Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Outline (Rough Draft)

This outline is the epitome of rough; sorry for any confusion

I. Abstract

II.       Vaccines DO Cause Autism
A.     “Vaccines and Autism” by Bernard Rimland PhD and Woody McGinnnis MD
1.      Review
2.      “Autism may very well be nature’s way of demonstrating a subgroup of common variable immunodeficiency children vulnerable to vaccine injury.” 
B.     “Do aluminum vaccine adjuvants contribute to the rising prevalence of autism?”
1.      Pdf Article
2.      validity of study is yet to be determined, but study says that Aluminum-adjuvanted vaccines could be one cause of rising ASD.
C.     “Mercury and Autism: Accelerating Evidence?”
1.      Study
2.      vaccines causing autism is not as simple as it sounds. this study suggests that ASD could result from genetically eligible children exposed to mercury in vitro and from vaccines.
D.     Early Downward Trends in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Following Removal of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines”
  1. Study
  2. Mercury exposure from maternal dental work could combine with exposure from vaccines to be a cause of ASD. It also states in the conclusion that more research to validify these results.

II.    Vaccines DO NOT Cause Autism
A.     “Autism and measles-mumps-rubella vaccination: controversy laid to rest?”
1.      Article/Review
2.      This article discusses the Wakefield paper which brought the idea that vaccines cause autism to the forefront, and refutes that study with various others that drew conclusions opposing those of the Wakefield paper. Also points out that MMR is not the only vaccine (or vaccine component) targeted for supposedly causing ASD.
B.     “No Link Between MMR Vaccine and Autism, Even In High-Risk Kids”
1.      Article
2.      Basically says studies have determined no link between vaccines and autism.
C.    “Immunizations Update in the pediatric population”
1.      Gale Article
2.      Expresses parent’s concern of thimerosal in vaccines. Points out that no studies have definitive proof that vaccines and autism are related.
D.     “Increasing Exposure to Antibody-Stimulating Proteins and Polysaccharides in Vaccines Is Not Associated with Risk of Autism”
1.      Study
2.      “ In this study of MCO members, increasing exposure to antibody-stimulating proteins and polysaccharides in vaccines during the first 2 years of life was not related to the risk of developing an ASD.

E.      “Time Trends in Autism and in MMR Immunization Coverage in California”
1.      Study
2.      No correlation was found between early childhood MMR immunization rates and numbers of children with autism enrolled in California’s regional service center system.
F.    “A Population-Based Study of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccination and Autism”
1.      Study
2.      Has 3 strong arguments against an association between vaccines and autism: risk was similar in vaccinated and unvaccinated children, no clustering of autism cases at any point after immunization, and ASD nor AD was associated with MMR vaccination.
G.     “Continuing Increases in Autism Reported to California’s Developmental Services System”
1.      Study
2.      Relation to Early Downward Trends… This study refutes that study’s conclusions based on the findings. “If Thimerosal exposure is a primary cause of autism, then the prevalence of autism would be predicted to decrease.”

III. Not Determined (Neither For or Against)
A.     “Do vaccines cause autism?”
1.      Review
2.      There should be alot more research to determine if a relation between autism and vaccines exists. The author points out that ASD is not known to have one specific cause, and several genes have some currently unknown relation to ASD as well.
B.     “Autism and Vaccines: A New Look At An Old Story”
1.      Article
2.      Basically pulls from a bunch of different sources and presents various viewpoints, thus there is no conclusion as there would be in a study.
C.     “Thimerosal and Vaccines- A Cautionary Tale”
1.      Article
2.     Encourages that thimerosal dosen’t have anything to do with autism but also does not provide much reasoning as to why it has been removed from most vaccines; simply recounts the process of taking out thimerosal and its effects on how people see the vaccines and autism debate.
D.    “Vaccines and Autism Revisited- The Hannah Poling Case”
1.      Article
2.     Hannah Poling developed autism after recieving several vaccines, and her parents sued the DHHS. Hannah however was a very unique case because of encephalopathy as the article points out as well.


IV. Need for Further Conclusions or Studies

Appendix I: Figures and Graphs

Monday, September 21, 2015

Bibliography


Formatting is correct on actual paper; sorry for any inconveniences

Autism & Vaccines: A New Look At An Old Story. (n.d.). National Vaccine Information Center.            Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://www.nvic.org/nvic-archives/                                              newsletter/autismandvaccines.aspx.

Chen, Robert T., & DeStefano, Frank. (2001). Autism and Measles-Mumps-RubellaVaccination: Controversy Laid to Rest? Adis International Limited. Retrieved September 20, 2015,                        from http://www.wouedu/~bersanh/autism/mmr%20laid%20to%20rest.pdf.

Collins, Francis, Dr. (n.d.). No Link Between MMR Vaccine and Autism, Even in High-Risk                   Kids. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved September 15, 2015, from http://                           directorsblog.nih.gov/2015/04/28/no-link-between-mmr-vaccine-and-autism-even-in-                     high-risk-kids/.

Dales, Lorin, MD, Hammer, Sandra Jo, RN, PHN, & Smith, Natalie J., MD, MPH. (2001,                        March 7). Times Trends in Autism and in MMR Immunization Coverage in California.                       JamaAmerican Medical Association. Retrieved September 15, 2016, from http://                   jama.jamanetwork.com/data/Journals/JAMA/4774/JBR00284.pdf.

Delong, Gayle. (2011). A positive association found between autism prevalence and childhood                vaccination uptake across the U.S. population. PubMed. Retrieved September 16, 2015,                       from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21623535/.

DeStefano, Frank. (2001). Autism and measles-mumps-rubella vaccination: controversy laid to                 rest? PubMed. Retrieved September 16, 2015, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/             11700148/.

DeStefano, Frank, MD, MPH, Price, Cristofer S., ScM, & Weintraub, Eric S., MPH. (n.d.).                      Increasing Exposure to Antibody-Stimulating Proteins and Polysaccharides in Vaccines          IsNot Associated with Risk of Autism. The Journal of Pediatrics. Retrieved September
            16, 2015, from http://www. jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(13)00144-3/pdf.

Doja, A. (2006, November). Immunization and autism: a review of the literature. PubMed.                        Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/17168158/.

Gallagher, CM. (2010). Hepatitis B vaccination of male neonates and autism diagnosis,                             NHIS1997-2002. PubMed. Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://                                      www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/.

Geier, David A., B.A., & Geier, Mark R., MD, PhD. (2006, Spring). Early Downward Trends in             Neurodevelopment Disorders Following a Removal of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines.               Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. Retrieved September 20, 2015, from               http://jpands.org/vol11no1/geier.pdf.

Grether, Judith K., PhD, & Schecter, Robert, MD. (2008, January). Continuing Increases in                      Autism Reported to California's Developmental Services System: Mercury in Retrograde. American Medical Association. Retrieved September 20, 2015, from http://                           www.fourteenstudies.org/pdf/HG_3.pdf.

Haley, Boyd, Mutter, Joachim, Naumann, Johannes, & Schneider, Rainer. (2005, September 25). Mercury and autism: Accelerating Evidence? Neuroendocrinology Letters. Retrieved                  September 20, 2015, from http://store-5c5c7.mybigcommerce.com/content/AUTISM                %20AND%20Hg/autism_reprint.pdf.

Helft, Laura & Willingham, Emily. (2014, September 5). The Autism-Vaccine Myth. Nova.                      Retrieved September 15, 2016, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/autism-                             vaccine-myth.html.

Hviid, Anders, M.Sc., Madsen, Kreesten Meldgaard, MD, Melbye, Mads, MD, Olsen, JΓΈrn,                     MD, Schendel, Diana, PhD, Thorsen, Poul, MD, Vestergaard, Mogens, MD, &                          Wolfarht, Jan, M.Sc. (2002, November 7). A Population-Based Study of Measles,                                   Mumps, and Rubella Vaccination and Autism. The New England Journal of Medicine.                         Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/                                   NEJMoa021134.

McGinnis, Woody, M.D., & Rimland, Bernard, Ph.D. (2002, September). Vaccines and Autism.              Laboratory Medicine. Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://                                                           www.vaccinationnews.org/DailyNews/2003/December/Vaccines&Autism.pdf.

Offit. Paul A., MD. (2007, September 27). Thimerosal and VaccinesA Cautionary Tale. The                 New England Journal of Medicine. Retrieved September 20, 2015, from http://                           www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp078187.

Offit, Paul A., MD. (2008, May 15). Vaccines and Autism RevisitedThe Hannah Poling Case.              The New England Journal of Medicine. Retrieved September 20, 2015, from http://               www.nejm.org/doi/ref/10.1056/NEJMp0802904#t=article.

Pakula, Amy. (Spring 2009). Do vaccines cause autism? Emory Woodruff Health Sciences                         Center. Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://whsc.emory.edu/home/publications/                  health-sciences/emory-health/spring09/do-vaccines-cause-autism.html.

Tomljenovic, Lucija, & Shaw, Christopher A. (2011, April 22). Do aluminum vaccine adjuvants                contribute to the rising prevalence of autism? Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry.                                 Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://omsj.org/reports/tomljenovic%202011.pdf.

The Truth About Autism. (n.d.). Department of Health: Information for a Healthy New York.                   Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/immunization/            vaccine_safety/truth_about_autism.htm.

Monday, September 14, 2015

An Introduction

This blog is in effect as of now! We are seeking to gather evidence to support and falsify the claims that vaccines cause autism. Our further research will be posted here as we attempt to make an unbiased determination on this relationship.

~KMRT
"Truth in science can be defined as the working hypothesis best suited to open the way to the next better one." ~Konrad Lorenz