Vaccines and Autism: the suppressed/dismissed children and the suppressed/dismissed studies
On Wednesday, April 16, RFK Jr. gave a historic speech addressing the autism epidemic. He provided some daunting statistics pointing to a growing epidemic, described the plight of severely autistic children and their families and highlighted the need to explore environmental causes.
For the briefest of moments, some of my friends who have been drowning in constant efforts to keep their families afloat amidst struggles with severe autism, finally felt seen.
But they were quickly reminded that they’re not allowed to be seen. Just like the inconvenient science.
A Narrative Powered by Gaslight
The current autism narrative is designed to convince the public that A) there is no science that show vaccines cause autism, and B) acknowledging and addressing the devastation of severe autism is offensive and disparages others with autism.
It relies on suppressing the suffering of families who experience the worst of what autism has to offer as well as the science that links vaccines and their ingredients to the brain inflammation and toxicity that leads to autism.
Here’s what RFK said referring to the 25% of children who suffer with severe autism:
Autism destroys families, but more importantly, it destroys our greatest resources which is our children. These are children who should not be suffering like this. These are kids who many of them were functional, but regressed because of some sort of environmental exposure. These are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date, many of them will never use a toilet unassisted. And we have to recognize that we are doing this to our children, and we need to put an end to it.
Elizabeth Warren calls this disgusting and dangerous lies.
Paul Offit calls it “overdramatizing.”
He points to the couples from “Love on the Spectrum” to prove his point. But the autism you see on TV is the autism you’re allowed to see. It’s the autism that makes you think how dare you? when you hear someone say children with autism will never play baseball.
Yet it’s the parents of those children who initially approached RFK Jr. These are the parents he listened to when no one else would, and he’s trying to help them.
Consider this thoughtful response from my friend Sandy Simon Spaetti:
Mommas and Daddys, please understand, he was not insulting your children. He knows that you love them and value them and would lay down your life for them. He wants to help them. Knowledge is power. He’s seeking causal understanding. He also knows, and surely you’d agree, that given the choice, you’d prefer your precious child not have the struggles, regardless of their place on the spectrum.
You’d prefer your precious child not have overwhelming sensory issues.
You’d prefer your precious child not have the social/emotional struggles they do.
You’d prefer your child be able to verbalize their thoughts, feelings, desires and ideas.
You’d prefer your child not have persistent stomach/digestive/bowel problems.
You’d prefer your child not be compelled to self-harm.
You’d prefer your child be a typical learner.
You’d prefer your child be able to express their highly intelligent ideas instead of them being locked inside, unable to communicate.
You’d prefer your child be able to toilet train.
You’d prefer your child not have daily seizures.
You’d prefer your child not have the struggles, whatever those struggles may be.
Surely you can admit that your child’s struggles have impacted your family dynamic.
When a child struggles, the entire family is in crisis. Everyone is impacted.
That doesn’t mean the child isn’t loved and cherished deeply.
That doesn’t mean the child is without value.
Some of the sweetest, most loving, most beautiful souls I’ve ever known have been non-typical/atypical/neurodivergent.
(I recommend reading her entire post.)
The suffering is very real.
You can listen to a message from mothers of vaccine-injured children here.
So why are so many people offended?
It feels very much like a carefully curated campaign to seed misunderstanding and fuel public outrage and division. Because if powerful people can trigger the public to jump to conclusions quickly, they’re less likely to seek deeper understanding. Instead, they’ll be offended and denounce RFK Jr. while those who were complicit in creating and profiting from this public health catastrophe evade responsibility.
From The Hill:
Kennedy’s language when speaking about HHS’s plan to find a cause for autism spectrum disorder is also “harmful,” (Autism Society of America’s Chief Marketing Officer Kristyn) Roth said, particularly his comments suggesting that those with the condition will never be productive members of society.
Kennedy falsely claimed during the press conference this week that most cases of autism spectrum disorder are now severe and that the condition “destroys families.”
“These are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go on a date,” he told reporters. “Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted. And we need to recognize that we are doing this to our children.”
Roth called the comments “inaccurate” and said that Kennedy mischaracterized an entire community.
“So many people know and love someone [with autism] who can do all of those things.”
Since autism falls along a spectrum, there are many people with the condition who achieve complete independence, while others might need constant care. But even those people, Roth added, can lead “meaningful, quality lives.”
“To insinuate and define people’s experiences and inaccurately claim that autism destroys families is so harmful and destructive.”
Kennedy mischaracterized?
(You can start learning about how the Autism Society of America wants autism to be characterized here as it celebrates #AutismAcceptanceMonth.)
And about those studies… They exist, too. Read them (below).
A two-phase study evaluating the relationship between Thimerosal-containing vaccine administration and the risk for an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in the United States - 2013
the present study provides new epidemiological evidence supporting an association between increasing organic-Hg exposure from Thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines and the subsequent risk of an ASD diagnosis. http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3878266/
A positive association found between autism prevalence and childhood vaccination uptake across the U.S. population - 2011
A positive and statistically significant relationship was found: The higher the proportion of children receiving recommended vaccinations, the higher was the prevalence of AUT or SLI. A 1% increase in vaccination was associated with an additional 680 children having AUT or SLI. Neither parental behavior nor access to care affected the results, since vaccination proportions were not significantly related (statistically) to any other disability or to the number of pediatricians in a U.S. state. The results suggest that although mercury has been removed from many vaccines, other culprits may link vaccines to autism. Further study into the relationship between vaccines and autism is warranted. http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21623535
Commentary--Controversies surrounding mercury in vaccines: autism denial as impediment to universal immunisation
In 2004, the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) published a paper showing that there is no link between the age at which a child is vaccinated with MMR and the vaccinated children's risk of a subsequent diagnosis of autism. One of the authors, William Thompson, has now revealed that statistically significant information was deliberately omitted from the paper. Thompson first told Dr S Hooker, a researcher on autism, about the manipulation of the data. Hooker analysed the raw data from the CDC study afresh. He confirmed that the risk of autism among African American children vaccinated before the age of 2 years was 340% that of those vaccinated later.” 2014 http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25377033
Methodological issues and evidence of malfeasance in research purporting to show thimerosal in vaccines is safe - 2014
There are over 165 studies that have focused on Thimerosal, an organic-mercury (Hg) based compound, used as a preservative in many childhood vaccines, and found it to be harmful. Of these, 16 were conducted to specifically examine the effects of Thimerosal on human infants or children with reported outcomes of death; acrodynia; poisoning; allergic reaction; malformations; auto-immune reaction; Well's syndrome; developmental delay; and neurodevelopmental disorders, including tics, speech delay, language delay, attention deficit disorder, and autism. In contrast, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that Thimerosal is safe and there is "no relationship between [T]himerosal[-]containing vaccines and autism rates in children." This is puzzling because, in a study conducted directly by CDC epidemiologists, a 7.6-fold increased risk of autism from exposure to Thimerosal during infancy was found. The CDC's current stance that Thimerosal is safe and that there is no relationship between Thimerosal and autism is based on six specific published epidemiological studies coauthored and sponsored by the CDC. http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24995277
Abnormal measles-mumps-rubella antibodies and CNS autoimmunity in children with autism - 2002
Autoimmunity to the central nervous system (CNS), especially to myelin basic protein (MBP), may play a causal role in autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder. Because many autistic children harbor elevated levels of measles antibodies, we conducted a serological study of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and MBP autoantibodies… the MMR antibody in autistic sera detected measles HA protein, which is unique to the measles subunit of the vaccine. Furthermore, over 90% of MMR antibody-positive autistic sera were also positive for MBP autoantibodies, suggesting a strong association between MMR and CNS autoimmunity in autism. Stemming from this evidence, we suggest that an inappropriate antibody response to MMR, specifically the measles component thereof, might be related to pathogenesis of autism. http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12145534
Elevated levels of measles antibodies in children with autism - 2003
Virus-induced autoimmunity may play a causal role in autism. To examine the etiologic link of viruses in this brain disorder, we conducted a serologic study of measles virus, mumps virus, and rubella virus. …The level of measles antibody, but not mumps or rubella antibodies, was significantly higher in autistic children as compared with normal children (P = 0.003) or siblings of autistic children (P <or= 0.0001). Furthermore, immunoblotting of measles vaccine virus revealed that the antibody was directed against a protein of approximately 74 kd molecular weight. The antibody to this antigen was found in 83% of autistic children but not in normal children or siblings of autistic children. Thus autistic children have a hyperimmune response to measles virus, which in the absence of a wild type of measles infection might be a sign of an abnormal immune reaction to the vaccine strain or virus reactivation. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12849883/
Hepatitis B vaccination of male neonates and autism diagnosis, NHIS 1997-2002
Universal hepatitis B vaccination was recommended for U.S. newborns in 1991; however, safety findings are mixed. The association between hepatitis B vaccination of male neonates and parental report of autism diagnosis was determined…Boys vaccinated as neonates had threefold greater odds for autism diagnosis compared to boys never vaccinated or vaccinated after the first month of life. Non-Hispanic white boys were 64% less likely to have autism diagnosis relative to nonwhite boys. Findings suggest that U.S. male neonates vaccinated with the hepatitis B vaccine prior to 1999 (from vaccination record) had a threefold higher risk for parental report of autism diagnosis compared to boys not vaccinated as neonates during that same time period. Nonwhite boys bore a greater risk. - http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21058170
Do aluminum vaccine adjuvants contribute to the rising prevalence of autism?- 2011
By applying Hill's criteria for establishing causality between exposure and outcome we investigated whether exposure to Al from vaccines could be contributing to the rise in ASD prevalence in the Western world. Our results show that: (i) children from countries with the highest ASD prevalence appear to have the highest exposure to Al from vaccines; (ii) the increase in exposure to Al adjuvants significantly correlates with the increase in ASD prevalence in the United States observed over the last two decades (Pearson r=0.92, p<0.0001); and (iii) a significant correlation exists between the amounts of Al administered to preschool children and the current prevalence of ASD in seven Western countries, particularly at 3-4 months of age (Pearson r=0.89-0.94, p=0.0018-0.0248). The application of the Hill's criteria to these data indicates that the correlation between Al in vaccines and ASD may be causal. Because children represent a fraction of the population most at risk for complications following exposure to Al, a more rigorous evaluation of Al adjuvant safety seems warranted. http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22099159
What is regressive autism and why does it occur? Is it the consequence of multi-systemic dysfunction affecting the elimination of heavy metals and the ability to regulate neural temperature? - 2009
There is a compelling argument that the occurrence of regressive autism is attributable to genetic and chromosomal abnormalities, arising from the overuse of vaccines, which subsequently affects the stability and function of the autonomic nervous system and physiological systems… Failure of the excretory system influences elimination of heavy metals and facilitates their accumulation and subsequent manifestation as neurotoxins: the long-term consequences of which would lead to neurodegeneration, cognitive and developmental problems. It may also influence regulation of neural hyperthermia. This article explores the issues and concludes that sensory dysfunction and systemic failure, manifested as autism, is the inevitable consequence arising from subtle DNA alteration and consequently from the overuse of vaccines. http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3364648/
A case series of children with apparent mercury toxic encephalopathies manifesting with clinical symptoms of regressive autistic disorders - 2007
There was a significant dose-response relationship between the severity of the regressive ASDs observed and the total mercury dose children received from Thimerosal-containing vaccines/Rho (D)-immune globulin preparations. Based upon differential diagnoses, 8 of 9 patients examined were exposed to significant mercury from Thimerosal-containing biologic/vaccine preparations during their fetal/infant developmental periods, and subsequently, between 12 and 24 mo of age, these previously normally developing children suffered mercury toxic encephalopathies that manifested with clinical symptoms consistent with regressive ASDs. Evidence for mercury intoxication should be considered in the differential diagnosis as contributing to some regressive ASDs. http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17454560
A comprehensive review of mercury provoked autism -2008
Emerging evidence supports the theory that some autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) may result from a combination of genetic/biochemical susceptibility, specifically a reduced ability to excrete mercury (Hg), and exposure to Hg at critical developmental periods. http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19106436
Thimerosal Exposure and the Role of Sulfation Chemistry and Thiol Availability in Autism - 2013
http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3774468/
B-Lymphocytes from a Population of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Unaffected Siblings Exhibit Hypersensitivity to Thimerosal - 2013 http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3697751/
Theoretical aspects of autism: causes--a review - 2011
Documented causes of autism include genetic mutations and/or deletions, viral infections, and encephalitis following vaccination. http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21299355
Conjugate vaccines and autism - http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21907498
Autism: a novel form of mercury poisoning - 2001
Recent epidemiological studies suggest that autism may affect 1 in 150 US children. Exposure to mercury can cause immune, sensory, neurological, motor, and behavioral dysfunctions similar to traits defining or associated with autism, and the similarities extend to neuroanatomy, neurotransmitters, and biochemistry. Thimerosal, a preservative added to many vaccines, has become a major source of mercury in children who, within their first two years, may have received a quantity of mercury that exceeds safety guidelines. A review of medical literature and US government data suggests that: (i) many cases of idiopathic autism are induced by early mercury exposure from thimerosal; (ii) this type of autism represents an unrecognized mercurial syndrome; and (iii) genetic and non-genetic factors establish a predisposition whereby thimerosal's adverse effects occur only in some children. - http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11339848
A prospective study of thimerosal-containing Rho(D)-immune globulin administration as a risk factor for autistic disorders - 2007
Children with ASDs (28.30%) were significantly more likely (odds ratio 2.35, 95% confidence interval 1.17-4.52, p < 0.01) to have Rh-negative mothers than controls (14.36%). Each ASD patient's mother was determined to have been administered a TCR during her pregnancy. The results provide insights into the potential role prenatal mercury exposure may play in some children with ASDs. http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17674242
Hypothesis: conjugate vaccines may predispose children to autism spectrum disorders - 2011
Conjugate vaccines fundamentally change the manner in which the immune systems of infants and young children function by deviating their immune responses to the targeted carbohydrate antigens from a state of hypo-responsiveness to a robust B2 B cell mediated response. This period of hypo-responsiveness to carbohydrate antigens coincides with the intense myelination process in infants and young children, and conjugate vaccines may have disrupted evolutionary forces that favored early brain development over the need to protect infants and young children from capsular bacteria. http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21993250
The potential importance of steroids in the treatment of autistic spectrum disorders and other disorders involving mercury toxicity - 2005
Recently emerging evidence suggests that mercury, especially from childhood vaccines, appears to be a factor in the development of the autistic disorders, and that autistic children have higher than normal body-burdens of mercury. In considering mercury toxicity, it has previously been shown that testosterone significantly potentates mercury toxicity, whereas estrogen is protective. Examination of autistic children has shown that the severity of autistic disorders correlates with the amount of testosterone present in the amniotic fluid, and an examination of a case-series of autistic children has shown that some have plasma testosterone levels that were significantly elevated in comparison neurotypical control children. A review of some of the current biomedical therapies for autistics, such as glutathione and cysteine, chelation, secretin, and growth hormone, suggests that they may in fact lower testosterone levels. http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15780490
Reduced levels of mercury in first baby haircuts of autistic children - 2003 http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12933322
Cultured lymphocytes from autistic children and non-autistic siblings up-regulate heat shock protein RNA in response to thimerosal challenge - 2006 http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16870260
A possible central mechanism in autism spectrum disorders, part 1 - 2008
A careful review of ASD cases discloses a number of events that adhere to an immunoexcitotoxic mechanism. This mechanism explains the link between excessive vaccination, use of aluminum and ethylmercury as vaccine adjuvants, food allergies, gut dysbiosis, and abnormal formation of the developing brain. It has now been shown that chronic microglial activation is present in autistic brains from age 5 years to age 44 years. A considerable amount of evidence, both experimental and clinical, indicates that repeated microglial activation can initiate priming of the microglia and that subsequent stimulation can produce an exaggerated microglial response that can be prolonged. It is also known that one phenotypic form of microglia activation can result in an outpouring of neurotoxic levels of the excitotoxins, glutamate and quinolinic acid. Studies have shown that careful control of brain glutamate levels is essential to brain pathway development and that excesses can result in arrest of neural migration, as well as dendritic and synaptic loss. It has also been shown that certain cytokines, such as TNF-alpha, can, via its receptor, interact with glutamate receptors to enhance the neurotoxic reaction. To describe this interaction I have coined the term immunoexcitotoxicity, which is described in this article.http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19043938
The role of mercury in the pathogenesis of autism - 2002 http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12142947
The role of mercury in the pathogenesis of autism - 2014 http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24675092
And also this:
Prenatal Exposure to COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 Induces Autism-Like Behaviors in Male Neonatal Rats: Insights into WNT and BDNF Signaling Perturbations - 2024
Pregnant rats received the COVID-19 mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine during gestation. Subsequent evaluations on male and female offspring included autism-like behaviors, neuronal counts, and motor performance. …Our findings reveal that the mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine significantly alters WNT gene expression and BDNF levels in both male and female rats, suggesting a profound impact on key neurodevelopmental pathways. Notably, male rats exhibited pronounced autism-like behaviors, characterized by a marked reduction in social interaction and repetitive patterns of behavior. Furthermore, there was a substantial decrease in neuronal counts in critical brain regions, indicating potential neurodegeneration or altered neurodevelopment. Male rats also demonstrated impaired motor performance, evidenced by reduced coordination and agility. Our research provides insights into the effects of the COVID-19 mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine on WNT gene expression, BDNF levels, and certain neurodevelopmental markers in a rat model.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11064-023-04089-2
Vaccination and Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Study of Nine-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Medicaid - 2025
Preliminary studies comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children have reported that the vaccinated are significantly more likely than the unvaccinated to be diagnosed with bacterial infections, allergies, and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs)… The analysis of claims data for 47,155 nine-year-old children revealed that: 1) vaccination was associated with significantly increased odds for all measured NDDs; 2) among children born preterm and vaccinated, 39.9% were diagnosed with at least one NDD compared to 15.7% among those born preterm and unvaccinated (OR 3.58, 95% CI: 2.80, 4.57); and 3) the relative risk of ASD increased according to the number of visits that included vaccinations…These results suggest that the current vaccination schedule may be contributing to multiple forms of NDD; that vaccination coupled with preterm birth was strongly associated with increased odds of NDDs compared to preterm birth in the absence of vaccination; and increasing numbers of visits that included vaccinations were associated with increased risks of ASD. https://publichealthpolicyjournal.com/vaccination-and-neurodevelopmental-disorders-a-study-of-nine-year-old-children-enrolled-in-medicaid/
MMR Vaccine, Thimerosal and Regressive or Late Onset Autism (“Autistic Enterocolitis”) https://drive.google.com/file/d/12ly6EOT0LajQ4YN4engRZplpIpNAk4mr/view
Powerful article - gratitude & blessings ATR ...