New Studies: Flu Shots May Cause Autism

November 25, 2012

Can the flu cause autism? Or is it the flu shot?

Why is it we are told that flu shots are not safe for infants under six months—but are safe and necessary for the tiny fetuses?

Vaccinations have triggered autism and learning disabilities in children (several studies are given below). My headline Can Flu Shots Cause Autism? is a counter-punch to the dangerous and misleading news last week implying that flu shots for pregnant women may prevent autism. I don’t want to mislead my readers to think flu vaccines are the sole cause or trigger (not by a long shot) as there are others. For example, the MMR and other vaccines, other non-vaccine related environmental exposures, genetic predisposition, mitochondrial dysfunctions and so forth, along with synergistic and cumulative effects.
Vaccines are not near as safe or effective as our government health authorities have led us to believe. The dangers of the flu are wildly exaggerated being 1500 or so deaths a year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data (not 35,000 as touted). These deaths are mainly the elderly with preexisting conditions. Infant deaths amount to about 10 or so per year.
The question the CDC and state/local health departments are afraid to ask (or face) is: Are the inherent and known health risks of the flu shot on pregnant women and their unborn babies (or anyone) are greater than the risk incurred in getting the flu. This same science- and ethics based question can be applied to any vaccine and any disease for any person.

By the way, I am very happy to be back after a 6-month vacation. However, I found that my system had been injected with a PHP virus two weeks ago. After several attempts and with the help of my hosting service, it took three surgeries to find and remove the viruses. Also, I am glad the virus did not infect you and that all systems are recovered as of yesterday.– Mr Augie

New Studies: Can Flu Shots for Pregnant Women Cause Autism?

By David Michael, MSc, PE
Last week, a report on “evidence” gleaned from a Danish telephone survey stated that flu contracted by pregnant women may cause autism. It was reported in newspapers and broadcasted worldwide by ABC News (two-minute video below) and others strongly suggesting expectant mothers to get their flu shots. The survey results will be published in December in the American Academy Pediatricians’ journal Pediatrics. In concert with the broadcast, ill-informed health authorities issued more calls for all pregnant women to get a flu shot. Who is behind all of this?
Not covered by ABC News (and probably any newspaper) was a study of CDCs vaccine adverse reaction data by MIT scientists that was also published last week. It is yet another study that concluded a strong correlation between autism and the MMR vaccine, neurotoxic aluminum additives in vaccines and the use of acetaminophen (Tylenol and others) during pregnancy. We will also examine a Marietta (Ohio) Times article presenting an extremely one-sided story misinforming those in their county with quotes from their local health department.
The two-minute ABC broadcast is below.

The Latest Danish Report
The Danish report on a telephone survey released last week reports “. . . our data suggest that maternal influenza infection was associated with a twofold increased risk of infantile autism, prolonged episodes of fever caused a threefold increased risk of infantile autism, and use of various antibiotics during pregnancy were potential risk factors for ASD/infantile autism.” The study will be published in December by the American Academy of Pediatricians’ (AAP) journal Pediatrics.
The report is cited: Atladottir HO, Henriksen TB, Schendel DE, et al. Autism after infection, febrile episodes, and antibiotic use during pregnancy: an exploratory study. Pediatrics 2012 December; 130(6) (Early online publication Nov 12) [Abstract]

These CDC-cited papers show that the principal investigator Dr. Atladottir of the above report co-authored several autism-link studies with CDC-funded scientist Dr. Paul Thorsen. Thorsen is indicted on embezzling $2 million of autism research money, being extradited by a federal court and believed to be hiding out in Denmark. Some of these studies were also published in Pediatrics. Denmark was the place where a study of CDC vaccine-autism data showing a link was doctored (fraudulently changed and reported to show the opposite) as reported by an investigative team of attorney Robert F Kennedy Jr. Denmark is also the place where the autism-mercury-vaccine factor was falsely “disproven” (mercury was reduced in vaccines but autism rates increased—after a mandatory autism reporting registry was in place which obviously would cause an increase in reported autism cases ). Apparently, the new Danish telephone survey was funded by CDC.
The University of Minnesota reported that ” because they assessed so many pregnancy-related variables, they said those findings could have shown up merely by chance, and much more research (read funding) is needed.” One has to question the very large margin of error of the data collected over the telephone—how do expectant mothers remember her temperature 10 or 15 years ago and how long they had the fever. Moreover, they find 342 infantile autism cases out of 90,000 pregnancies. Expectant mothers who got the flu might only account for at about 35 to 50 cases and much fewer would have fevers for a week. Extremely small sample to give such large conclusions.
The actual paper can only be viewed for a period of only 48 hours for $25 at AAPs website. But ABCs Dr. Besser highlights it for us: “Here’s what they found: if a mother reported having flu during pregnancy her risk of having a child with autism increased from 1 to 2 percent. If she reported having fever for seven days the risk went from 1 to 3 percent– so while it’s doubling or tripling — it’s still very small,” said Dr. Besser.

What? Dr. Besser needs schooling: a 1% autism rate is very large and an increase to 2 to 3% (a 2x or 3x increase or 200 to 300% increase) is not small – it is huge. Say there are about 30,000 new autism cases a year in the US— based on this study this extrapolates to 60,000 and 90,000 per year for a lifelong and profound disability—“very small” and “nothing to be concerned with”. (The polio epidemic, by comparison to the actual autism epidemic, was very insignificant.)
The flu and fevers have been around for centuries yet the autism epidemic started to soar only twenty years ago–since the mid 1990s–about the time many more vaccines were added to the schedule. Where are all the autistics from the 1918 flu? – or from the 50s and 60s? There were hardly any at all—certainly not one in 88 today. Did they take Tylenol? Did they give their infants Tylenol to reduce their fevers caused by their vaccinations? Did the investigators asked those that had flu if they had a flu shot that year? Why didn’t they ask about the infants and children’s vaccinations?—they asked about numerous drugs–but not Tylenol or vaccinations.

But ABCs Dr. Besser says the correlation reinforces recommendations that all pregnant women should get the flu shot.
. . . Do Flu Shots Even Work?
The chance of not getting the flu is already 90% on average most years. There is a reason why the flu shot appears to work for people that take them. They may not get the flu in nine years out of ten, the same without the shot. They will most likely say the flu shot is 90% effective. However, large studies conclude the flu shot does not work well if at all.

The flu shot does not work for babies. In a review of 51 studies involving more than 294,000 children, it was found there was “no evidence that injecting children 6 to 24 months of age with a flu shot was any more effective than a placebo. In children over the age of 2 years, it was effective only 33% of the time in preventing the flu. (“Vaccines for preventing influenza in health children”, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2008)

Adults are also not protected by flu vaccine. In a review of 48 reports including more than 66,000 adults, “Vaccination of healthy adults only reduced risk of influenza by 6%, and reduced the number of missed work days by less than one day (0.16). It did not change the number of people needing to go to a hospital or take time off work.” (“Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults,” The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2006)

Flu shots do not work for the elderly. In a review of 64 studies over several flu seasons, for elderly living in nursing homes, flu shots were non-significant for preventing the flu. For elderly living in the community, vaccines were not significantly effective against influenza, ILI or pneumonia. (“Vaccines for preventing influenza in the elderly,” The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2006)

Flu Vaccine Manufacturers Warnings
The news was trumpeted that flu may cause more autism, so it was implied that flu shots may prevent autism, “so all the more reason to get a flu shot”. This is preposterous—especially since safety studies on pregnant women and pre-born babies have not been conducted and effects on the fetus and the reproductive system are unknown.

The Fluzone package insert: “It is also not known whether Fluzone can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity.”

Fluarix package insert: “There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women” regarding impaired female fertility or harm to the fetus.

From the Fluvirin package insert: “It is also not known whether FLUVIRIN® can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity.”

All vaccines have ingredients called neurotoxins (mercury, for example, in multi-dose flu vaccines—and aluminum). It would be impossible for those neurotoxins not to have some neurological impact on some infants or fetuses In fact, they do in some—immediately or cumulatively—manifesting as autism or other neurological disorders and learning disabilities. Toxicologists are schooled to recognize that a neurotoxin, by definition, will attack the nervous system and the brain.
Last week’s study correlating vaccines with autism
But another study (yet another one– apparently deemed not newsworthy) also published last week gives strong evidence supporting a link between autism, the MMR shot, aluminum in vaccines and acetaminophen (e.g.Tylenol). It uses CDCs own data from the adverse reaction reports (VAERS).
Cited is Seneff S., Davidson R.M., Liu J. Empirical Data Confirm Autism Symptoms Related to Aluminum and Acetaminophen Exposure. Entropy. 2012; 14(11):2227-2253. Download PDF Full-Text [441 KB, Updated Version, uploaded 8 November 2012 16:12 CET]. Conclusion:

“Our results provide strong evidence supporting a link between autism and the aluminum in vaccines. A literature review showing toxicity of aluminum in human physiology offers further support. Mentions of autism in VAERS increased steadily at the end of the last century, during a period when mercury was being phased out, while aluminum adjuvant burden was being increased. Using standard log-likelihood ratio techniques, we identify several signs and symptoms that are significantly more prevalent in vaccine reports after 2000, including cellulitis, seizure, depression, fatigue, pain and death, which are also significantly associated with aluminum-containing vaccines. We propose that children with the autism diagnosis are especially vulnerable to toxic metals such as aluminum and mercury due to insufficient serum sulfate and glutathione. A strong correlation between autism and the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine is also observed, which may be partially explained via an increased sensitivity to acetaminophen administered to control fever.”

Another recent study correlating vaccines with autism.
The Journal previously had introduced a study in an article on the neurotoxicity of aluminum in vaccines. This study was published in Current Medicinal Chemistry September 2011 on the toxicity of aluminum in vaccines, including the flu vaccine, warns the risks may exceed the intended benefit of the vaccine itself. They conclude:

“Experimental research, however, clearly shows that aluminum adjuvants have a potential to induce serious immunological disorders in humans. In particular, aluminum in adjuvant form carries a risk for autoimmunity, long-term brain inflammation and associated neurological complications and may thus have profound and widespread adverse health consequences.”

Twelve more studies with strongly correlating vaccines with autism
There are fourteen studies that are frequently quoted to support the vaccines-do-not-cause-autism myth. All are poor studies with serious conflicts of interest and low ratings from scientific peers. On the other hand, listed here are twelve good studies with strong correlations. These include babies having had three HepB shots are 9x more likely to have learning diabilities; infants and children receiving a flu shot are 3x more likely to be hospitalized for flu; vaccinated children have 2.5x the autism and 2x the ADHD than unvaccinated; delaying DPT shots by just 2 months reduced asthma by half (when Japan delayed DPT until 2 years, SIDs rates dropped by half).
Should we believe the flu shot to be any safer? Here is another report out today, November 23, 2012 showing 4250% (that is 42 times more) Increase in Fetal Deaths Reported to VAERS After Flu Shot Given to Pregnant Women. They say:

“Documentation received from the National Coalition of Organized Women (NCOW) Eileen Dannemann, NCOW’s director, made abundantly clear that despite these figures being known to the CDC, the multiple-strain, inactivated flu vaccine containing mercury (Thimerosal) has once again been recommended to pregnant women as a safe vaccination this season.

Outraged by the CDC’s total disregard for human life, Ms. Dannemann accused the CDC of ‘willful misconduct,’ saying that they are responsible for causing the deaths of thousands of unborn babies. She stated that the CDC deliberately misled the nation’s obstetricians and gynecologists and colluded with the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG) to mislead the public by advertising the flu vaccine as a safe vaccine for pregnant women when they knew fully well that it was causing a massive spike in fetal deaths.”

This substantiates an earlier study on the H1N1 experimental vaccine that caused about 4000 miscarriages in the US over and above what would be expected in women not vaccinated for the swine flu in 2009.
Some 2500 families have now been awarded (with some still pending) $2.5 billion by the U.S. vaccine compensation program for vaccines proven to be injurious to their children–and causing autism and autism-like symptoms with some 60 children. The federal vaccine compensation program was set up because vaccine manufacturer’s were given legal protection and are exempt from product liability for vaccine injuries. MORE IN PART 2 on Tuesday.

There is much more in Part 2 — to be released on Tuesday: An excellent PowerPoint video on the flu and flu shots using CDC information; the Tylenol connection to vaccines combined with acetaminophen, the Marietta Times story, direct links to the government and vaccine makers information, and concluding remarks.