Do Vaccines Cause Autism? or A medical detective story with an unexpected ending
Date of publication: 08/09/2019 News
An organized anti-vaccine movement arose almost immediately after the invention of the first vaccine in medical history (for smallpox). At that time, superstitious fears of the new medical procedure were quite understandable: the mechanism of action of the vaccine seemed almost magical. The anti-vaccination philosophy received a new round of development with the advent of the Internet. It is on social networks that the most ardent opponents of vaccination now live. One of their menacing theses - “vaccinations cause autism” - is causing parents around the world to refuse to vaccinate their children.
Medical psychologist and one of the trainers at the “School of Autism” at the Stavropol Psychiatric Hospital, Yulia Barabanova, says that this idea (that autism is caused by vaccinations) still infects not only parents of autistic children, but also some specialists involved in the correction of mental disorders in children. Today a young mother can hear the story that “your child got autism because he was vaccinated” in the clinic, in the speech therapist’s office, and in kindergarten. The matter is complicated by the fact that the mechanisms of childhood autism are still not fully understood. Now doctors talk about genetic predisposition and organic brain disorders. However, it is psychologically easier for parents of autistic children to associate the cause of the disease with some external influence on the child.
Let’s look at how the idea “vaccinations cause autism” came about.
Oddly enough, this hypothesis was born in scientific circles. In 1998, British physician Andrew Wakefield published the results of a study in the reputable medical journal The Lancet that allegedly proved a link between measles vaccination and childhood autism. At first glance, the data that Wakefield showed looked very convincing. Before the publication of Dr. Wakefield, few people knew him; he was not noted for any scientific discoveries or achievements. After the study was published, the situation changed radically. The young doctor was eagerly invited to appear on television, and his photographs did not leave the covers of British tabloids. Overnight, Wakefield became a national star. It seemed that the cause of autism in children had finally been solved, which meant that this disease would soon be completely defeated: it was enough just to eliminate the very harmful measles vaccine from circulation.
Andrew Wakefield
Was there a rational grain to Wakefield's work?
Wakefield's hypothesis was not without common sense. It was based on the fact that the weakened measles virus, which is part of the vaccine, causes inflammation in the intestinal cells, and then leads to the appearance of symptoms of autism. At the same time, the development of autism as such, according to Wakefield, was to blame for the mercury-based preservative contained in the vaccine (merthiolate, another name for the chemical - thiomersal). The words “mercury” and “autism” in one sentence, and even printed on the pages of a respected medical journal, had a simply magical effect on the audience. Residents of Great Britain began to massively refuse to vaccinate their children, reasoning sensibly that probable measles was better than definitely acquired autism.
What was wrong with the study?
In order to prove his thesis about the connection between vaccinations and autism, Wakefield violated not only the methodology of scientific research, but also the ethics of the doctor: he put pressure on parents, demanding from them answers that fit into his hypothesis. In addition, patients whose parents were opponents of vaccinations were recruited into the control group. According to the recollections of the mother of one of the children, Dr. Wakefield forced her to say that symptoms of autism in her child appeared 11 days after vaccination. To provide evidence for the thesis about intestinal dysfunction, Wakefield performed multiple colonoscopies on children (a rather unpleasant procedure) without serious indications. In addition, some children who had colitis before vaccination (and Wakefield knew about this!) were deliberately included in the test group. Wakefield simply rearranged the dates in the children's medical histories: it turned out that the children first received the vaccine, and then fell ill with colitis and acquired mental disorders.
The testimony of the parents of the “experimental” children had the effect of an exploding information bomb. Following them, more and more new facts began to be discovered in favor of Wakefield’s fraud. For example, it became known that among 12 children examined, only one had a confirmed diagnosis of “regressive autism,” despite the fact that the rest of the children had mental disorders, their diagnoses were still in question. Andrew Wakefield was suspected of falsifying his scientific “discovery” in order to become famous, however, in reality everything was much worse...
The investigation that revealed the truth
Brian Dear
British medical journalist Brian Deere investigated the Wakefield case in parallel with the editors of The Lancet magazine, and it was Deere who extracted facts from the case materials that brought down the entire “theory.” Deere found that back in 1996, two years before the Lancet publication, Wakefield filed a patent for a rapid test that detected traces of the measles virus in the body. This test was intended to screen all children diagnosed with autism in the UK. And the very next year, Wakefield tried to patent a “safe” mono-vaccine against measles
. The doctor’s plans were purely economic in nature: he hoped to first include his rapid testing method in the mandatory set of examinations that are carried out on children in Britain (of course, insurance companies had to pay for the tests), and then sell a mono-vaccine that is “guaranteed not to cause autism " The sponsors of Wakefield's research, the UK Legal Aid Board, planned to earn about £28 million from the doctor's scam. And the UK Ministry of Health was already planning to recall the MMR vaccine due to the fact that it allegedly caused autism.
The bottom line:
a publication containing “evidence” of the harm of the measles vaccine was withdrawn from The Lancet, and Wakefield was convicted of deliberately falsifying data.
“ There is no connection between vaccines and autism.
No one ever discovered it. This problem has been discussed for more than 20 years, returning to it periodically. But no matter how hard they tried, no one substantiated this connection - neither pathogenetically, nor statistically, in any way. Because there is none, no matter how attractive this idea may be to anti-vaxxers and parents of children with autism. If there was a connection between vaccinations (or merthiolate) and autism, then autism would not be such a rare pathology in the context of mass vaccination of the population, which has been carried out for many decades. In the region alone, tens of thousands of children are vaccinated every year, but cases of autism are rare. And then, there are also children with autism who have never received any vaccinations. This problem is far-fetched and is not related to vaccines, but to the psychology of parents of children with autism. And this is understandable. It would be possible not to pay attention to someone’s speculations on this matter, if this idea were not so persistently imposed on the population, would not be so actively taken up by incompetent persons and would not lead to refusals of vaccination, which ultimately leads to outbreaks of infectious diseases. diseases among people and causes concrete, and not far-fetched, damage to health,” says Nikolai Pelikh , Deputy Chief Physician of the State Budgetary Healthcare Institution SK “SKKSPB” for epidemiological support
Events that occurred after the publication of Wakefield’s “research”
In the early 2000s
major manufacturers of measles vaccine exclude merthiolate (thiomersal) from the vaccine composition.
Pharmaceutical companies admit that any harm to the body from this preservative has not been scientifically proven, however, they exclude it from production for the peace of mind of parents who would like to vaccinate their children.
In 2001
then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair makes a public statement claiming that his youngest son Leo has been vaccinated against measles. Thus, Blair refutes rumors that he is an anti-vaxxer and a follower of Wakefield's theory.
In 2006
There is a widespread outbreak of measles in the UK. For the first time in 14 years, a child whose parents openly opposed vaccination dies from this disease.
In 2008
In the same UK, a measles outbreak is reoccurring.
In 2010
The magazine once again disavows Andrew Wakefield's article, and editor-in-chief Richard Horton issues a statement calling the information in the article "a flat-out lie."
Also in 2010
The General Medical Council rules in a case that has been heard for several years to protect Wakefield's reputation.
The council's experts unanimously decide: Andrew Wakefield is guilty of a gross violation of the physician's code of ethics and should be removed from the medical register, thereby effectively depriving him of the right to practice medicine for life.
For several years, at the Stavropol Regional Psychiatric Hospital, there has been an Autism School for parents whose children suffer from this disease.
Visits to the School are free and everyone is welcome. You can read more about the School here.
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How Komarovsky describes the symptoms of autism
The main symptoms of ASD according to Komarovsky:
- lack of verbal contact with people;
- use of toys and other household items for purposes other than their intended purpose;
- high sensitivity to ambient sounds;
- ignoring and incorrectly assessing dangerous situations;
- lack of skill to adapt to the situation (for example, rearranging the room);
- causeless mood swings;
- increased passive or active state;
- complete absence or presence of poorly developed speech skills;
- inadequate reaction to surrounding objects;
- ignoring sounds, objects, surrounding (feeling of complete detachment).
The articles https://autizmy-net.ru/priznaki-autizma/ and https://autizmy-net.ru/priznaki-autizma-u-podrostkov/ described these signs in more detail. The pediatrician competently summarizes the information.
Medic Materia DPT
ARE COMMON. Allergic reactions. Fever after vaccination. Loss of coordination.
WORSE. Warm, cold.
BETTER. Warm, cold.
PSYCHE. Hyperactivity, tantrums, obstinate, stubborn, irritable, explosive temperament, wakes up grumpy, sensitive, charming, suppressed emotions (jealousy develops after DPT), stutters, wants company, aversion to company, whiny mood, lack of confidence, gentle, neat . Head banging, gesticulating, nail biting, thumb sucking. Lags behind in school, reading and writing, left-handed, dyslexic.
EYES. Strabismus. Orbital cellulitis.
EARS. Earache. The discharge is yellow and green. “Gummy ear” (the English term for exudative otitis media. - Approx. Transl.
).
NOSE. Catarrhal inflammation, runny nose.
FACE. Lifeless complexion, circles under the eyes.
MOUTH. He grinds his teeth (often during sleep), starts speaking late, stutters and stutters. Speech disorders (speaks in a sing-song voice).
STOMACH. Lack of appetite or increased appetite. Refuses to eat. Extreme thirst or lack of thirst. Thirst for something hot. Thirst for cold things. Thirst worse at night. Stomach pain.
STOMACH. Loose stools, flatulence, very foul-smelling gas. Constipation. Pain around the navel.
URINARY enuresis. Frequent urination.
GIRLS. Vaginitis. History of thrush (Candida albicans).
BREATH. Asthma. Upper respiratory tract infections, difficulty breathing. History of tonsillitis.
LIMBS. Numbness and tingling.
LEATHER. Eczema with or without itching. Diaper rash. Subcutaneous rash. Night sweats. Local reaction to the vaccine (skin redness, swelling, heat, induration). Purpura. Boils.
DREAM. Changing your sleep habits. Sleep disorders. Nightmares, night terrors, sleepwalking, enuresis. Difficulty falling asleep. Wakes up often. He sleeps for a long time. Daytime sleep. Difficult to wake up. Sleep is intermittent. Reveals. Hot in bed. He rakes the whole bed under himself and sleeps on top. Restless in sleep.
Stories from medical practice
In medical practice, cases often arise when, after DTP, parents bring a child with symptoms of autism to the pediatrician. But it should be noted that in addition to this pathology, there are other neurological disorders that may have similar symptoms.
In some children, symptoms of autism are mistaken for developmental delays. After a while, the child begins to talk and walk normally.
There are cases when a child with poor heredity develops autism, and the period when the first symptoms of the pathology appear is during the DPT vaccination.
The pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus vaccine should not be blamed for the health problems that have arisen. It is necessary to fully examine the child and identify the true cause of the deviation.
Is DPT vaccination dangerous for a child: possible complications and consequences
DPT is an inactivated drug that contains toxoids of bacteria and weakened pathogenic microorganisms. Available in the form of an injection solution.
A single dose of DPT contains the following elements:
- tetanus toxoid;
- diphtheria toxoid;
- killed pertussis microbial cells;
- formaldehyde;
- merthiolate;
- aluminum hydroxide.
The pertussis component and auxiliary substances often become the culprits in the development of complications.
Possible negative consequences of DTP vaccination:
- fever;
- febrile and afebrile seizures;
- prolonged crying;
- allergies (Quincke's edema, anaphylaxis, urticaria, Lyell's, Stevens-Johnson syndromes);
- arthritis;
- meningitis;
- formation of an abscess at the injection site;
- high-pitched scream;
- encephalitis;
- paralysis of limbs;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- arrhythmia;
- vascular disorders.
The vaccine contains a tiny dose of merthiolate, so it is unable to affect the nervous system. But it should be noted that up to a year, the baby is immunized with various drugs containing mercury as a preservative. This can lead to an overdose of thiomersal and negative effects on the body.
Treatments for Autism
Evgeny Komarovsky claims that there is no obvious drug treatment for ASD, there are drug courses to combat the accompanying symptoms of the disease, and a lot of therapies that will help correct the behavioral, speech, social and psychological characteristics of children and adults with ASD.
You can read more about the methods by following the links:
- https://autizmy-net.ru/lechenie-autizma-v-germanii/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/lechenie-autizma-v-kitae/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/lechenie-autizma-stvolovyimi-kletkami/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/lechenie-autizma-u-detey-v-izraile/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/biomed-autizm/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/novoe-otkryitie-pomozhet-v-lechenii-autizma/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/osteopatiya-kak-sredstvo-lecheniya-autizma/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/mikropolyarizatsiya-metod-lecheniya-autizma/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/ippoterapiya-kak-vspomogatelnyj-metod-lecheniya-autizma/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/lechenie-nootropami-autizma-sdvg-zpr/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/pomogaet-li-gipnoz-pri-autizme/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/tentorium-i-autizm/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/igloterapiya-refleksoterapiya-pri-lechenii-detey-s-autizmom-i-drugimi-narusheniyami/
- https://autizmy-net.ru/delfinoterapiya-dlya-autistov/
Komarovsky gives the following advice to parents of “special” children:
- Parents should boldly take the situation into their own hands and not despair, because everything directly depends on them. You need to study, check, try, search.
- Parents should reconsider their main mistakes in caring for children with ASD: overestimating the role of drug treatment, underestimating the importance of the regimen and timely care, overfeeding, temperature violations, etc.
