Vaccination Issue Put To Bed

External Since: Mar 19, 2008 Posts: 7

Wed September 3, 2008
No link between measles vaccine and autism
Study disputes Wakefield theory linking vaccine to autism

New study published in the journal of the Public Library of Science,
PLoS ONE

Autism Society of America cautions more research is needed

(CNN) -- The Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine causes neither autism
nor gastrointestinal disorders, a study reported Wednesday, disputing
a theory that has persisted for a decade.

A researcher had theorized that the measles vaccine caused
gastrointestinal problems that he linked to autism.

The theory was created in 1998, when British researcher Andrew
Wakefield published studies that suggested the measles vaccine caused
gastrointestinal problems and that those GI problems led to autism.

W. Ian Lipkin of Columbia University in New York, who co-authored the
most recent study, said Wakefield theorized that the virus used in the
vaccine grew in the intestinal tract, leading to inflammation that
made the bowel porous. That allowed material to seep from the bowel
into the blood, Wakefield's theory surmised, affecting the nervous
system and causing autism.

In Wednesday's study, the researchers replicated key parts of
Wakefield's original study to determine whether the vaccine causes
autism and GI problems, said Mady Hornig, a study co-author. Irish
pathologist John O'Leary, co-author of Wakefield's studies that
supported the autism link, also is a co-author of the new study.

O'Leary and the other researchers looked for evidence of the measles
vaccine in children's intestines after they had been vaccinated and
sought to determine whether their GI problems and autism symptoms
occurred before or after they were vaccinated.

They analyzed samples taken from 38 children with bowel disorders, 25
of whom also had autism. The investigators found only one child in
each group had trace amounts of the measles virus in their samples.

The samples were analyzed at Columbia and at a laboratory of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as at O'Leary's
lab -- the same one Wakefield used for his original studies.

The conclusion: "no evidence" linked the vaccine to either autism or
GI disorders, Lipkin said.

They also said they found no relationship between the timing of the
vaccine and children getting GI disorders or autism.

"This really puts this issue to bed," said Andy Shih, vice president
for scientific affairs of "Autism Speaks," an advocacy group.

Dr. William Schaffner, vaccine expert and chairman of preventive
medicine at Vanderbilt University, called the study results
"conclusive." Watch more on the measles vaccine study »

Dr. Neal Halsey, a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins Children's Center who
specializes in infectious diseases, told CNN, "They have shown the
Wakefield study was incorrect." The new study shows "there's no
temporal relationship between the vaccines and the gastrointestinal
disorders and autism."

But the Autism Society of America cautioned that the cause of autism
is complex and more research is needed to fully understand the role,
if any, of the vaccine.

Another autism advocacy group, the National Autism Association (NAA),
said the study is flawed.

"This new study does nothing to resolve the controversy whether MMR
vaccine has contributed to the autism epidemic," said a press release
from the group.

Wendy Fournier, an NAA spokeswoman, told CNN Thursday that the new
study raises more questions than answers and should have looked at
more children who developed autism and GI problems after they received
the vaccine.

Only 5 children in the Columbia study were vaccinated before they
developed GI symptoms and autism.

According to the CDC, measles is a highly infectious disease that can
result in severe, sometimes permanent, complications -- even death.

Measles remains widespread in most countries, but widespread
vaccination has limited its spread in the United States.

Some parents, familiar with the Wakefield theory's putative link
between vaccine and autism, have chosen not to vaccinate their
children.

Last month, the CDC reported 131 cases of measles in the United States
in the first seven months of the year, of which 112 were either among
unvaccinated children or children whose vaccination status was
unknown.

Halsey hopes this new research will help convince new parents that
(the MMR) vaccination is safe.

The study is published in the peer-reviewed online journal of the
Public Library of Science, PLoS ONE.

Who loves ya.
Tom

Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http://tinyurl.com/634q5a

Man Is A Herbivore!
http://tinyurl.com/4rq595

DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk

External Since: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 2

Wed September 3, 2008
No link between measles vaccine and autism
Study disputes Wakefield theory linking vaccine to autism

New study published in the journal of the Public Library of Science,
PLoS ONE

Autism Society of America cautions more research is needed

(CNN) -- The Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine causes neither
autism
nor gastrointestinal disorders, a study reported Wednesday, disputing
a theory that has persisted for a decade.

A researcher had theorized that the measles vaccine caused
gastrointestinal problems that he linked to autism.

The theory was created in 1998, when British researcher Andrew
Wakefield published studies that suggested the measles vaccine caused
gastrointestinal problems and that those GI problems led to autism.

W. Ian Lipkin of Columbia University in New York, who co-authored the
most recent study, said Wakefield theorized that the virus used in
the
vaccine grew in the intestinal tract, leading to inflammation that
made the bowel porous. That allowed material to seep from the bowel
into the blood, Wakefield's theory surmised, affecting the nervous
system and causing autism.

In Wednesday's study, the researchers replicated key parts of
Wakefield's original study to determine whether the vaccine causes
autism and GI problems, said Mady Hornig, a study co-author. Irish
pathologist John O'Leary, co-author of Wakefield's studies that
supported the autism link, also is a co-author of the new study.

O'Leary and the other researchers looked for evidence of the measles
vaccine in children's intestines after they had been vaccinated and
sought to determine whether their GI problems and autism symptoms
occurred before or after they were vaccinated.

They analyzed samples taken from 38 children with bowel disorders, 25
of whom also had autism. The investigators found only one child in
each group had trace amounts of the measles virus in their samples.

The samples were analyzed at Columbia and at a laboratory of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as at O'Leary's
lab -- the same one Wakefield used for his original studies.

The conclusion: "no evidence" linked the vaccine to either autism or
GI disorders, Lipkin said.

They also said they found no relationship between the timing of the
vaccine and children getting GI disorders or autism.

"This really puts this issue to bed," said Andy Shih, vice president
for scientific affairs of "Autism Speaks," an advocacy group.

Dr. William Schaffner, vaccine expert and chairman of preventive
medicine at Vanderbilt University, called the study results
"conclusive." Watch more on the measles vaccine study »

Dr. Neal Halsey, a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins Children's Center
who
specializes in infectious diseases, told CNN, "They have shown the
Wakefield study was incorrect." The new study shows "there's no
temporal relationship between the vaccines and the gastrointestinal
disorders and autism."

But the Autism Society of America cautioned that the cause of autism
is complex and more research is needed to fully understand the role,
if any, of the vaccine.

Another autism advocacy group, the National Autism Association (NAA),
said the study is flawed.

"This new study does nothing to resolve the controversy whether MMR
vaccine has contributed to the autism epidemic," said a press release
from the group.

Wendy Fournier, an NAA spokeswoman, told CNN Thursday that the new
study raises more questions than answers and should have looked at
more children who developed autism and GI problems after they
received
the vaccine.

Only 5 children in the Columbia study were vaccinated before they
developed GI symptoms and autism.

According to the CDC, measles is a highly infectious disease that can
result in severe, sometimes permanent, complications -- even death.

Measles remains widespread in most countries, but widespread
vaccination has limited its spread in the United States.

Some parents, familiar with the Wakefield theory's putative link
between vaccine and autism, have chosen not to vaccinate their
children.

Last month, the CDC reported 131 cases of measles in the United
States
in the first seven months of the year, of which 112 were either among
unvaccinated children or children whose vaccination status was
unknown.

Halsey hopes this new research will help convince new parents that
(the MMR) vaccination is safe.

The study is published in the peer-reviewed online journal of the
Public Library of Science, PLoS ONE.

Who loves ya.
Tom

Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http://tinyurl.com/634q5a

Man Is A Herbivore!
http://tinyurl.com/4rq595

DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk