On Monday, June 11, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims will hear the first test case from among more than 4,800 claims filed against the federal government during the past six years alleging that children have contracted autism as a result of vaccines.
JUNE 18, 2007 | PART OF OPEN PHONES
Washington Journal
Federal Court Case on Vaccines
The guest talked about a current case before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims filed by parents who believe that vaccines have caused autism in their children. He writes “The Age of Autism” feature for the news service. He responded to first time callers and electronic mail
View The Video Here >>
| 00:00:14 | Host: WE’RE NOW JOINED BY DAN OLMSTED. HE IS THE SENIOR EDITOR WITH “UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL,” AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE FEDERAL COURT CASE GOING ON IN AUTISM, PUBLIC POLICY WITH AUTISM. MR. OLMSTED, WHAT IS THE COURT CASE THAT’S CURRENTLY BEING HEARD? Guest: WELL, I THINK THE HEADLINE FOR IT MIGHT BE GENES VERSUS VACCINES. | |
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| 00:00:27 | IN OTHER WORDS, THE OVERWHELMING CONSENSUS IN THE SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL COMMUNITY IN THIS COUNTRY IS THAT AUTISM IS FUNDAMENTALLY A GENETIC DISORDER. HOWEVER, INCREASINGLY, PARENTS AND SOME RESEARCHERS HAVE CONCLUDED IT’S CAUSED BY VACCINE, AND POSSIBLY OTHER THINGS. SO IT’S FUNDAMENTALLY COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE IN, IT’S AN ENVIRONMENTAL DISORDER THAT MAY BE TRIGGERING CERTAIN GENETIC RECREPTABILITIES. BUT WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS YOU HAVE 5,000 OF THESE CLAIMS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THIS VACCINE COURT ARE BEING HEARD IN AN OMINOUS PROCEEDING PUT TOGETHER, AND IT’S SORT OF A TEST CASE FOR WHETHER U.S. GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE PAYING OUT BILLIONS, ULTIMATELY, IN COMPENSATION FOR THESE VACCINE INJURIES THAT LED TO AUTISM, WHICH THE MAINSTREAM MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT SAID DIDN’T HAPPEN. SO IT’S QUITE A RICH — >> Host: SO WHO ARE THE DEFENDANTS IN THIS CASE? Guest: THE DEFENDANT IS BASICALLY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS RISK — RESISTING PAYING OUT MONEY, BECAUSE THEY SAY THAT THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE DOES NOT INDICATE THAT THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VACCINES AND AUTISM. Host: AND WHO ARE THE PLAINTIFFS? >> Guest: THEY’RE THE PARENTS WHO HAVE OVER THE YEARS COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THEIR CHILD’S REGRESSIVE AUTISM WAS TRIGGERED BY A SERIES OF VACCINES. IN PARTICULAR, THE MOST IMPORTANT CULPRITS IN THEIR MINDS ARE THEMARISOL, WHICH IS A MERCURY ADDITIVE THAT WAS INCREASINGLY USED IN VACCINES STARTING AROUND 1990, AND ALSO THE MMR OR MUMPS, MEASLES, RUBELLA VACCINE, WHICH HAS LIVE VIRUSES IN IT. AND THE THEORY THAT IS BEING PRESENTED IN THE COURT IS THAT THE MERCURY IN THE OTHER VACCINES DAMAGED THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO THE POINT THAT THE MEASLES VIRUS AND THE MMR COULD CREATE TOXIC CONSEQUENCES AND DAMAGE THE BRAIN IN A WAY THAT LEADS TO AUTISM. Host: IS THIS ALSO A DEBATE NOT JUST IN COURT, BUT IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY? Guest: WELL, IT IS, ALTHOUGH I THINK IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT THE OVERWHELMING CONSENSUS OF MAINSTREAM MEDICINE, OF PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITIES, OF THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE, OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, IS THAT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS THIS IDEA. IN FACT, THERE IS EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT IT IS NOT TRUE. AND THEY CITE A NUMBER OF | |
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| 00:02:45 | EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN OPPOSED BY OPPONENTS SAYING THEY WERE DONE BY GROUPS BY THE CDC, WHICH ALSO RECOMMENDS THE CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULE. AND THEREFORE, IT WOULD BE IN THEIR BEST INTERESTS TO NOT HAVE VACCINE CAUSING AN AUTISM EPIDEMIC EPIDEMIC. THAT DOESN’T MEAN THEY’RE FUDGING THE DATA, BUT IT DOES RAISE THIS CONFLICT ISSUE THAT IT’S WORTH CONSIDERING. Host: WE’RE GOING TO PUT THE NUMBERS UP ON THE SCREEN. WE’RE TALKING WITH DAN OLMSTED OF THE “UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL,” SENIOR EDITOR, AND WE’RE TALK BEING AUTISM AND THE FEDERAL COURT CASE THAT’S CURRENTLY GOING ON IN NEW YORK CITY, CORRECT? Guest: WELL, WASHINGTON, JUST — Host: HERE IN WASHINGTON? 202-737-0001 FOR REPUBLICANS, 202-737-0002 FOR DEMOCRATS, 202-628-0205 FOR ALL OTHERS. REMEMBER, THE AREA CODE IS 202. AND FIRST-TIME CALLERS ONLY THIS MORNING. LET’S TAKE YOUR CALLS. FIRST ONE UP IS FROM MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, REPUBLICAN. >> Caller: YES, GOOD MORNING, DAN, AND GOOD MORNING, | |
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| 00:04:13 | MODERATOR. MY CONTENTION IS THAT THIS AUTISM THING IS REALLY KIND OF A SCAM. I WAS IN COURT TRYING TO SEEK ACCESS TO MY SON, HAD BEEN TRYING TO DO IT FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS. AND IN THE PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE SCHOOL HAS KIND OF A PSYCHOLOGIST OR PSYCHOTHERAPIST TESTING EVALUATION GROUP THAT ACTUALLY GOES OUT AND THEY DO THIS TEST. AND SO THE RESULT WAS THAT MY SON’S MOTHER USED THIS SO-CALLED DIAGNOSIS THAT HE HAD AUTISM AS A MEANS OF THE COURT TAKING AWAY MY CUSTODY AND VISITATION RIGHTS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I’VE LOOKED INTO AUTISM, AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY ASBERGER’S AUTISM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT’S BEING USED AS A TOOL. AND MY SON, I UNDERSTAND MY SON’S DOING VERY, VERY WELL IN SCHOOL NOW. SO I MEAN, HE WAS DIAGNOSED WHEN HE WAS 7 YEARS OLD AT THE PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. >> Host: HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE AUTISM? Guest: UM, THE NUMBERS VARY. LIKE HALF A MILLION IS SOMETIMES USED. I THINK THAT MIGHT BE KIND OF HIGH. I THINK IT MIGHT BE 200,000 OR 300,000. I THINK WHAT YOUR CALLER IS IDENTIFYING THERE IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE, WHICH IS THAT IT’S A SPECTRUM. AND SO, IF HIS SON HAS AS BERGER’S, IT’S A MUCH HIGHER FUNCTIONING, ALTHOUGH STILL DISABLING CONDITION. | |
| 00:05:31 | AND SO THE DIAGNOSIS OF AS BERGER’S BECOMES A LITTLE MORE PROBLEMATIC AND YOU COULD PROBABLY FIND ONE DOCTOR WHO COULD SAY THAT’S WHAT IT IS, AND ANOTHER ONE THAT WOULD SAY IT’S CENTRICITY OR ADD OR ADHD OR ONE OF THOSE. SO THE ISSUE THAT IS MOST CENTRAL IS WHY ARE THE CHILDREN WITH THIS VERY SEVERE FORM, THIS REGRESSIVE FORM, WHERE THEY LOSE THEIR SKILLS, THEY CAN’T TALK, THEY HARM THEMSELVES, THEY HARM OTHER PEOPLE, THEY DO ALL THESE STRANGE REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS, WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? AND SO I SYMPATHIZE WITH YOUR CALLER IN TERMS OF — >> Host: WHAT IS THE CLINICAL DEFINITION OF AUTISM? Caller: WELL, IT’S DEFINITION IS IN SEVERAL AREAS, INCLUDING ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER PEOPLE, THE ABILITY TO HAVE NORMAL SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, AND ALSO, OFTEN A VERY RESTRICTED RANGE OF INTERESTS, WHICH CAN BECOME SO RESTRICTIVE THAT A CHILD IS INTERESTED IN NOTHING BUT ONE VIDEO OR ONE TRAIN, IS NOT INTERESTED IN ACTUALLY RUNNING THE TRAIN ALONG THE TRACKS LIKE A TYPICAL KID, BUT IN SPINNING THE WHEELS FOR TEN HOURS A DAY. SO IT’S — SEVERE AUTISM IS UNMISTAKABLE AND VERY DISABLING. >> Host: BASTROP, TEXAS, DEMOCRAT. YOU’RE ON WITH DAN OLMSTED. >> Caller: YES, I’M CALLING ABOUT THE AUTISM. Host: YES, SIR. Caller: YES, I’VE KNOWN QUITE A FEW KIDS THAT HAVE THIS AUTISM FROM TAKING THE VACCINE. THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT, IT’S BECAUSE THEY’RE OVER LOADING THE SHOT. | |
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| 00:07:12 | I MEAN, THEY’RE LIKE TAKING THREE IMMUNIZATIONS AT ONE TIME. I THINK IF THEY’RE SPREAD OUT MORE, THAT, THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT, THAT THEY WOULDN’T HAVE | |
| 00:07:44 | AUTISM. >> Guest: THAT’S ONE ARGUMENT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD MAKE, WHICH IS THAT CERTAINLY, VACCINATIONS ARE IMPORTANT. NOBODY’S SAYING THAT WE SHOULD DROP THEM AND LET POLEPOLIO COME BACK, BUT OVER THE LAST DECADES, WE’VE HAD A MORE AGGRESSIVE VACCINATION SCHEDULE, LIKE THE HEPATITIS B SHOT AT BIRTH, CHICKENPOX SHOT, THE MEASLES, MUMPS AND RUBELLA, THAT’S COMBINED INTO ONE AND SOMETIMES GIVEN WITH THE OTHER SHOT. AND ONE ARGUMENT WOULD BE THAT IF WE WERE ABLE TO SPREAD THESE OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE, MAYBE SEPARATE OUT THE COMPONENTS OF THE COMBINED SHOT AND WAIT UNTIL A SLIGHTLY LATER AGE, IF THERE WERE ANY GENUINE RISK FROM THESE VACCINES, IT COULD BE MINIMIZED WITHOUT DAMAGING THE USE OF VACCINES IN PREVENTING INFECTIOUS DISEASE. Host: HAS AUTISM INCREASED? >> Guest: WELL, NOTHING ABOUT AUTISM IS SIMPLE, AND THAT’S A CONTROVERSIAL | |
| 00:08:43 | QUESTION. I BELIEVE IT HAS INCREASED, AND MY EVIDENCE FOR THAT IS NOT STUDIES AND DATABASES, IT’S THE PEOPLE I’VE TALKED TO WHO HAVE BEEN ON THEFRONT LINES OF TREATING KIDS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS. I HAD LUNCH IN OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON, RECENTLY WITH A COUPLE OF DEVELOPMENTAL SPECIALISTS WHO HAD BEEN IN THE BUSINESS ABOUT TEN YEARS, AND EACH OF THEM TALKED ABOUT WHEN THEY STARTED, THEY HAD 30 KIDS IN THE CLASS, ONE OR TWO HAD AUTISM. NOW THEY HAVE 30 KIDS IN THE CLASS, 15 HAVE AUTISM. THEY KNEW WHAT AUTISM WAS TEN YEARS AGO, AND THEY KNOW WHAT IT IS NOW. THEY SAY THERE IS MORE OF IT. AND I TEND TO — >> Host: TEXAS, REPUBLICAN. >> Caller: FIRST OF ALL, MY BACKGROUND IS I AM THE PARENT OF A CHILD WHO WAS DIAGNOSED WITH SEVERE AUTISM BY THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL HERE, AND WHEN WE DID SOME TESTING, WE LATER DID FIND OUT THAT IT WAS MERCURY POISONING, AND WE’VE BEEN TREATING THEM AS THOUGH HE HAD EATEN LEAD PAINT AND HE’S ALMOST RECOVERED. HE’S IN MAINSTREAM KINDERGARTEN NOW. BUT MY QUESTION, IS ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET ON | |
| 00:09:34 | PHYMERISOL AND WHY WILL THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA NOT REPORT IT? IT SAYS ON THE DATA SHEET THAT THE MANUFACTURERS USE IT AND THAT CAUSES MERCURY POISONING. AND THERE IS AN ARTICLE AROUND 2000 IN THE JOURNAL OF AMERICAN PEDIATRICS, AND I FOUND THIS OUT FROM THE EVIDENCE OF HARM YAHOO GROUP. THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE TO GET OUR INFORMATION IS FROM THE WEB. THAT WHEN USED AS A PRESERVATIVE IN EAR WASHES IT CAN CAUSE MERCURY POISONING. 6 BUT BASICALLY, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. NUMBER ONE, DOES HE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS FOR PHYMERISOL, WHAT IT HAS TO SAY, AND THAT THERE IS A LOT OF EVIDENCE OUT THERE. AND I FOUND ONE ARTICLE THAT IT IS VERY, VERY DANGEROUS. >> Guest: WELL, MERCURY IS INCREDIBLY TOXIC. | |
| 00:10:46 | IT’S ONE OF THE MOST TOXIC SUBSTANCES KNOWN TO MAN. IT HAS LED TO SOME OF THE MOST HORRIBLE POISONING OF CHILDREN IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, INCLUDING MENUMADA DISEASE, WHERE FISH THAT WERE POISONED WITH MERCURY WERE EATEN BY THE PREGNANT MOTHERS. THEY WERE OKAY, BUT THE KIDS HAD HORRIBLE DETERMINE DEFORMITIES. THE ARGUMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY IS THIS KIND OF MERCURY, WHICH IS EITHERLE MERCURY, THAT IT’S BEEN USED IN VACCINES HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE SAFE. I WOULD SAY I’M MUCH LESS COMFORTABLE WITH THE IDEA OF MERCURY IN ANY DEGREE OF ANY KIND IN ANY MEDICINE THAT ANY HUMAN BEING WOULD GET. I THINK IT’S A BAD DYE. Host: FRONT PAGE OF THE “NEW YORK TIMES” THIS MORNING — DEBATE OVER CAUSE OF AUTISM STRAINS A FAMILY AND ITS CHARITY. | |
| 00:11:39 | AND IF WE GO DOWN BELOW, HERE IS BOB WRIGHT, FORMER PRESIDENT OF NBC, HIS DAUGHTER KATIE WRIGHT, WHO HAS AN AUTISTIC CHILD AND HIS WIFE, SUZANNEWRITE. Guest: AGAIN, IT’S GENES VERSUS VACCINE WITHIN A FAMILY, TEARING A FAMILY APART, AT LEAST FOR NOW. I CERTAINLY HOPE THEY’RE ABLE TO WORK THIS OUT, BECAUSE THEY’RE ALL WELL INTENTIONED IN TRYING TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE. BUT AUTISM SPEAKS IS AN UMBRELLA GROUP THAT HAS RAISED TONS OF MONEY FOR AUTISM AND HAS PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO RESEARCH. THEIR DAUGHTER KATIE BELIEVES THAT HER SON, WHO IS, AFTER ALL, THE BASIS FOR THIS WHOLE ORGANIZATION BEING CREATED, HIS AUTISM CAME FROM VACCINES. | |
| 00:12:00 | SO YOU’VE GOT THE GRANDPARENTS SAYING, WELL, WE DON’T THINK THAT’S NECESSARILY TRUE, WE THINK IT’S A GENETIC-BASED THING AND WE DON’T WANT TO GET INTO THIS WHOLE THING. AND SHE’S SAYING, WELL, I WANT TO GET INTO, IT BECAUSE I’VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CHILD AND I WANT IT FIXED, AND I DON’T SEE WHY WE’RE SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY ON GENE HUNTS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, MAY OR MAY NOT EVER BE FRUITFUL. Host: AND SHE CALLS — THEY’RE CALLED THE MERCURY? >> Guest: WELL, I NEVER HEARD THAT PHRASE BEFORE. IT’S A GOOD ONE, THE MERCURIES. MERCURY IS NOT THE ONLY CONCERN WITH THE POSSIBILITIES THAT VACCINES COULD CAUSE AUTISM. | |
| 00:12:56 | IT COULD BE THE LIVE VIRUS IN THE MMR VACCINE AS WELL. Host: WHY DO YOU WRITE THE COLUMN CALLED “THE AGE OF AUTISM“? >> Guest: WELL, I HAD BEEN INTERESTED IN PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS AND WHETHER THEY WERE BEING ACKNOWLEDGED IN ANOTHER AREA, AND I JUST STARTED LOOKING AT IT, AND I THOUGHT THERE WERE ENOUGH ANGLES THAT HAD NOT BEEN PURSUED, SUCH AS WHETHER THE AUTISM RATE IN NEVER VACCINATED KIDS WAS AS HIGH AS IT WAS IN VACCINATED KIDS, WHICH IS A STUDY THAT’S NEVER BEEN DONE, THAT LED ME TO LOOK AT THE AMISH. AND I ALSO LOOKED AT SOME OF THE VERY EARLY CASES WHERE I THOUGHT YOU COULD POSSIBLY SEE A CLEAR CONNECTION WITH MERCURY NOT ONLY THROUGH VACCINES, POSSIBLY, BUT THROUGH THE OCCUPATIONS OF SOME OF THE FATHERS WHO WERE INVOLVED WITH | |
| 00:13:14 | ETHYL MERCURY, THEY WERE FOREST PROFESSORS, THEY LIVED IN MISSISSIPPI WHERE A LOT OF THE WORK WAS BEING DONE IN THE ’30s. SO I THINK IT’S POSSIBLE THAT YOU COULD SEE TWO TRAJECTORIES LEADING TO MERCURY POSSIBLY BEING A CULPRIT. Host: PENNSYLVANIA, INDEPENDENT. THANKS FOR HOLDING. >> Caller: HI. I REALLY DON’T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT REGARDING VACCINE INFORMATION. | |
| 00:14:18 | THEY NEVER REALLY HAVE COME CLEAN ABOUT EVEN THE CONTAMINATION OF THE POLIO VIRUS BACK IN THE ’50s WITH THE AGREED MONKEY VIRUS THAT THEY’RE FINDING NOW IN CHILDHOOD TUMORS. THEY GAVE 98 MILLION CONTAMINATED DOSES TO THE WORLD AND HAVE NEVER TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT OR EVEN DONE ANY STUDIES AS TO THE RAMIFICATIONS. SO I’M REALLY DOUBTFUL THAT WE’LL GET ANY JUSTICE HERE, EITHER. >> Guest: WELL, YOU KNOW, AS A JOURNALIST, I’M SUSPICIOUS OF THE GOVERNMENT ON PRINCIPLE, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK ULTIMATELY, THIS ISSUE HAS LEGS. YOU CAN SEE TODAY IN THE “NEW YORK TIMES,” AND THIS IS WELL AFTER, YOU KNOW, THE DISCUSSIONS SUPPOSEDLY WAS ENDED BY THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE IN 2004, SAYING THERE IS NO CONNECTION WITH VACCINES AND AUTISM. AND YET, SO MANY PARENTS BELIEVE THAT THE EVIDENCE OF THEIR OWN EYES SHOWS THEM THIS, THAT THEIR CHILD WAS FINE, THEIR CHILD HAD A VACCINE REACTION, OFTENTIMES LIKE 105-DEGREE FEVER, SEIZURES, AND IMMEDIATELY LOST SKILLS THAT EVERYBODY IN THE FAMILY AND PRESCHOOL SAID THEY HAD BEFORE. SO IS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE CASES A COINCIDENCE? I PERSONALLY DON’T THINK SO. I DON’T THINK THAT THAT MEANS THAT EVERY CASE OF AUTISM, YOU KNOW, WAS CAUSED BY AN ENVIRONMENTAL AGENT, WHETHER IT’S VACCINES OR SON GRAMS OR ANYTHING ELSE, BUT I THINK, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT AS A REPORTER, WHAT I HEAR MAKES ME THINK THAT THERE IS GROUNDS FOR TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY AND CONTINUING THIS RESEARCH UNTIL WE GET A REALLY SATISFACTORY ANSWER. Host: BEFORE JOINING UPI, DAN OLMSTED WAS WITH “GWINNETT” | |
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| 00:16:10 | FOR 23 YEARS, FORMER ASSISTANT EDITOR AT “USA TODAY“. NEXT CALL FOR HIM COMES FROM FOLEY, ALABAMA. >> Caller: GOOD MORNING, SIR. | |
| 00:16:21 | I’M TOM RISENDINE FROM FOLEY, ALABAMA, AND I’VE GOT A QUESTION. BACK IN THE ’50s, YOU NEVER SAW AUTISM ANYWHERE. AND NOW I SAW IN THE ADS ON TELEVISION THAT THERE IS, I THINK 1 IN 136, ROUGHLY, HAS AUTISM? Guest: YEAH. Caller: COULD YOU PLEASE GIVE US THE RUNDOWN ON WHY THAT IS? Guest: WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT’S A DEBATE, AND THOSE WHO BELIEVE THERE HAS BEEN NO INCREASE, BELIEVE IT’S A GENETIC DISORDER, WHICH SAY THAT BETTER DIAGNOSIS, MORE AWARENESS, AND BETTER FUNDING. | |
| 00:16:53 | IF YOU’RE ABLE TO GET AN AUTISM DIAGNOSIS WOULD EXPLAIN IT. THE OTHER ARGUMENT, AND IT’S THE ARGUMENT THAT I THINK IS MORE PLAUSIBLE, IS THAT SOMETHING DID HAPPEN TO KICK UP THESE CASES, THESE REGRESSIVE CASES IN PARTICULAR. AND I DON’T THINK WE’RE TALKING ABOUT JUST THE LAST 10 OR 20 YEARS. I THINK WE CAN GO BACK TO THE ’30s, WHEN THE FIRST CASES OF AUTISM WERE REPORTED AT JOHNS HOPKINS AMONG 11 CHILDREN. AND I’VE DONE, IN THE LAYMAN, BEST THING I CAN TO LOOK FOR EARLIER CASES AND TO LOOK FOR COUNTER ARGUMENTS, AND I BELIEVE, BASED ON, YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVE SEEN, THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED WITHIN OUR LIFETIME BECAUSE THE OLDEST PERSON DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM IS NOW JUST 76 YEARS OLD. AND I THINK THAT IT WENT FROM A RARE BUT QUITE NOTICEABLE DISORDER TO SOMETHING THAT IS NOW STILL VERY NOTICEABLE, BUT NOT AT ALL RARE. AND THAT SUGGESTS AGAINST GENES, FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, ALTHOUGH IT COULD BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON PEOPLE WITH GENETIC SENTABILITY — SUCCESS SENTABILITY. Host: BESSEMER, ARIZONA, DEMOCRAT. >> Caller: HI. I HAVE A COMMENT ON AUTISM AND I ALSO WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. I AM THE MOTHER OF TWO CHILDREN WITH | |
| 00:18:22 | AUTISM. WHO ARE SUFFERING EVERY SINGLE DAY. THEY WERE DIAGNOSED AT THE AGE OF 2 AND 3 YEARS OLD. AT THE TIME THAT THE ETHYL MERCURY WAS AT A HIGHER DOSAGE. AND I KNOW THAT IT HAS CAUSED MY KIDS’ AUTISM. THEY STARTED TO REGRESS, AGAIN, LIKE I SAY, A LOT OF THE DOCTORS, YOU KNOW, DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT AUTISM BACK THEN, 1997. AND, YOU KNOW, SO FROM MY EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO LIVE WITH THEM EVERY DAY SUFFERING. MY SON ALSO HAS SEIZURES, WHICH WAS AT THE AGE OF 1 YEAR OLD, NO ONE COULD TELL ME WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM. JUST CONSTANTLY CRYING JUST ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW, JUST CONSTANTLY, WOULDN’T STOP. SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE TOXIC CHEMICALS, NOT ONLY IN THE VACCINE, BUT OTHER TOXINS THAT ARE HARMING OUR KIDS. AND I THINK SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. >> Guest: I THINK YOU CAN HEAR THERE THE DAY-TO-DAY PAIN THAT PEOPLE LIVING WITH AUTISM EXPERIENCE. | |
| 00:19:32 | TWO CHILDREN WHO MAYBE JUST ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL OR COMMUNICATE WITH OR RETURN LOVE OR TO GROW. AND I THINK THIS CALLER’S CONCERNS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN A VERY CONVINCING WAY SO THAT SHE WILL HAVE SOME KIND OF PEACE ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENED HERE, WHAT POSSIBLY COULD BE DONE BASED ON THE ETHEOLOGY OF THE DISORDER IN HER KIDS. AND RIGHT ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE “NEW YORK TIMES,” THEY’RE HIGH-PROFILE, BUT THEY’RE, FRANKLY, JUST ANOTHER FAMILY THAT’S BEING TORN UP BY THE DAY-TO-DAY ENGLISH OF THIS. AND I HOPE THAT THEY WILL — >> Host: DOES THE GOVERNMENT SPEND MONEY ON AUTISM RESEARCH? >> Guest: IT HAS SPENT SOME, BUT IT’S BEEN WOEFULLY LOW COMPARED TO MANY OTHER DISORDERS. THERE WAS A BILL PASSED, WAS IT LAST YEAR? LATE LAST YEAR — >> Host: O”06. >> Guest: YEAH, BASICALLY A BILLION-DOLLAR COMBATING AUTISM ACT, WHICH OFFERS TO SPEND MONEY BOTH ON GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL POSSIBLE RESEARCH AND TREATMENT. I THINK THAT’S NOW IN THE PROCESS OF BEING APPROPRIATED, AND I WOULD JUST SAY, I HOPE THEY APPROPRIATE IT. BECAUSE IT WOULD BE TERRIBLY — >> Host: THAT MONEY HAS NOT BEEN APPROPRIATED, THE MONEY WE JUST SHOWED ON THE SCREEN? >> Guest: I BELIEVE THAT — THAT’S NOT MY SPECIALITY, BUT AS I UNDERSTAND FROM JUST THE E-MAILS I SEE, IT IS IN THE PROCESS OF HAPPENING. >> Host: WHAT COULD POSSIBLY — WHAT’S NEXT IN THE COURT CASE? Guest: WELL, THE DEFENSE HAS ENTERED ITS CASE — I’M SORRY, THE FAMILIES PRESENTED THEIR CASE THIS PAST WEEK. AND THEN I BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL EXPLAIN WHY, AS TRAGIC AS THIS IS, THIS IS NOT ATTRIBUTED BY VACCINES. AND I THINK THERE WILL BE ONE MORE WEEK OF HEARINGS AND THEN THESE THREE SPECIAL MASTERS WILL ADJOURN TO CONSIDERING IT — >> Host: NOT ADJOURNING — Guest: IT’S NOT REALLY A COURT IN A SENSE. IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE A NON-AD OVERAS A RULE PROCEEDING THAT’S DESIGNED TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE VACCINE DAMAGE HAS LED TO THIS. | |
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| 00:21:48 | THEY’VE ALREADY PAID OUT $700 MILLION TO FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN, WHO HAVE SHOWN THAT THEIR CHILDREN HAD A VACCINE INJURY, INCLUDING — >> Host: WHOPAID OUT THE MONEY? >> Guest: THE COMPENSATION FUND, THE FEDERAL ONE FUNDED BY THE 75-CENT SURCHARGE ON EVERY VACCINE. SO THERE IS NOT NECESSARY QUESTION THAT VACCINES, LIKE ANY OTHER DRUG, CAN CAUSE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS IN A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE PEOPLE. THAT’S NOT, THAT’S NOT SURPRISING, IT’S NOT NECESSARILY SHOCKING OR BAD. THE QUESTION IS, THOUGH, IS AUTISM ONE OF THE KINDS OF DAMAGES VACCINES CAN CAUSE? I THINK THAT’S VERY MUCH WHERE WE’RE HEADED HERE. Host: I DIDN’T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT YOU SAY THERE ARE THREE SPECIAL MASTERS THAT ARE HEARING THIS CASE. | |
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| 00:22:37 | DENISE VOWELL, A FORMER ARMY CHIEF TRIAL JUDGE, PATRICIA CAMPBELL-SMITH, A FORMER ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER AND FEDERAL CLAIMS COURT CLERK AND GEORGE HASTINGS, A FORMER TAX CLAIMS EXPERT AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHY THEY PICKED THESE THREE? Guest: I DON’T. Host: NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, YOU’RE ON THE AIR WITH DAN OLMSTED OF “UPI.” WE’RE TALKING ABOUT AUTISM. >> Caller: THANK YOU. MR. OLMSTED, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. I’D LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE THIS INFORMATION, WHAT IS THE RACIAL MAKE-UP BY PERCENTAGE OF THE PEOPLE WITH THIS DISEASE, BY WHITE, BLACK, ASIAN, HISPANIC? AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS, RELATIVE TO GEOGRAPHY. IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR PART OF THE COUNTRY WHERE WE SEE THIS MORE PREVALENT THAN IN ANY PART OF THE COUNTRY, TALKING ABOUT THE UNITED STATES? AND I’M GOING TO TAKE IT OFF THE AIR, BUT I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Guest: THANK YOU. UM, I’M NOT EXACTLY SURE ABOUT THE RACIAL DISPARITIES. | |
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| 00:23:32 | IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS LARGELY A PHENOMENON OF WHITE UPPER CLASS PEOPLE, WHICH IS INTERESTING IN ITSELF. I THINK THAT IT HAS SPREAD OUT PRETTY WIDELY. I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SLIGHT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GENDERS. CERTAINLY BETWEEN — I’M SORRY, BETWEEN RACES. CERTAINLY BETWEEN GENDERS THERE IS. IT’S LIKE A FOUR TO ONE RATIO BOYS TO GIRLS. GEOGRAPHICALLY, YES, THE RECENT CDC STUDY THAT FOUND AN AVERAGE OF 1 IN 150 CASES, IT WAS EVERYTHING FROM 1 IN 98 IN NEW JERSEY, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY HIGH, TO A MUCH LOWER RATE IN ALABAMA AND A COUPLE OF OTHER PLACES. AND THE QUESTION WAS, WELL, ARE THERE MORE TOXIC DUMPS IN NEW JERSEY THAT ARE PUTTING OUT THINGS THAT COULD BE CAUSING THIS, OR IS IT JUST THAT THAT’S A STATE THAT HAS A GOOD REPORTING SYSTEM, AND ALABAMA MAY BE FURTHER BEHIND ON THAT? IT’S, AGAIN, ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT WE JUST DON’T QUITE UNDERSTAND YET. >> Host: TWO E-MAILS. THERE IS A THEORY THAT CHILDREN OF FATHERS WHO ARE OVER 40 YEARS OLD ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE AUTISTIC. PLEASE COMMENT, L.RUBIN. Guest: THAT’S AN INTERESTING STUDY. I WROTE ABOUT THAT. I DON’T THINK IT WAS A POWERFUL ENOUGH SET OF DATA TO BE CONCLUSIVE. | |
| 00:24:44 | BUT YOU KNOW, THAT MAY BE AN EFFECT. I THINK IT WOULD NOT BE AN OVERWHELMING EFFECT. I DON’T THINK THERE HAVE BEEN ENOUGH FATHERS THAT MUCH OLDER IN THE PAST 20 YEARS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE A TEN-FOLD INCREASE IN AUTISM. IT COULD EXPLAIN PART OF IT, AND IT COULD BE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE GENES ARE DAMAGED, EITHER BY SPONTANEOUS MUTATIONS OR BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS GOT INTO THE FATHER’S DNA, AS WELL. SO AGAIN, I’M NOT SURE WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN, BUT IT’S PLAUSIBLE. Host: DARRYL HILLER, PLEASE ASK YOUR GUEST ABOUT EARLY DENTAL WORK WITH MERCURY CONTAINING AMALGAMS AND METAL CROWNS. Guest: FILLINGS ARE NOT MY SPECIALITY. Host: TIME FOR TWO MORE CALLS. | |
| 00:25:34 | NORTH ROYALTON, OHIO. ARE YOU WITH US? Caller: YES, I AM REALLY NERVOUS. MY HANDS ARE SHAKING, SO BEAR WITH ME HERE. >> Host: NO PROBLEM. Caller: I THINK THAT MY PET PEEVE ABOUT THIS WHOLE THING HAS BEEN THE MEDIA COVERAGE. | |
| 00:25:44 | I MEAN, I COULD GO ON ABOUT THIS FOREVER, BUT JUST NOT KNOWING WHERE TO START, THAT’S BEEN MY MAIN PEEVE. THE COVERAGE HAS BEEN STRICTLY, UP UNTILTHIS PROGRAM, WHAT I HAVE SEEN HAS BEEN THERE IS NO LINK, THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE HERE, LET’S MOVE ALONG NOW. YOU WOULD THINK BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME THE MEDIA HAS SPENT TALKING TO THE FAMILIES, FRIENDS, SCIENTISTS, DOCTORS, PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE PLAINTIFFS, THAT THEY HAD NOTHING, NO FACTS, NOTHING TO STAND ON. IT’S REALLY DISTURBING TO ME. Host: ALL RIGHT, CALLER, THANK YOU. LET’S LEAVE IT THERE. Guest: WELL, I WOULD BASICALLY AGREE WITH THAT. I THINK THAT THE TONE OF MOST OF THE BIG MEDIA COVERAGE, NOT ALL OF IT, HAS BEEN THAT THESE POOR PARENTS ARE SO MISGUIDED, AND THEY’RE THREATENING THE VACCINE COVERAGE THAT SAVES US FROM SERIOUS DISEASES. | |
| 00:26:28 | UNLESS ATTENTION HAS BEEN PAID TO THE STORIES THEY TELL, WHICH AS I SAID I THINK ARE QUITE COMPELLING, WE DID AN ARTICLE ON THIS LAST YEAR AND THEY BASICALLY SAID THAT THE PRESS SAYS NO CONNECTION TO AUTISM. THE FACTS SAY MAYBE. AND I’M IN THE CAMP WITH THE FACTS SAY MAYBE. Host: LAST CALL, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. YOU HAVE ABOUT 30 SECONDS. Caller: MR. OLMSTED, IF YOU WERE TO HAVE A BABY TODAY, HAVING DONE ALL THE RESEARCH THAT YOU’VE DONE, WHAT WOULD YOUR VACCINATION — WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THE VACCINATION? WOULD YOU VACCINATE? Host: THANK YOU, CALLER. Guest: I THINK I WOULD FOLLOW WHAT SOME PEOPLE WOULD DESCRIBE TO BE PRUDENT TRACK, WHERE I’M NOT SURE PERSONALLY — SHE’S ASKING ME PERSONALLY. | |
| 00:27:27 | I’M NOT SURE PERSONALLY, THE HEPATITIS B SHOT ON THE DAY OF BIRTH FOR A DISEASE, A DISORDER THAT COMES FROM AN INTRAVENUS DRUG USE AND PREMISTOUS SEX IS ESSENTIAL. I WOULD QUESTION WHETHER A CHICKENPOX SHOT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN MY CHILD’S LIFE. BUT I WOULD, I DON’T WANT ANYBODY I KNOW, INCLUDING A CHILD TO GET PO LINK O OR DIPTHERIA OR TETANUS. THESE WILL KILL YOU. SO IT’S NOT AN EITHER/ORR SITUATION. Host: DAN OLMSTED WRITES THE “AGE OF AUTISM” FEATURE FOR UPI. >> UNDER SPECIAL REPORTING. >> Host: THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. WE’LL SEE YOU TOMORROW ON “THE | |
| 00:28:17 | JOURNAL.” |
*This text was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.
PEOPLE IN THIS VIDEO
- Dan OlmstedSenior EditorUnited Press International
- Peter SlenSenior Executive ProducerC-SPAN->Book TV
International Badass Activists 
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