Guest guest Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Any news on today's NIEHS meeting on the VSD? Vicky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Vicky and friends, The NIEHS VSD meeting ended late in the afternoon. My email was down or I would have responded sooner. Basically, the CDC (, DeStefano et al.) had the floor and expressed many concerns regarding the sensitivity (confidentiality) and limitations of the VSD. DeStefano pointed out all the IOM studies and tried to leave the impression that this was a settled issue, implying there was no need. The presenter from Harvard Pilgrim implied a threat that HMO's might pull out of the VSD if they felt confidentiality would be compromised by allowing access to 'untrustworthy' individuals. The Geiers were not invited to present their VSD experiences so basically the CDC had the floor all day. No one from 'our side' gave any presentations. Baskin made some very good comments and challenged some of the points made. There was several of us who complained to the chair and the assistant director again about the process, and lack of representation from other individuals with knowledge of the VSD. I was pleased that the panel asked the CDC officials some tough questions some that was unable to satisfy. One panel member complained about the lack of toxicologists at the meeting. Initially the panel gave the impression that the VSD had so many limitations that they didn't know if a study of this sort could be done. There was much discussion about what a good study could look like. Finally, they suggested they might be able to do a study that would review the Verstraeten study and additional years of data and perhaps some broader studies looking at susceptible populations, families with more than one autistic child. The impression left was that there would be a study of some kind. A report will be issued within about three months at which time the public can comment. Rushing to catch a flight home or I would give more details. It is important to note that because of the complaints made about the process, we were able to change the agenda and have DeStefano removed as the individual who gave the charge to the panel. I even saw Bob reading the A-CHAMP letter to the NIEHS director. Parents were provided time at the end of the session to make public comments. It was clear that our letters had an impact and left an impression. Bobbie Today's NIEHS meeting > Any news on today's NIEHS meeting on the VSD? > > > Vicky > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Thanks Bobbie and , Unless I have it wrong, the intent from the Leiberman/congressional letter re: the VSD was to use it to compare health outcomes in unvaccinated and vaccinated children. Was this discussed? Can the VSD as it currently exists be used to evaluate outcomes in unvaccinated children? Vicky > > Vicky and friends, > > The NIEHS VSD meeting ended late in the afternoon. My email was down or I > would have responded sooner. > > Basically, the CDC (, DeStefano et al.) had the floor and expressed > many concerns regarding the sensitivity > (confidentiality) and limitations of the VSD. DeStefano pointed out all the > IOM studies and tried to leave the > impression that this was a settled issue, implying there was no need. The > presenter from Harvard Pilgrim implied > a threat that HMO's might pull out of the VSD if they felt confidentiality > would be compromised by allowing > access to 'untrustworthy' individuals. > > The Geiers were not invited to present their VSD experiences so basically > the CDC had the floor all day. No one > from 'our side' gave any presentations. Baskin made some very good > comments and challenged some of the > points made. There was several of us who complained to the chair and the > assistant director again about the process, > and lack of representation from other individuals with knowledge of the VSD. > > I was pleased that the panel asked the CDC officials some tough questions > some that was unable to > satisfy. One panel member complained about the lack of toxicologists at the > meeting. > > Initially the panel gave the impression that the VSD had so many limitations > that they didn't know if a study of > this sort could be done. There was much discussion about what a good study > could look like. Finally, they > suggested they might be able to do a study that would review the Verstraeten > study and additional years of > data and perhaps some broader studies looking at susceptible populations, > families with more than > one autistic child. The impression left was that there would be a study of > some kind. > > A report will be issued within about three months at which time the public > can comment. Rushing to catch > a flight home or I would give more details. > > It is important to note that because of the complaints made about the > process, we were able to change the > agenda and have DeStefano removed as the individual who gave the charge to > the panel. I even saw Bob > reading the A-CHAMP letter to the NIEHS director. Parents were > provided time at the end of the > session to make public comments. It was clear that our letters had an impact > and left an impression. > > Bobbie > > > > > Today's NIEHS meeting > > > > Any news on today's NIEHS meeting on the VSD? > > > > > > Vicky > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Thanks, Bobbie, and all the rest! Barb Today's NIEHS meeting > Any news on today's NIEHS meeting on the VSD? > > > Vicky > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.