Pat Sullivan Blog

"Were your kids vaccinated? What happened?" 17,000 people reply (Update 2)

(Posted on 6-2-07 by Patrick Sullivan Jr., bumped on 6-29)

JB and the GenerationRescue crew are ready to throw another log on the fire. 

"We surveyed over 9,000 boys in California and Oregon and found that vaccinated boys had a 155% greater chance of having a neurological disorder like ADHD or autism than unvaccinated boys." -Generation Rescue, June 26, 2007

Some local news coverage (transcript, video).

Btw, this line from that coverage is mundane when you read it, but it's dripping with sarcasm and arrogance when you hear the soundbite: 

But Dr. Mark Sawyer, a professor of pediatrics, says a similar study was done by scientists in Denmark and it found no link between autism and vaccines.

You mean this study?  (Starting at the 11th paragraph.)  Yeah, no reasonable person could learn that and have any complaints about the Denmark study.

UPDATE: In my inbox from Clifford Miller, a (non-vaccine) lawyer in the UK, who regular readers may remember from the post On Evidence...

To clarify how serious the implications of the new information from the Generation Rescue study California-Oregon Unvaccinated Survey - Generation Rescue - June 26, 2007 is, this study shows we are killing and injuring vastly more with vaccines than without.

The implications with figures are spelt out below.  The Generation Rescue study also showed more than twice as many vaccinated children have asthma.  This is in addition to the relative risk for autism being more than double. 

If you raise this with your political representatives, you should point out this is not like a voter's exit poll telling us there is a 3% "swing" from one party to another.  If we had results like this in an election the party in government would be facing extinction. These figures show relative risks higher than 2 - that is greater than a 100% "swing".

By way of comparison I attach logarithmically plotted graphs of measles mortality in the UK and in the USA showing today without vaccine UK measles mortality would be less than 1 in 55 million and the position is similar in the USA. Graph 1 (pdf), Graph 2 (pdf)  And here are the Asthma Death And Injury Figures (Word doc)

When I first entered this "is autism caused by mercury" debate over two years ago, I would not have considered myself to be an anti-vaxer.  In fact, I regularly recommended the article, A User-Friendly Vaccination Schedule to my friends.  But it's things like these scare prospective parents such as myself.  I'm no genius, but I'm informed enough not to sheepishly comply with any and all vaccinations for my future kids.

UPDATE 2: Another update from Cliff...and this is a good one!

Generation Rescue's very impressive advertisment "Are We Over Vaccinating Our Kids" appeared in the US politician's newspaper "Roll Call" in Washington DC.

Generation Rescue has mounted a high profile campaign in the US.

Roll Call newspaper is considered the leading publication for Congressional news and information. Published Monday through Thursday while Congress is in session, Roll Call sets out to provide US national politicians with up-to-the-minute news of the legislative and political manoeuvres that happen every day on Capitol Hill.

Honestly, you have to take 45 seconds and read the ad.

"52% of Dentists no longer place Mercury Amalgams", Jigsaw Health Foundation Newsletter

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

In my inbox from Colleen Skipper, the Executive Director of the Jigsaw Health Foundation:

Dear Friends of Jigsaw Health Foundation,

Summer is here!  I hope you all are enjoying the warmer weather and longer days.  I know I am!

In this edition:

• Beneficiary Updates
• Dentists Split Over Amalgam
• Dental Workers File Claims in Norway
• FDA Abandons Pro-Mercury Fillings Policy

We are very happy that our beneficiaries continue to make improvements.  We will be adding to our list of beneficiaries in July and will have more to report soon.

Read the latest newsletter (pdf).

FDA Abandons Pro-Mercury Fillings Policy--To Propose New Rule

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

Wow!!  Can you say, "Progress!"  This is great news!!  In short, the FDA has agreed to leave the ADA high and dry.  Here's the rest from Charlie Brown, the National Counsel at Consumers for Dental Choice, of which I am a board member.

FDA Abandons Pro-Mercury Fillings Policy -- Will Propose New Rule

An intense set of interactions with FDA since the Court of Appeals opinion on April 13 has borne fruit.  On April 19, we advised FDA of liability exposure of key staff, then on May 2 notified FDA lawyers that we had the papers prepared to file another lawsuit unless FDA wanted to meet.  On May 10, top FDA officials met with food and drug law expert Jim Turner and me; we gave FDA a month to change course -- else we would return to court.

FDA responded -- favorably.  Hemmed in by its own scientific panel, facing another lawsuit from us, challenged by an increasingly aroused public, and unable to justify a policy that this mercury is somehow different from the mercury in medicines for dogs or fish for humans, FDA changed course.  On June 14, FDA’s lawyer notified me, by phone and in writing (e-mail is below) that FDA will write an entirely new regulation on mercury fillings. It is the harbinger of hope we may have been seeking from this powerful agency.

Here’s what it means: 

  1) The great news:  FDA abandons its policy (expressed in its proposed regulation of 2002) to write into law a sleazy special-interest rule prohibiting warnings, covering up the existence of mercury, and maintaining mercury exposure’s side effect is “allergies.”  After a five-year battle, we broke the A.D.A.’s stranglehold over FDA policy.

  2) The bad news:  Today, and tomorrow, the ugly status quo remains.  Dentists deceive parents by calling the fillings silver.  Toxic mercury fillings are still the choice of the assembly-line dentists working on our soldiers, our youth, our minorities, and our working poor.  FDA gives no timetable to propose its new regulation.

  3) The mystery:  With an in-house fight apparently going on between FDA reformers and FDA’s mercury protectors, the result is not predictable.  But at last, top officials are listening to our side -- Professor Boyd Haley, Dr. Rich Fischer, and Dr. Mike Fleming met June 22 with FDA’s Associate Commissioner for Science.  I have written FDA six questions about legally required steps.

We haven’t won – far from it.  But truly, the A.D.A. has lost.  FDA is no longer dancing to its tune.  The issue of mercury toxicity from amalgam will be the subject of a great national debate -- the news the A.D.A. and the pro-mercury dentists have long dreaded.

Let me not sugar-coat it: a major battle lies ahead as FDA determines its policy, and perhaps at FDA’s typical glacial speed.   We must vigilantly advocate our cause -- inside the agency, before the public, and if necessary back to the courts.  I welcome your views about our next step.  Grassroots activism by consumers, and speaking out by dentists and other health professionals, is more important than ever. 

Charlie Brown
24 June 2007

PS--Check our website, www.toxicteeth.org, for updates on FDA.

Charles G. Brown, National Counsel
Consumers for Dental Choice

NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS as of 6/27/07:
316 F St., N.E., Suite 212
Washington, DC 20002
ph 202.246-7642

E-mail from FDA’s lawyer to [Charles] Brown

From: Vicente, Wendy [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 2:09 PM
To: Charlie Brown
Subject: RE: Legal and Policy Reasons to Exit Mercury Fillings

Mr. Brown, as you requested, I am writing to memorialize our conversation today.  I called you to let you know that the agency intends to issue an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking regarding the classification of dental amalgam.  I also told you that the agency cannot commit to a specific date certain when this will issue. 

Wendy S. Vicente
Food & Drug Division, OGC
[email protected]
301-827-7138
301-827-7145 (facsimile)   

Awesome news!  Great work Charlie and team!!

Related Posts:
Web poll of mothers with autistics: Only 8% never had a single mercury amalgam (aka. silver filling)
Ruling in Moms Against Mercury, et al vs. FDA

Scott Shoemaker and his son are in the news again

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

Regular readers know that Scott Shoemaker and his son are one of the autism chelation success stories.  Having watched the story, the TV stuff, and the interviews progress over the past two years (two years?! wow!) it's really great to see Joshua doing so well.

The latest video starts with coverage of the Vaccine trial, then jumps to the story about the Shoemakers.

Vaccine Exemptions

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

In my inbox:

Dear Vaccine-Awareness Friends and Supporters,

I'm pleased to announce that the Vaccine Rights website is now open for visitors. Please drop by!

Please consider adding a link to your web page if you have one (link exchange requests welcome!), and sharing this site with your contacts. Thank you!

ABOUT VACCINE RIGHTS DOT COM:

As far as I know, this is the first and only site on the web dedicated to vaccine exemptions, and the only website with exemption information that is backed by a licensed attorney who has thoroughly researched, and actively practices in, this specific area of the law.

This site has:

1. Free information about vaccine exemptions on the "Information" page (along with articles about other vaccine-related legal matters);

2. An extensive and growing list of Questions and Answers on the "Q&A" page (new submissions welcome!)

3. A growing list of related links on the "Links" tab/link (new submissions welcome!);

4. Information about upcoming free vaccine presentations that will include vaccine exemption information;

5. Information about resources available for purchase for those who may wish to have more in-depth, formal legal support and assistance (consultations, new e-book);

6. Information about the attorney (that would be me--my background, unsolicited feedback from clients and contacts ("testimonials"), and links to my attorney web site.

Feedback, comments and questions about this site are welcome.

Thank you for your kind consideration of the above.

Alan G. Phillips, Esq.
P.O. Box 3473, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-3473
www.alanphillipslaw.com

14% of Americans Happy with Congress; Could pollsters have really found that many lobbyists and illegal immigrants for the survey?

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

Some funny commentary by Jon Sanders on a new survey about American's (lack of) confidence in Congress.  Also funny because he compares it to other national surveys, like how many people believe that Elvis is still alive and how many people believe in UFOs.

Autism Debate Rages On

This is absolutely the best summary of the things we have tried to say here on this blog regarding the possible link between Autism and Vaccines. In an article entitled "Autism:Why the Debate Rages" written by Sharyl Attkisson, CBS does one of the most fair and balanced treatments of the autism debate that I have ever seen. It answers why, after all the so-called experts have repeatedly said there is no link, parents of children with autism, and other scientists simply refuse to accept what they say.

I believe the massive fund created to compensate people damaged by vaccines, which sits relatively unused, should now be used to help parents pay the enormous costs of raising and hopefully recovering the children damaged (mostly since 1991 when the number of vaccines dramatically increased) by vaccines.

Web poll of mothers with autistics: Only 8% never had a single mercury amalgam (aka. silver filling)

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

On March 22, 2007 I started a poll on the EOHarm Yahoo! group.  There were 112 respondents, presumably all mothers of autistic children.  Only 10 (8%) had never had a single mercury amalgam.

I went googling for a few minutes to try and find the rate at which the population has amalgams.  I think I remember reading that it's 70%.  But I couldn't find what I was looking for.  Anyone care to do my homework for me? ;-)

I did stumble on this relevant pieces from page 7 of Scientific Case Against Mercury Amalgams (pdf):

Does amalgam use in dentistry really provide the unborn with a prenatal body burden of mercury?

Two more experiments by Vimy, Lorscheider and associates at the University of Calgary Medical School, supported by the IAOMT, provide some insight into the issue of amalgam–derived mercury exposure to the fetus and infant.

In the first, five pregnant ewes, at about 112 days of gestation, were fit with indwelling catheters that allowed the researchers to collect serial samples of maternal and fetal blood, amniotic fluid, plus maternal feces and urine. Each sheep received twelve occlusal amalgam fillings labeled with radioactive 203Hg, as did the sheep in the original study.

The various body fluid samples were collected for sixteen days, after which the sheep were sacrificed at intervals and tissue samples were analyzed for radioactive mercury. They found that the amalgam–derived mercury appeared in maternal and fetal fluids within two days of amalgam placement. Radioactive mercury was found in all post-mortem tissues studied. Tissue concentrations achieved steady state levels after about a month, levels that were maintained throughout the 140 day course of the experiment.

The fact that tissue concentrations did not decline with time, as they would have with an acute, one time dose, implies that there was an ongoing exposure from the radioactive amalgam fillings. As before, the mothers concentrated the most mercury in the kidneys and liver, while the fetuses concentrated it in the liver and pituitary gland. Mercury concentration in the fetal blood was actually higher than in the maternal blood.

In the second study, pregnant ewes received radioactive amalgams as before, and then nursed either their own lambs or foster lambs that had not been exposed to radioactive mercury in the womb. In the womb, the fetal lambs accumulated more mercury in the liver, while after birth the kidneys became the primary site of accumulation. Measurable quantities of radioactive mercury appeared in the tissues of both amalgam–bred lambs and those only nursed by amalgam–bearing ewes.

These studies are consistent with the work of other groups. For example, previous animal studies have shown that when the mother is exposed to Hg0, the form of mercury that is emitted from amalgam, fetal tissues take up more mercury than when the mother is exposed to Hg2+. Drasch, et. al. studied autopsy samples from human still births and early post natal deaths. They found that the mercury concentration in the infants’ kidneys, liver and cerebral cortex correlated significantly with the mother’s amalgam scores. Two labs also found that mercury concentration in human breast milk correlated significantly with the mothers’ amalgam scores.

Mercury amalgams don't get near as much press as thimerosal, but they should.

Jigsaw Bars are Buy 1 Get 1 Free

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

FYI...we're running a limited time offer on Jigsaw Bars.

We've had some awesome reviews from Gluten-free and Celiac bloggers...

"These are especially great if you are avoiding soy. Kim loves'em. These would be a handy snack to carry around in case you get in a gluten-free food scarcity bind." - Blogger CeliacChicks.com

"Bottom line: these Jigsaw Bars are really good! My wife and I both came to the same conclusion that the Jigsaw Bars are definitely a cut above the other products, for various reasons." - Gluten Free Blog

"They are about the same price as others that are gluten free, casein free, soy free and they really are quite good. " - Blogger The Gluten Free Vegan

"I thought I'd really go for the chocolate flavoured ones, but I really loved the coconut and almond ones .... and I dont like coconut." - Blogger A Gluten Free Journey

"This is a truly satisfying and nutritious bar that is not parading as a glorified candy bar, and you would never even guess that it is gluten free." - Blogger Celiac Food Reviews

New Look for the Blog

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

Thanks to my sister Karin, the "Pat & Pat Show" now has a new slimmed down and simplified look.  (And the code is a heck of a lot easier to manage thanks to some much needed improvements to TypePad.)  All the posts and links should be bug-free, but who knows.  "After all, this is software." as Pat likes to say.

Neither Pat nor myself have been very diligent about posting in the past few months, but with this new look and all the news and controversy kicking up again in the autism world, I'm hoping to get back on the wagon.