Vaccine-Induced Autism
Vaccine-induced autism is an issue that has come to the foreground in recent years as more and more children are being diagnosed with this once rare condition. At issue with regard to vaccine-induced autism is the use of an ingredient known as thimerosal, a controversial mercury-based preservative that was widely used in vaccines. The use of thimerosal is believed by many to be at the root of vaccine-induced autism.
The Vaccine Act and Autism
The Office of Special Masters of the Court of Federal Claims is an independent court that adjudicates claims under the Vaccine Act of 1986. Such claims can be brought by people who have suffered an injury due to certain compulsory childhood vaccines. The injured child or his/her parents can use this Office of Special Masters to petition the U.S. government for financial compensation for their losses.
The Vaccine Act shifts responsibility for money awards from vaccine manufacturers to the Federal government. The money comes from a fee charged with the cost of vaccinations. Of the many requirements for a successful claim, the injured party must show that the vaccine was a substantial factor in causing the autism and that the autism would not have occurred without the vaccine.
A Breakthrough Case
In early 2008, this Office of Special Masters acknowledged that vaccine-induced autism may have occurred in a specific child’s case: In 2000, toddler Hannah Poling received five vaccinations in a single day. Two days later, she developed a high fever and encephalopathy that evolved into autism. Her case was brought to the Office of Special Masters.
The acknowledgment by the Office of Special Masters is a vindication for parents who have been saying for years that vaccine-induced autism exists, and for others who have pointed out that the thimerosal in childhood vaccines is dangerous.
Too Late for Some?
In fact, pediatricians (in addition to parents) acted to get thimerosal in childhood vaccines banned. The present limits on thimerosal use in vaccines and inoculations may have come too late for some children, however. The rates of autism and “autism spectrum disorders” (ASDs) have skyrocketed over the past 20 years. Autism and ASDs now affect approximately 1 in 150 children in the U.S., and many critics have pointed to vaccines, inoculations, and thimerosal.
Learn More about Vaccine-Induced Autism
If your child has been diagnosed with autism or an ASD and you have questions about vaccines, contact Brett Oppenheimer in Louisville, Kentucky for answers.
