Eastern Panhandle of WV Autism Group
Joining together to make sense of the puzzle
Autism Prevalence Now At 1 in 91 Children, 1 in 58 Boys
Monday, October 5, 2009, Reston, VA - Today the Maternal & Child Health Bureau of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), US Department of Health and Human Services released a study evaluating the number of children in the U.S. who currently have a Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, The Prevalence of Parent-Reported Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder among Children in the United States, 2007. The Study evaluated data from a national Survey of Children's Health andfound that 1 in 91 children between the ages of 3 and 17 currently carry an ASD diagnosis -1 in 58 boys.
Even more alarming, for the subset of children between ages 6 and 14 immunized during the 1990's the prevalence is actually 1 in 71 children with an autism diagnosis. This age group represents children in the U.S. with the highest exposure to thimerosal, the mercury preservative routinely used until CDC, AAP and industry recommended its removal "as soon as possible" from all childhood vaccines. Despite this recommendation, mercury, one of the most neurotoxic substances on the planet, is still used in most seasonal and H1N1 vaccines.
SafeMinds continues to call for a ban on mercury-containing seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines, for pregnant women and young children. Theresa Wrangham, President of SafeMinds stated, "We are especially alarmed by these findings because the seasonal influenza and H1N1 vaccines contain mercury well in excess of EPA safe exposure guidelines. Pregnant women and young children should not be given mercury-containing medicines risking such significant side effects. The precautionary principal demands the removal of thimerosal from all vaccines pursuant to the now decade-old recommendation. How long must we wait to get a known neurotoxin out of all vaccines?"
All flu vaccines are categorized by the FDA as Class C drugs, meaning either studies in animals have revealed adverse effects on the fetus and there are no controlled studies in women, or studies in women and animals are not available. In addition, a 2005 study funded by the NIH found that ethyl-mercury used in vaccines crosses into the brain of infant primates, resulting in appreciable levels of mercury being trapped in the brain.
Concern over vaccine safety and the use of thimerosal is well established. In fact the Institute of Medicine, HHS' National Vaccine Advisory Committee, Congress, Health & Human Service's National Vaccine Advisory Committee, the American Academy of Pediatrics former President Dr. Lou Cooper, and former Director of the National Institutes of Health Dr. Bernadine Healy all agree that current research is inadequate to demonstrate vaccine safety, as required by law, especially in terms of risk for neurological damage, including autism, in a genetically susceptible subset of the population. Most have made statements in support of a study evaluating health outcomes in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated subjects.
SafeMinds is a charitable non-profit and leader in funding and advancing the science regarding mercury exposure as it relates to autism. Our expertise extends beyond mercury-related exposures to broader vaccine safety issues, due to many Board Members holding government agency committee positions such as the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, various CDC Vaccine Committees, the Department of Defense Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Program and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee's Vaccine Safety Working Group.
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This Statement has been endorsed by National Autism Association, Autism Action Network/ Formerly ACHAMP,
Talk About Curing Autism, Unlocking Autism and
Autism One
Even more alarming, for the subset of children between ages 6 and 14 immunized during the 1990's the prevalence is actually 1 in 71 children with an autism diagnosis. This age group represents children in the U.S. with the highest exposure to thimerosal, the mercury preservative routinely used until CDC, AAP and industry recommended its removal "as soon as possible" from all childhood vaccines. Despite this recommendation, mercury, one of the most neurotoxic substances on the planet, is still used in most seasonal and H1N1 vaccines.
SafeMinds continues to call for a ban on mercury-containing seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines, for pregnant women and young children. Theresa Wrangham, President of SafeMinds stated, "We are especially alarmed by these findings because the seasonal influenza and H1N1 vaccines contain mercury well in excess of EPA safe exposure guidelines. Pregnant women and young children should not be given mercury-containing medicines risking such significant side effects. The precautionary principal demands the removal of thimerosal from all vaccines pursuant to the now decade-old recommendation. How long must we wait to get a known neurotoxin out of all vaccines?"
All flu vaccines are categorized by the FDA as Class C drugs, meaning either studies in animals have revealed adverse effects on the fetus and there are no controlled studies in women, or studies in women and animals are not available. In addition, a 2005 study funded by the NIH found that ethyl-mercury used in vaccines crosses into the brain of infant primates, resulting in appreciable levels of mercury being trapped in the brain.
Concern over vaccine safety and the use of thimerosal is well established. In fact the Institute of Medicine, HHS' National Vaccine Advisory Committee, Congress, Health & Human Service's National Vaccine Advisory Committee, the American Academy of Pediatrics former President Dr. Lou Cooper, and former Director of the National Institutes of Health Dr. Bernadine Healy all agree that current research is inadequate to demonstrate vaccine safety, as required by law, especially in terms of risk for neurological damage, including autism, in a genetically susceptible subset of the population. Most have made statements in support of a study evaluating health outcomes in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated subjects.
SafeMinds is a charitable non-profit and leader in funding and advancing the science regarding mercury exposure as it relates to autism. Our expertise extends beyond mercury-related exposures to broader vaccine safety issues, due to many Board Members holding government agency committee positions such as the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, various CDC Vaccine Committees, the Department of Defense Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Program and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee's Vaccine Safety Working Group.
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This Statement has been endorsed by National Autism Association, Autism Action Network/ Formerly ACHAMP,
Talk About Curing Autism, Unlocking Autism and
Autism One
Manchin signs bill for autism awareness
BILL SIGNING FOR AUTISM AWARENESS
Manchin signs bill for autism awareness
Manchin signs bill for autism awareness
Reported by: 
Rachel Tarr
Videographer: Eyewitness News
Web Producer: Elisabeth Lilly
June 30, 2009 12:06pm
Rachel TarrVideographer: Eyewitness News
Web Producer: Elisabeth Lilly
June 30, 2009 12:06pm
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| Eyewitness News Photo |
Governor Manchin will sign a new law that could help secure the futures of autistic children. The bill will give families of children with autism disorders a tax credit of up to $2 thousand dollars a year. The tax credit will only be used for a trust fund that will be used when the children become adults. West Virginia is the first state in the nation to have this type of law. Manchin will sign the bill at Marshall University, which is home to the West Virginia autism training center.
County Investing In Program To Help Find People At Risk For Getting Lost
Reported by: Lynne Ashminov
Thursday, Nov 6, 2008 @06:05pm EST
BERKELEY COUNTY, WV - Instead of taking hours to find a missing person, it could soon take loved ones just a matter of minutes to locate them thanks to Project Lifesaver.Melissa Butler has two sons with autism, and she says one of them tends to wander off constantly.
That’s where Project Lifesaver comes in. It's a program that may be coming to Berkeley County in early 2009.
The wristbands are given to those at risk for getting lost, like people with autism, Alzheimer’s or Down syndrome so they can be located easily with an antenna.
The average recovery time without the system is nine hours, at about $1,500 an hour. With project lifesaver, it's less than 30 minutes and only takes two people.“The benefit to the taxpayers, the benefit to one family with a loved one or a child far outweighs the expenditure,” said Berkeley County Sheriff Randy Smith.
NBC25 put the tool to the test. Our reporter hid the receiver under the news vehicle, about 300 feet from where the deputies were standing. The deputies picked up the signal immediately and found the receiver in less than six minutes.
“My son cannot speak for himself. It's a great concern if he were to get lost,” Butler said.The program costs about $10,000 to start up, but with a grant from John and Liz Raese, it will cost the county about $6,000. County commissioners just need to approve the project.