The link between autism and vaccinations is being rekindled again by revisiting research from a few years ago. Even though the media has convinced most of us there is no causal link between vaccinations and the rise in autism, some scientists have not dropped the subject thankfully, although more studies need to be done.
Research has found autism-like symptoms in infant macaque primates after being injected with vaccinations that follow the 1990s CDC recommended schedule.
Natural News reports:
If vaccines play absolutely no role in the development of childhood autism, a claim made by many medical authorities today, then why are some of the most popular vaccines commonly administered to children demonstrably causing autism in animal primates? This is the question many people are now asking after a recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh(UP) in Pennsylvania revealed that many of the infant monkeys given standard doses of childhood vaccines as part of the new research developed autism symptoms.
Presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research(IMFAR) in London, England, the findings revealed that young macaque monkeys given the typical CDC-recommended vaccination schedule from the 1990s, and in appropriate doses for the monkeys’ sizes and ages, tended to develop autism symptoms. Their unvaccinated counterparts, on the other hand, developed no such symptoms, which points to a strong connection between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders.
Macaque monkeys are often used in research for their “closeness to humans anatomically and physiologically”. In fact, they are used in human vaccination development.
In doing a little more research into the study cited by Natural News, I am not sure I would use the word “recent”, as it was published in 2010. VacTruth explains:
Lead investigator Laura Hewitson, PhD, probably dropped a bombshell when she and her colleagues completed a macaque monkey (primates) study of the very same vaccines given to children during 1994-1999, i.e., the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine and several Thimerosal mercury-containing vaccines injected into children during that time frame when the autism spectrum disorder skyrocketed.
The results of that pilot study were published as a Research Paper in Acta Neurobiological Experimentals in 2010 and titled “Influence of pediatric vaccines on amydgala growth and opioid ligand binding in rhesus macaque infants: A pilot study.” [1] Even though there was alleged controversy revolving around Hewitson’s monkey studies, e.g., charges of conflicts of interest since she filed a claim with the vaccine court on behalf of her child, [2] the information generated needs to be revisited and duplicate studies need to be undertaken. Why haven’t they? Is there too much influence from vaccine makers not to do them?
Dr. Hewitson ended up leaving the UP, and as expected, the study has been criticized.
It would be interesting and prudent to see if other scientists could replicate the UP’s results to confirm the link between autism and vaccinations. I am not in favor of continuing to subject primates to studies, but our children should also not be subjected.
One question I have is why are spectrum disorders still growing when current vaccinations use different preservatives? Thimerasol is no longer as common (still in the flu vaccine), thus I would like to see this experiment conducted with current vaccines and the current CDC schedule. Yes, we saw a huge increase in autism in the 90s, but the rates continue to rise at a greater rate now.
I have never felt that vaccinations are the sole cause, but I do there is something happening with epigenetics and the chemicals we are exposed to, including vaccinations.
“One question I have is why are spectrum disorders still growing when current vaccinations use different preservatives? ”
That’s easy. The most recent autism numbers from the CDC, 1:88, were from children born in 2000 when thimerosal was still very much around. It will be interesting seeing what the numbers are going forward. Unforunatley, the rise in the number of vacccines that now contain aluminum and the use of vaccines with residual human DNA plus the increase in the number of vaccines will just muddy the waters.
I’d like to lend some credence to what you wrote, but citing known anti-vaccine sites takes away any credibility from what you write. How about linking to the actual studies so your misinformation can be weighed properly? Both natural news and vactruth are a joke, written by anti vaccine activists with awful scientific backgrounds.
Reuben is right. The fact is Hewitson’s “study” has never been published, not even in Wakefield’s online vanity journal, “Autism Insights.” Also, Hewitson only had two monkeys in the unvaccinated control group, and nine in the vaccinated study group. The amygdalae in the study group had a mean volume increase of less than 8%. But that growth occurred between the 4th and 6th month. So we are to believe that monkey brains don’t grow while the rest of the body is growing, and that brain growth is a symptom of autism. Also, the two brains in the control group shrank during the same time period by a mean volume of 30%.
And this is what Natural News is hanging its hat on?
Unfortunately I don’t think any links to autism or other vaccine injuries will ever be “proven.” There is too much money involved. Even if an infant receives a vaccine and symptoms develop almost immediately, doctors will never admit it. I read a personal blog of a mother whose son had a deadly allergic reaction to hep b shot and the docs kept saying there was no way possible that could have been the case. The poor baby was subjected to test after test to find the “real” cause, but to no avail. I wish I had the link to her blog – if I find it I will post it. It was a very sad article.
I believe in mothers, and I know mothers who can attest to vaccine injuries, including autism.
I believe in science, not unconfirmed anecdote.
for me, there are SO MANY reasons to just say NO to vaccines…a possible autism link is way down on the list but has always been relevant. Thanks for bringing this study to light. I am so glad to see that some researchers are continuing to seek the truth.
That’s pretty ignorant, in the face of overwhelming scientific data to the contrary. The truth is, vaccines don’t cause autism. The other truth is, failing to vaccinate can lead children to become infected with serious, preventable diseases.
Obviously you didn’t grow up in a community were dozens of kids had the same symptoms and began having seizures and quit talking after their third round of vax. Sad. Keep pumping your kids full of the poison.
Ruben, you’re a industry shill. The data is there to warrant a real study but it will never happen. Too many arrogant scientists refuse to accept they may have been wrong, and companies loss of corporate welfare.
I have never commented, I never got involved. I am 63 years old, and I’ve never thought of myself as a radical of any sort, but this subject of infants/vaccines and autism seems like a no brainer to me. The statistics are so alarming that I would assume that research and studies would be conducted on all levels. I cannot find any studies or statistics from these so-called Pro-Vaccine groups. All they do is cry out that vaccines are not harmful. Back it up.
It sounds like you need to expand your sources of information regarding vaccine safety. Nobody seriously suggests that vaccines are 100% safe. Nothing in life is 100% safe. I can only guess which “alarming statistics” have caused you to comment.
@autismnewsbeat
You complain about the lack of scientific evidence showing a correlation between vaccines and autism, but you fail to mention that there are no double-blind studies showing the safety of any vaccine. When children are being diagnosed with autism with increasing frequency, and there are no known causes, EVERYTHING is suspect. This includes the sacred cow called VACCINES. You must be a doctor. All doctors are brainwashed with the same medical garbage that pharmaceuticals are the new modern medicine.
…and you must be plain uneducated. If you don’t believe the research, and don’t believe physicians, take care of yourself when you get sick, jackass! Keep your kids out of my kids’ nursery school.
If your kids are vaccinated then why would it matter? Oh that’s because the vax don’t actually work.
I commented a short while ago and i have had a few
people respond. I must not have communicated accurately. I am not
in favor of vaccines. I have a 6 month old grandson and I have been instructed by my daughter and son-in-law, to remain silent while they are PRO-vaccines and I trust the FDA and medical profession. I don’t have research data because they want studies done by those they trust. What can I do to help my grandson?
You are anti-vaccine and you trust the FDA and medical profession? And you can’t back up your beliefs with evidence because “they” want trustworthy studies?
Well, OK then.
“When children are being diagnosed with autism with increasing frequency, and there are no known causes, EVERYTHING is suspect.”
Including refrigerator mothers? Disposable diapers?
Really, Mike? You’ve never heard of the “process of elimination?” Police use it all the time to narrow a list of suspects. We don’t know who kidnapped Jimmy Hoffa. Does that mean everybody over 50 is a suspect?
There are plenty of reasons for the increase in autism diagnoses, and plenty of reasons we can rule out. Vaccines, we can safely say, have been ruled out.
You say “vaccines have been ruled out”. Please refer me to the research. Back up your words… I want to read each study that has been done. If vaccines have been ruled out, then great. Where, when, how. ????????? Thank you.
I noticed my typo in my last comment. To set it straight…. i DO NOT trust or believe the FDA or AMA. My daughter does. I want to understand why vaccines have been ruled out in relation to autism. I want to read anything that tries to prove safety. All i find is assumption.
I assumed that the mountain of evidence against the failed vaccine/autism hypothesis is easy to find for anyone who cares to look.
Well, that one study did not put my mind at ease. I spent approx. 4hrs. on it and couldn’t make sense out of it. The charts were confusing at best. I will go back to it when I have the time. Until then….another study would help. Actually 3 or 4 would be appreciated seeing that I don’t know how to locate them. I actually liked the comments in that study from people who understood it and questioned it.
Oh, thank you for your assistance.
Diane, you obviously never advanced beyond a high school education. Just go to jenny mccarthy’s website and drink the kool aid.
Excuse me.? I do not deserve your sarcasm. I do not believe vaccines have been tested accurately or often enough, and they certainly haven’t tested multiple amounts of vaccines they overload infants with. Is it possible for you to respond in a non caustic way? Help me out here. Refer me to all of these studies that have proven safety in vaccines.
A late observation, but at least Diane was trying to get information. It is no surprise that people can be scared by theories or assumptions when everyone has been burned multiple times in other areas. Blindly marching to *anyone’s* drum without evidence is foolish – one set of closed-eyes-open-mouth idiots is simply *bigger* than the other. I don’t feel like anyone asking for information and research should ever be shot down, regardless of where they are asking from.
Siding with science does not mean automatically agreeing with what many of them are saying, it means questioning and examining – experimenting if the option is available. Most people are not exposed to any kind of information about a subject prior to getting the scare emails or media flashes, so the sudden bursts of conspiracy theories is all there is to go on for those that don’t ask for more.
Some people are preaching, but many are just trying very hard to find out, in this mire of information not everyone is familiar with, what is the best thing to do for their children and grandchildren.
The AMA is run by the pharmaceutical industry. And Dr’s are their drug pushing wh*res.