are convinced without a doubt, 110% sure. I respect that and believe they know what they are talking about.

[MissRubyandKen]

I really wish at least one person with a dissenting view would post their reasons for certainty that vaccines have no association to autism.

[PaigeC]

Originally Posted by MissRubyandKen

I really wish at least one person with a dissenting view would post their reasons for certainty that vaccines have no association to autism.

:

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[medusaatemydog]

There is NO DOUBT in my mind that Vaccines are a direct cause of Autism and other immunological disorders NO DOUBT NO DOUBT NO DOUBT and i can sit and argue little facts about each idividual shot all day long and then some, and when you see what happened w/the animals/veterinarians and what they call vaccinosis.... it's funny how all of a sudden in that case those animals don't count as evidence, they only count when the tests they run to sell a vaccine show favorable to the sale of a vaccine.. It's obvious in our children... the truth is kicking us in the teeth...

i will bet that if you stop vaccination... you stop autism, rise in diabetes, pediatric lukemia, possibly lupus, allergies, many many autoimmune disorders, but that would take alot of money out of the pocket of the medical industry... they need a steady flow of sick people... if people got the diseases and not the vax..we'd have alot less chronically ill people, more people w/real immunity, better immune systems, and i highly doubt we would see the massive death they claim w/measles mumps or rubbella or chicken pox or pertussis or any of those ....even polio... they don't scare me one bit! You can die from walking to the park and bumpin your head..it's all part of life, as much as eating and breathing and drinking...these are interactions that are part of evolution... you cells did not evolve to work with synthetic vaccines and eventually will change the very chemistry of your body

[KimberlyD0]

I said no

In 4+ years of reaserch I have yet to see REAL evidence that there is a link and plenty that there is not.


Autism not being linked is one I really believe, there are other real issues that need to be addressed, but time, energy and money are waisted that could and should go to these issues.

Originally Posted by medusaatemydog

There is NO DOUBT in my mind that Vaccines are a direct cause of Autism and other immunological disorders NO DOUBT NO DOUBT NO DOUBT and i can sit and argue little facts about each idividual shot all day long and then some, and when you see what happened w/the animals/veterinarians and what they call vaccinosis.... it's funny how all of a sudden in that case those animals don't count as evidence, they only count when the tests they run to sell a vaccine show favorable to the sale of a vaccine.. It's obvious in our children... the truth is kicking us in the teeth...

i will bet that if you stop vaccination... you stop autism, rise in diabetes, pediatric lukemia, possibly lupus, allergies, many many autoimmune disorders, but that would take alot of money out of the pocket of the medical industry... they need a steady flow of sick people... if people got the diseases and not the vax..we'd have alot less chronically ill people, more people w/real immunity, better immune systems, and i highly doubt we would see the massive death they claim w/measles mumps or rubbella or chicken pox or pertussis or any of those ....even polio... they don't scare me one bit! You can die from walking to the park and bumpin your head..it's all part of life, as much as eating and breathing and drinking...these are interactions that are part of evolution... you cells did not evolve to work with synthetic vaccines and eventually will change the very chemistry of your body

Even if there is a link, which in not supported in any real studies and information, stoping vaccinations wont end all these things. They ALL existed before Vaccines.

Would you believe the research if vaccinations were stopped and the cases over everything you mention STILL increased? Then would you believe?? (you as in general you.. not anyone in particular)