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Links between Child Vaccines and Autism?
From a news story by
CNN San Francisco Reporter Rusty Dornin
July 2003
Picture perfect, a healthy happy baby. Then at fifteen months, just
like every other baby, Russell Rollins got his measles, mumps and rubella
vaccination.
"He had a very physical
reaction to those vaccines including a high pitched scream and days
of high-pitched crying and listlessness," says his father. Ten
years later those problems continue. Russell Rollins is autistic.
"How do you describe what you go through as the parent of an autistic
child?" asks Rusty Dornin.
"It's a living hell. It's a living hell for everyone involved.
It's a living hell for my son, who suffers terribly from this disorder,"
says his father.
And it's a struggle that most autistic kids go through in the classroom.
Here at the ABC School for Autistic Children, classes are full.
"Are you seeing bigger numbers? More kids knocking at the door
to get in places like this?" asks Rusty Dornin.
The director of the school replies, "Yes, both in our school and
in our in home services, even in comparison to last year. We probably
have fifteen more kids than we had the year previous."
And parents are asking questions. No one knows what causes the brain
development disorder.
But Rick Rollins, who has become an activist for autism, thinks the
vaccine is connected. "Thirty-three percent of new families with
children with autism believe the vaccine played a role in the development
of their child's autism."
But a recent well-respected Danish study found no links between vaccinations
and autism. Epidemiologist and pediatrician Robert Byrd doesn't believe
the measles vaccine is a problem. [But] he says a concern about what
is in some vaccinations is justified.
Byrd applauds the removal last year of a small amount of mercury used
as a preservative in some vaccines. "To have anything that is potentially
harmful packaged with something that is supposed to be entirely good
is a bad package."
Byrd authored a recently study that ruled out better testing and population
increases as possible causes for California's dramatic increase. He
believes what is happening here is probably happening nationwide. California
has the only system for registering autistic children.
There is no biological test for autism. Some researchers believe there
could be a connection between genetics and the environment. Rick Rollins
knows vaccines are only one possibility.
"Do you believe there could be other factors?" asks Rusty
Dornin.
"Absolutely! I don't think anyone in any area of research in autism
believes there is one single cause. We worry day and night about his
future. Who is going to take care of him when we are gone?" asks
Rick Rollins.
For additional information,
look at these Web sites:
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