Autism / Vaccine Case Not The First

Despite a certain blogger practically dancing in the streets yesterday about this case where this 9-year-old girl's family was paid from the federal vaccine injury fund, apparently the case is not unprecedented in the slightest and still considered quite rare.

What is interesting though is that, yes, based on this case and a handful of others, it does appear possible that SOMETHING in the childhood vaccines IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER CONDITIONS can trigger autism symptoms.

Of course the reason that I've been dubious of a strong connection between thimerosal and autism is that nowhere near EVERYONE who gets vaccinated gets autism.

Also, the thimerosal preservative has been in used since before the Second World War, has been reduced in usage in recent years and the number of autism cases CONTINUE to climb.

Not that I wouldn't like to see a certain person compensated for the injuries to his son. God only knows the attitude in this country that there are too many environmental regulations has caused more human suffering than is ordinarily imaginable, but by this absolutely single-minded fixation that thimerosal is the ONLY cause of autism discourages continued hard research into the OTHER factors that may be involved.

My father and uncle were born 5 years apart, shortly before and during the Second World War.

They have both parents in common.

They received the same thimerosal-laced vaccines.

The one travels all around the world, visits his children and grandchildren regularly, and maybe once a year calls me at odd hours to get genealogical information.

The other couldn't even go to his own niece's wedding due to a crippling fear of being stranded in Dayton. He threatened a long-time friend with kidnapping charges for offering to take him to lunch. He nearly had a full-blown "Rain Man" scene when Kroger's stopped carrying a certain brand of high-bran cereal. He calls and wakes people up at 4am to tell them about a 50-year-old movie he watched the night before.

Let's not even get into his housekeeping habits.

There may be any number of factors involved. This sort of behavior is common in our family and almost always strikes the oldest male in the family. Although it strikes the oldest male through any combination of "gender flips" (in other words, the three major cases in my family have mothers from different families - reducing the possiblity of mitrochondria correlation). Sometimes the oldest female in the family will be affected, but to a much smaller degree.

So, at first glance, there would appear to be SOME genetic involvement.

And - are these family members of mine AS disabled as someone who cannot speak at all and spends all day banging his head against the wall? No.

Are they disabled to the point of needing special services?

YES!

Period.

End of story.

We need to continue to aggressively research ALL the factors involved in these conditions ...