Fomer NIH Head Says Question of Whether Vaccines Cause Autism Has Not Been Answered

Dr. Bernadine Healy, former head of the US National Institutes of Health, has claimed in an interview with CBS News that the question of whether there is a causal connection between vaccines and autism has not yet been answered. There is not yet enough evidence to say that there is no causal connection.

Dr . Healy notes that there have been no major studies of autistic children who developed autistic symptoms shortly after vaccination to see if there is such a connection. Animal Lab tests on mice and primates showing concerns about mercury and vaccine preservatives have been disregarded. Population studies do not test causation the indicate associations. Controlled lab studies are required. Dr. Healy also indicates that an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report in 2004 discouraged investigation of a possible link between susceptibility groups, autism and vaccines. Dr. Healy claims that the IOM report expressed a concern that pursuing the vaccine autism hypothesis would scare the public.

"I think that the public health officials have been too quick to dismiss the hypothesis as irrational," Healy said.

"But public health officials have been saying they know, they've been implying to the public there's enough evidence and they know it's not causal," Attkisson said.

"I think you can't say that," Healy said. "You can't say that."

CBS News has learned the government has paid more than 1,300 brain injury claims in vaccine court since 1988, but is not studying those cases or tracking how many of them resulted in autism.






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Autism Consultation: US (Transparent) v Canada (Secretive)

Lisa Jo Rudy, host of About.com Autism posted a comment informing the public that the National Institute of Health (NIH) wants public feedback on autism research issues. In The NIH Wants YOU to Provide Recommendations for Future Autism Research! Ms Rudy provides the following information:

"Do you have specific ideas or direction for the NIH, as it implements the Combatting Autism bill? If so, now is the time to take action. The NIH has just issued an "RFI" (request for information) to the autism community, and they are seeking your input on next steps for research. Here's the essential information: Description

The purpose of this time-sensitive RFI is to seek input from ASD stakeholders such as individuals with ASD and their families, autism advocates, scientists, health professionals, therapists, educators, state and local programs for ASD, and the public at large about what they consider to be high-priority research questions."

As a Canadian active in autism advocacy I am impressed with the American openness and true public consultation as reflected in the above referenced Request for Information. By contrast I am disgusted with the secretive, elitist, and politicized approach taken by the Canadian Institute of Health Research. In Canada the CIHR cancelled a planned National Autism Symposium when it found out that autism parent advocates wanted to play a real part in the symposium. It was rescheduled and described as a "research" symposium, with secretive, limited invitees, and with the implication that the parents who live 24/7, 52 weeks a year with autism realities could not possibly offer any intelligent contribution to the discussion. Oh Canada, we can do better than that.

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