Association between Autism Prevalence and Childhood Vaccination uptake across the U.S. Population

[Guest guest]

A Positive

Association found between Autism Prevalence and Childhood Vaccination

uptake across the U.S. Population.

Delong G.

J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2011 Jan;74(14):903-16.

pdf here

The reason for the rapid rise of autism in the United States that began

in the 1990s is a mystery. Although individuals probably have a genetic

predisposition to develop autism, researchers suspect that one or more

environmental triggers are also needed. One of those triggers might be

the battery of vaccinations that young children receive. Using regression

analysis and controlling for family income and ethnicity, the

relationship between the proportion of children who received the

recommended vaccines by age 2 years and the prevalence of autism (AUT) or

speech or language impairment (SLI) in each U.S. state from 2001 and 2007

was determined. A positive and statistically significant relationship was

found: The higher the proportion of children receiving recommended

vaccinations, the higher was the prevalence of AUT or SLI. A 1% increase

in vaccination was associated with an additional 680 children having AUT

or SLI. Neither parental behavior nor access to care affected the

results, since vaccination proportions were not significantly related

(statistically) to any other disability or to the number of pediatricians

in a U.S. state. The results suggest that although mercury has been

removed from many vaccines, other culprits may link vaccines to autism.

Further study into the relationship between vaccines and autism is

warranted.

see also, " non-specific effects " as a concept

in:

Non-specific and

sex-differential effects of routine vaccines: What evidence is needed to

take these effects into consideration in low-income countries?

Aaby P, Benn CS.

Hum Vaccin. 2011 Jan 1;7(1):120-4.

None of the original vaccines used in the child immunization programmes

in low-income countries, including BCG, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis

(DTP), oral polio vaccine (OPV), and measles vaccine (MV), were tested

for their overall effect on child mortality before being introduced. It

was assumed that the effect on overall child mortality would be

equivalent to the proportion of deaths caused by the targeted disease(s)

(1). However, this is no longer a tenable assumption. Many studies have

shown that these routine vaccines may have more general effects on the

immune system than merely protecting against the targeted disease, i.e.

so-called non-specific effects (NSE) (2). The NSE may well be more

important for overall child survival than the lives saved by specific

disease prevention (2-4)....

[Guest guest]

A Positive

Association found between Autism Prevalence and Childhood Vaccination

uptake across the U.S. Population.

Delong G.

J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2011 Jan;74(14):903-16.

pdf here

The reason for the rapid rise of autism in the United States that began

in the 1990s is a mystery. Although individuals probably have a genetic

predisposition to develop autism, researchers suspect that one or more

environmental triggers are also needed. One of those triggers might be

the battery of vaccinations that young children receive. Using regression

analysis and controlling for family income and ethnicity, the

relationship between the proportion of children who received the

recommended vaccines by age 2 years and the prevalence of autism (AUT) or

speech or language impairment (SLI) in each U.S. state from 2001 and 2007

was determined. A positive and statistically significant relationship was

found: The higher the proportion of children receiving recommended

vaccinations, the higher was the prevalence of AUT or SLI. A 1% increase

in vaccination was associated with an additional 680 children having AUT

or SLI. Neither parental behavior nor access to care affected the

results, since vaccination proportions were not significantly related

(statistically) to any other disability or to the number of pediatricians

in a U.S. state. The results suggest that although mercury has been

removed from many vaccines, other culprits may link vaccines to autism.

Further study into the relationship between vaccines and autism is

warranted.

see also, " non-specific effects " as a concept

in:

Non-specific and

sex-differential effects of routine vaccines: What evidence is needed to

take these effects into consideration in low-income countries?

Aaby P, Benn CS.

Hum Vaccin. 2011 Jan 1;7(1):120-4.

None of the original vaccines used in the child immunization programmes

in low-income countries, including BCG, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis

(DTP), oral polio vaccine (OPV), and measles vaccine (MV), were tested

for their overall effect on child mortality before being introduced. It

was assumed that the effect on overall child mortality would be

equivalent to the proportion of deaths caused by the targeted disease(s)

(1). However, this is no longer a tenable assumption. Many studies have

shown that these routine vaccines may have more general effects on the

immune system than merely protecting against the targeted disease, i.e.

so-called non-specific effects (NSE) (2). The NSE may well be more

important for overall child survival than the lives saved by specific

disease prevention (2-4)....