In Memory of Bernie Rimland

Words are inadequate to convey the sense of sadness that we feel at SafeMinds regarding the tragic loss of our hero and friend, Bernie Rimland. When Lyn Redwood first heard Dr. Rimland speak at an autism conference in 1998, secretin had just surfaced as a promising treatment for autism. When asked if he had tried secretin with his son, Mark, Dr. Rimland replied that the product was in short supply that he felt it important that the scarce medication be reserved for younger children who would have more of an opportunity for recovery. Lyn knew at that moment that she was in the presence of a man whose life defined altruism.

A year later, in 1999, members of SafeMinds published an extensive literature review comparing the symptoms of autism to mercury exposure titled, “Autism: A novel form of mercury poisoning”. Dr. Ken Olden, Director of NIEHS invited us to present our findings at an NIH autism meeting on the environment and autism in 2000. A participating autism organization critized our hypothesis as being "garbage science" and unacceptable for presentation even at a medical school journal club meeting. Dr. Rimland, a man of unyielding principals and uncommon courage, immediately arose and objected strenuously to the assertion. He later published an editorial, “Garbage Science,” brick walls, crossword puzzles and mercury, regarding the encounter in his quarterly newsletter.You can read this editorial at http://www.autismwebsite.com/arri/v144/page3 .pdf

Dr. Rimland was in the small minority of those who took our hypothesis seriously and in 2001 invited us to participate in a think tank bringing together some of the top minds in the country and abroad to brainstorm how to best detoxify children. As a result, the Autism Research Institute created a consensus document which delineated the safest and most effective methods of detoxifying autistic children from mercury. Dr. Rimland’s dedication to Defeating Autism Now! Has resulted in thousands of children with autism now living richer, healthier lives. And we as parents will never forget our hero and friend, Bernie Rimland. Long live his compassion, dedication and strength in our lives and the lives of our children.

To read Autism World Loses a Giant: Bernard Rimland click here.

Read tributes to Dr. Rimland here.

Click here to write your own tribute to Dr. Rimland.

Evaluating Progress on IACC Autism Research Matrix

Last year SafeMinds and the National Autism Association sponsored a two day symposium regarding the role of environmental factors in neurodevelopmental disorders, which was made possible by the generous support of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The symposium brought leading experts together from the fields of toxicology, environmental health science, neuroscience and clinical science and researchers to review new findings for the purpose of making recommendations regarding future research initiatives. The recommendations from these esteemed leaders were utilized in designing a roadmap for future research into the role of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autism.

Findings from the symposium were presented to Dr. Tom Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental health (NIMH), the lead agency responsible for autism research at National Institutes of Health (NIH ) in August of this year. This presentation included a leveraged environmental research agenda for autism spectrum disorders and recommendations for revision to the NIH autism research matrix. At that time we submitted a request that our information be presented to the NIH Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) at their next meeting. Click here to read recommendations.

These efforts resulted in Dr. Jeff Bradstreet presenting “The Role of Environmental Factors in the Pathogenesis of Autism: Phenotypes, Lab Markers, Clinical Interventions and Suggested Areas for Research” to the IACC at their recent November 17th meeting . Please click here to view Dr. Bradstreet’s presentation.

Subsequently, NIMH convened a panel of experts to review the progress made to date on the autism research matrix on September 25th. The symposium findings, as well as our research recommendations, were distributed to all the panel members. There was consensus from the expert panel that there was insufficient attention given to role of the environment in autism in the first incarnation of the matrix. It was also noted by the panel that there were numerous areas suggesting the need for additional research, which included the role that vaccines and immunotoxic chemicals may play in autism.

Several new areas of investigation have been suggested into the role of envinronmental factors in autism and are included in the draft report of evaluation results. At their November 17th meeting, the IACC agreed to post the draft report of the evaluation results for public comment. Please click here to read the report.

It is important that our voices be heard. SafeMinds encourages everyone to read the draft report and submit comments to the IACC by January 16, 2007. Click here to submit comments.

Expert Panel Identifies Serious Gaps in VSD

CDC's Vaccine Safety Monitoring Database

VSD is Ineffective in Investigating an Association Between Thimerosal and Autism

November 14, 2006 — According to an expert panel convened to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), developed by the CDC to monitor vaccine safety issues, there are several serious gaps and problems with the database. The effectiveness of this system for monitoring vaccine safety is in question. The National Immunization Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the VSD program in 1990 utilizing large administrative databases maintained at individual managed care organizations (MCOs) which allow electronic linkage of detailed records of vaccine administration with diagnostic data from inpatient and outpatient visits. In theory, the VSD is a wonderful analytic tool, but in reality, the VSD only tracks the vaccine history of 3 percent of the US population, a population study so small that no conclusions can be concretely drawn. And the database was designed for administrative purposes rather than for research conclusions, thus presenting inherent flaws that do not conjure accurate data.

On May 4, 2006, the experts met in Research Triangle Park, NC to discuss the feasibility of the VSD for data collection analysis. These experts included external scientists with expertise in autism clinical and epidemiologic research, biostatistics, toxicology, and risk assessment. Also included were representatives from major autism advocacy organizations. Conclusions drawn by the panel were undisputed—the VSD is not an accurate measure of autism rates linked to vaccinations due to several unaccounted factors in the VSD. For example, the number of false positives and missed cases as entered in the system is not indicative of the presence of autism or ASDs. Furthermore, differences across MCOs and service providers due to a lack of specific business requirements by the VSD falsify the records obtained. Additionally, prenatal exposures like exposure to thimerosal from Rho D immune globulins injections and flu vaccines routinely administered to pregnant mothers, which several studies have pinpointed to be a primary risk, are not considered in the database.

The panel ultimately suggested alternative measures other than the VSD for determining the burden of thimerosal exposure in fetuses, infants and young children. Supplementation for the VSD data collected in the future was deemed critical— diagnostic assessments must be included as diagnostic codes may be inaccurate and differ from clinic by clinic.

According to Lyn Redwood, President of SafeMinds, “public concern regarding the association between thimerosal and autism is on the rise exponentially and our government agencies must gain the confidence and trust of the public by accurate and appropriate research conducted by independent researchers without ties to the vaccine industry or government agencies so we can finally get unbiased and accurate answers. In addition the Institute of Medicine relied heavily on the finding of “no association” between thimerosal exposure and autism in their 2003 report using the VSD data which now has been determined to be inadequate and inaccurate for such investigations. This finding calls into question all previous studies looking at vaccine safety issues using this database. Also of concern is the fact that we are spending $15 million of dollars on a database that is so full of problems that it can not be used to accurately address vaccine safety issues. Click here to read the full report.

Most Americans Surpised that 90% of Flu Shots Contain Mercury

Health Officials' Aggressive Flu Shot Campaign May Disregard Safety, According to Survey of 9,000 Americans

74 Percent of Respondents Unaware Flu Shots Contain Mercury, 78 Percent Disagree with CDC About Vaccinating Pregnant Women and Children

PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- As health officials step up their effort to vaccinate Americans against the flu, a new survey suggests serious concerns over the toxin mercury, an ingredient in over 90 percent of this season's flu shot supply. PutChildrenFirst.org, a parent-led organization advocating vaccine safety, commissioned a survey of over 9,000 Americans to learn their plans for getting flu shots, their knowledge of its ingredients, and who they hold responsible for making sure vaccines are safe.

The survey revealed that the overwhelming majority of Americans were unaware that most flu shots contain mercury and that they would refuse a shot with mercury.

"More than 75 percent of Americans feel a mercury- containing flu shot should not be given to a pregnant woman or a child, despite recommendations from medical authorities to do just that," said Lisa Handley, a founding parent of PutChildrenFirst.org. Her own son, Jamison, had an adverse reaction to a flu shot containing mercury in 2003. "I know firsthand how life-changing a flu shot with mercury can be, since our son began his regression into autism after his flu shot."

In 1999, government agencies called for the removal of Thimerosal, the mercury-based preservative in most vaccines. Then, in 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that, "mercury in all of its forms is toxic to the fetus and children, and efforts should be made to reduce exposure to the extent possible to pregnant women and children as well as the general population." Despite these actions, 90 percent of this season's flu vaccines still contain Thimerosal, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are recommending the vaccine for pregnant women and children six months and older.

These recommendations come on the heels of recent studies that reveal new findings about the neurological effects of mercury and question the effectiveness of flu shots. Mercury, the second most toxic element after plutonium, is estimated to be 500 to 1,000 times more toxic than lead.

"A common myth is that Thimerosal is added to vaccines in 'trace' amounts," said Mike Wagnitz, who has over 20 years experience evaluating materials for mercury and is employed as a senior chemist with the University of Wisconsin. "The concentration of mercury in a multi-dose flu vaccine vial is 50,000 parts per billion. To put this in perspective, drinking water cannot exceed 2 parts per billion of mercury, and waste is considered hazardous if it has only 200 parts per billion. Is it really safe then to inject pregnant women, newborns, and infants with levels of mercury 250 times higher than what is legally classified as hazardous waste?"

Agreeing that mercury has no place in vaccines, seven states have passed Thimerosal bans in recent years: California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, New York, and Washington. California is the first to have implemented the ban for the current flu season, but Governor Schwarzenegger temporarily overturned the ban on November 2 after a shortage of mercury- free flu shots led to pressure from state medical groups.

"Parents need to be informed about all aspects of their children's healthcare, including vaccines," said Deirdre Imus, President and founder of The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology at Hackensack University Medical Center and co- founder and co-director, with husband Don Imus, of The Imus Cattle Ranch for Kids with Cancer. "It doesn't make common sense to inject Thimerosal, a known neurotoxin, into the bloodstream of our babies."

This fall, two studies were published in leading medical journals admitting that limited data exists to support the effectiveness of flu shots. One study, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, noted that, "there is scant data on the efficacy and effectiveness of influenza vaccine in young children."

"So, not only is the flu shot's effectiveness in doubt, there is plenty of evidence revealing the devastating effects of mercury," said J.B. Handley, Lisa's husband and a founder of PutChildrenFirst.org. "Our health authorities are not being forthcoming about mercury's presence in shots and its toxicity to the nervous system. Our children deserve better."

"With everything we know about the dangers of mercury and the havoc it can wreak on young, developing brains, there is no excuse for any vaccine to contain mercury," said Lyn Redwood, RN, MSN, President of SafeMinds, a nonprofit committed to ending mercury-induced neurological disorders. "The survey reveals that Americans are overwhelmingly in the dark about what is in most flu shots. They do not want a known neurotoxin injected into their children, and they believe Congress and medical professionals must be more vigilant about keeping vaccines safe and mercury-free."

Key findings from the poll, conducted October 27-30 by Zogby International, include:

• 74 percent of respondents are unaware that most flu shots contain mercury.
• After learning that mercury is an ingredient, 74 percent are less likely to get a flue shot and 86 percent of parents say that are less likely to get their child a flu shot.
• 78 percent of respondents believe mercury should not be an ingredient in flu shots given to pregnant women and children.
• 73 percent believe the government should warn pregnant women not to get a flu shot if it contains mercury
• More than 70 percent agree that Congress, doctors and medical groups (e.g., the American Academy of Pediatrics should take responsibility for ensuring that vaccines do not contain mercury
• 80 percent of respondents and 82 percent of parents are willing to pay the $2.50 additional cost for a mercury-free flu shot

PutChildrenFirst.org is a parent-led initiative advocating vaccine safety and a division of Generation Rescue, a nonprofit organization providing parents with information on the relationship between mercury and its relationship to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Generation Rescue gives parents information to make informed decisions about treatment options and physicians. Generation Rescue is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit founded in 2005.

Update on Combating Autism Act

Reprinted from NAA Announcement

Dear Parents and Friends,

As you know, the Combating Autism Act (CAA) is now in the hands of House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton. We want to pass along to you what we have learned about the House version of Senate bill 843 in recent weeks and where the bill stands now.

We do not support the legislation in its present form, although we are keeping a careful eye on developments as they unfold. At this moment, we do not know the fate of the report language we recommended nearly two weeks ago to Rep. Barton. These suggestions make a very strong statement on the role of vaccines/thimerosal in the development of autism, and provide a clear directive that research dollars go to the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

Those of us with The National Autism Association, SafeMinds, Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology, and Autism One, who have been actively working on the CAA have combed through the current bill, dissected the language, and discussed the legislation in person with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans.

Two weeks ago, several representatives of NAA and SafeMinds visited legislative offices on the Hill, meeting with eight offices, half Republican and half Democrat. We presented the current form of the bill to over 20 staffers on both sides of the aisle while seeking their input. We also spoke with Directors and Deputy Directors of NIMH, HHS and NIEHS to seek their input on the value of the bill as it now stands. As a result of these meetings and ongoing discussions, we offer several observations of the bill as it now stands. Please click here to read the remainder of this article.

UPI's Lidia Wasowicz Included SafeMinds In Her Series on Autism

Three Articles from Series Below

Clash of the Researchers

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Two independent researchers who gained entry to an immunization- information repository used by government scientists to clear vaccines of blame in the rise of autism diagnoses came up with strikingly different conclusions.

Challenging the status quo were Dr. Mark Geier, president of Genetic Centers of America who has studied immunization safety issues for 30 years and testified as an expert witness in dozens of vaccine- injury cases, and his son David, president of MedCon Inc., a medical-legal consulting firm.

In comparing records of children who received a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis shot preserved with a mercury-containing compound called thimerosal with those who got a thimerosal-free version, they reported the former faced increased risk for speech impairments, autism and attention-deficit disorder -- a risk they said rose along with the level of mercury exposure. To continue reading this article, click here.

Mixed Bag of Mercury Test Results

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Thus far, research looking at mercury levels in children with and without autism has produced mixed results.

Studies that measured concentrations of the metal in the blood, urine and stools of 40 full-term infants 6 months and younger inoculated with vaccines containing the mercury-based preservative thimerosal, which some parents and doctors link to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, showed the levels stayed within the recommended guidelines and that the toxin was rapidly flushed in the baby's feces.

However, studies of preterm infants indicated their mercury blood level after just one hepatitis B shot rose ten-fold, passing the safety line set by the Environmental Protection Agency, researchers said. To continue reading this article, click here.

Autism Guards Its Secrets

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Exactly what and even how much doctors know about autism and its causes is a matter of debate.

Vaccine makers and most public health authorities thought long ago the piles of evidence they had gathered in support of their case were sufficient to convince the public no harm would come from the small amounts of the mercury-based preservative thimerosal once commonly found in children's shots and still present in some booster and flu vaccines. To continue reading this article, click here.

David Kirby and Arthur Allen Debate

January 13, 2007 at University of California, San Diego

Please join us for a debate between David Kirby, author of Evidence of Harm and Arthur Allen, author of Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine's Greatest Lifesaver

Date: January 13, 2007
Lecture & Debate: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Book Signing & Reception: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: UC San Diego, Price Center, 9500 Gilman Dr. La Jolla Ca 92093
Cost: The debate is free if your R.S.V.P. is received online by January 9, 2007. Cost is $10 if you RSVP after January 9th or sign up onsite. Click here to register.
Reception & Book Signing : $5

This event is sponsored by Generation Rescue, Safe Minds, Talk About Curing Autism and The Cognitive Science Department of the University of California, San Diego.

David Kirby's Bio: David Kirby has been a professional journalist for over 15 years, and wrote for The New York Times for more than eight years. Kirby was a contracted writer with the weekly City Section at The Times, where he covered public health, local politics, art and culture, film and theater, architecture, zoning and land use, among many other subjects. He has also contributed to The Magazine, Arts & Leisure, Personal Health, Men's Health, Science Times, Escapes, Travel, Weekend and other sections of the paper. Kirby has also written for a number of national magazines, including Glamour, Redbook, Marie Claire, Mademoiselle, Self, Art News, and others. In addition, Kirby was a foreign correspondent in Mexico and Central America from 1986-1990, where he covered the wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua, and covered politics, corruption and natural disasters in Mexico. From Latin America, he reported for UPI, the San Francisco Examiner, Newsday, The Arizona Republic, Houston Chronicle and the NBC Radio Network.

Arthur Allen's Bio: Arthur Allen was born in Cincinnati and educated at the University of California, Berkeley where he received an undergraduate degree in Development Studies. He was a foreign correspondent for the Associate Press in El Salvador during the war in that country, and later was based in Mexico City, Paris, and Bonn, Germany. Since 1995, he has been a freelance magazine writer in Washington, D.C., specializing in biomedical affairs. Allen is particularly interested in how society responds to changes in technology. His book (to be released in January 2007) chronicles the rough and tumble history of vaccines as well as the social and cultural response to vaccination programs, from Cotton Mather's Boston in the early 18th Century, to present-day conflicts over vaccine safety and supply. Allen lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, the writer Margaret Talbot, and his two children.

Join Us to Help End the Devastation

Caused by Mercury in Medicine

Today there is important and life-changing research not being conducted because the money is not there to fund it.

Support SafeMinds through a year-end donation by clicking here.

Together, we can make a difference.

A Community United

Join MIA_MercuryIndcedAutism Action List

Please join a new Yahoo group called MIA-Mercury Induced Autism. The goal in the formation of this list was to create a resource where parents, grandparents, and anyone whose life has been impacted by mercury induced autism could go to seek information or find support.

Topics will include research, advocacy, treatments, insurance, education, and news as it relates to the autism community. And also a place where you will always feel welcome.

Please help us to make this list a huge success by sharing your experiences, events, questions or concerns. This is a very important time and there is much to be done to help our children. We expect this to be a positive, productive list and hope you will join us.

To join the discussion please click here.