As the headlines about the H1N1 (swine) flu and H1N1 vaccine dominate the news right now, the question of the safety of vaccines is in the background. The U.S. Government is on a whirlwind campaign to vaccinate in what they explain as an effort to control pandemic flu outbreaks. But people, especially parents of children with neurological based disorders like ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and autism, continue to question the safety of vaccines.
ADHD, ADD and autism do show connections to each other. In 2008, the University of Pittsburgh and the Western Psychiatric Institute of UPMC received $3 million from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct a study on the relationship between the two. According to Dr. Benjamin Handen, who leads the study, ADHD symptoms are common in children with autism. The study focuses on the idea that stimulant medications that are prescribed for ADHD do not always work with patients with autism.
History of Safety of Vaccines and Their Connection to Autism and ADHD
The following is a brief history of the association between autism, ADHD and vaccines:
- 1940s and 50s - Autism was primarily diagnosed in upper and upper-middle class families, those who could afford vaccinations.
- 1970s and 80s - The U.S. government set vaccination goal rates, targeting approximately 97% of the population vaccinated. Federal grants and strict enforcement guidelines were implemented
- Before the 1980s, only eight vaccines were mandated.
- Early 1990s -Autism rates are listed as 1 in 10,000
- By 2000, the number of required vaccines increased to 22
- Early 2000, 1 in 150 children diagnosed with autism
- Since 1997, according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) diagnosed ADHD increased at a rate of three percent per year. By 2006, the number of children aged 5-17 with ADHD was more than 4.5 million in the U.S.
- By 2009, the number of mandated vaccines has risen to 30, most of which are given in the first 18 months of a child's life.
- One in 91 children diagnosed with autism in 2009
After the implementation of multiple vaccines, autism began crossing class lines. (Source, K.N.O.W.Vaccines)
Current Information and Studies on the Safety of Vaccines and How Vaccination Relates to ADHD and Autism
The H1N1 flu vaccine is being pushed very hard by the U.S. government, but in October, 2009, questions of the vaccine's safety and necessity continue to prevail. Canadian press is reporting the possibility that a regular seasonal flu vaccine may actually increase the risk of acquiring H1N1 swine flu. The predominant worry for many parents is the fact that the H1N1 vaccine contains thimerosal, a controversial preservative with suspected links to autism. The rush to approve the H1N1 vaccine is another concern of the vaccine's safety.
Generation Rescue, an international organization made up of scientists, physicians and parent-volunteers researches the causes and treatments for autism and has helped more than 20,000 children begin biomedical treatment.
A commissioned study by the group compared more than 9000 vaccinated and unvaccinated children in Oregon and California. The results showed that vaccinated children were two and a half times, 155 percent, more likely to have neurological disorders like ADHD and autism.
In all counties but one (which had unreliable data) vaccinated boys were more likely to have:
- 279% Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- 146% more likely to have autism.
Generation Rescue explains that while the study does not implicate vaccines as cause of epidemic disease, the group suggests parents become more informed and encourage caution when considering vaccines, especially in boys.
The debate of safety and need of vaccines will no doubt continue until enough studies and reliable information is available to prove the efficacy and safety of multiple vaccinations.
Source: http://www.know-vaccines.org/autism.html
Elizabeth Richards - Elizabeth Richards has published almost 200 articles for Suite101 since 2007 as a Contributing and Feature Writer.
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