Fw: Henry Winkler Gives Shot To Child Vaccinations/ Texas, Oregon Rallies

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Henry Winkler Gives Shot To Child Vaccinations/ Texas, Oregon Rallies

FEAT DAILY NEWSLETTER Sacramento, California http://www.feat.org

" Healing Autism: No Finer a Cause on the Planet "

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April 20, 2001 Search www.feat.org/search/news.asp

Also: Texans, Oregonians to Rally for Autism Support Legislation

Henry Winkler Gives Shot To Child Vaccinations

[by W. Moran, Spotlight Health.]

www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlight/2001-04-20-winkler-vaccination-life.h

tm

Henry Winkler gained fame as " The Fonz " on the hit TV series Happy

Days, a comedy reflecting a nostalgic view of the 1950s as a simpler,

trouble-free era of American life.

But Winkler remembers some " unhappy days. "

During that same decade, childhood diseases swept through millions of

American homes, and tens of thousands of families endured the pain of

disability and even death among their young children.

" With the success of subsequent national immunization programs, the

ravages of childhood diseases tend to fade into memory, " says Winkler,

currently starring on Broadway in Neil Simon's The Dinner Party. " The danger

is we have become lulled into a false sense of complacency. Many of these

same diseases are still out there ready to strike if we don't take adequate

measures to inoculate our children. "

That's why Winkler is contributing his voice to promote National

Infant Immunization Week (NIW), April 22-28.

" NIW's message is just as important as ever, " says Winkler, the father

of three grown children. " We want parents and caregivers to revitalize their

efforts to fully protect children against 11 vaccine-preventable diseases,

and give our kids a healthy start in life. "

Over the years, Winkler's actions have spoken even more convincingly

than his words. Together with his wife, Stacey, and five other prominent

Hollywood families, Winkler organized The Children's Action Network, a

national nonprofit organization whose first goal was to increase inoculation

levels among American infants.

" With the essential assistance and support of everyone involved, we

were able to provide complete vaccinations to 180,000-200,000 additional

children, " says Winkler. " But we don't have the problem licked, and

thousands of at-risk or underserved babies are being born every day. "

Advances and threats

At the beginning of the 20th century, infectious diseases exacted an

enormous toll on the American population. In 1900, 21,000 smallpox cases

were reported and nearly one thousand patients died. In 1920, almost half a

million cases of measles occurred and about 8,000 didn't survive. Diphtheria

was still common that year, killing over 13,000. Pertussis, or whooping

cough, killed another 6,000.

And until the mid '50s, more than 16,000 cases of paralytic polio

occurred annually in the USA.

Today, thanks to extensive vaccination programs, smallpox has been

completely eradicated in the USA and almost wiped out worldwide. Polio has

been eliminated and measles and Hib invasive disease among children under

five years old have been reduced to record low numbers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the

overall vaccination rate is currently at record high levels. In 1997,

coverage among children 19-35 months exceeded 90% for three or more doses of

DPT (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus) vaccine and Hib (H. influenzae type

vaccine, and for one or more doses of measles vaccine.

Coverage for children ages 5-6 years has exceeded 95% since 1980 for

DPT, polio, and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).

But the news in the fight against childhood infectious diseases is not

all good.

The CDC reports that about 900,000 two-year-olds in the USA are not

fully protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.

" That means 20% of America's two-year-olds are still missing one or

more recommended immunizations, " explains Dr. F. Cordero, assistant

surgeon general and deputy director of the National Immunization Program at

CDC. " And each day another 11,000 babies are born in this country who will

need 16-24 doses of vaccine by the same age. "

But many American parents still openly or privately question whether

vaccines are truly necessary today.

" We only have to look to the recent past to see how destructive

passive neglect can be, " says Cordero. " During an epidemic of rubella in

1964-65, pregnant mothers gave birth to over 20,000 infants born with

deafness, blindness, heart disease and other birth defects due to this

preventable disease. "

" Again in 1988, we thought we had measles under control, " says

Cordero. " We were complacent, and that lapse led to 55,000 cases of measles,

11,000 hospitalizations, and more than 120 deaths. "

The good news is that most vaccine-preventable diseases have been

reduced almost 99% since the advent of nationwide vaccinations.

The struggle is to keep parents aware of the need for their

participation in the continuing protection of their children.

Cordero states that as many as 74% of children who have not completed

their full vaccination series need only one more visit to finish. " Full

protection is really within our grasp, but we need parents to give this

issue serious attention, " says Cordero.

Cordero points to studies revealing that the vast majority of children

who have not completed their vaccination series had at least four

vaccination visits, implying that access to health care is not the major

issue.

" If all children who needed one more vaccination visit were to receive

that final visit, the national coverage among children 19-35 months for all

recommended vaccinations would be 93 percent, " reports Cordero.

Unfounded fears

" Low immunization coverage is a problem with far-reaching impact and

complications, " warns Cordero. " A decision not to vaccinate not only puts

your child at risk, but the entire community as well. "

But Cordero knows that certain barriers still thwart the goal of

universal protection. " The complex immunization schedule to protect our

children makes it increasingly difficult to ensure maximum protection.

Parents and even health-care providers often are unaware of what it takes to

fully immunize a child, " admits Cordero.

Cordero and the CDC also recognize that certain health scares

circulated through the press and over the Internet have confused parents

about the risk/benefit ratio of providing universal immunization.

The CDC wants to allay the fears of the parents of newborns when it

comes to the issue of vaccination. Long-term CDC studies have confirmed that

most vaccine-adverse events are minor and temporary, such as a sore arm or a

mild fever.

More serious adverse consequences are extremely rare, on the order of

one per thousand to one per million of doses. Some are so rare that the risk

cannot even be assessed quantitatively.

Similarly, deaths due to vaccines are so few that the risk is

difficult to assess statistically. Of all deaths reported to the government

between 1990 and 1992, only one is believed to be even possibly associated

with a vaccine.

Rumored risks of complications from vaccination continue to bedevil

the health care community. One myth that won't seem to go away is that DPT

vaccine causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Studies have proven that

the number of SIDS deaths has shown either no association or even a

decreased risk with DPT shots.

Another lingering myth is that MMR vaccines are associated with the

incidence of autism. The CDC states that all current studies, including a

recent report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, conclude there is no

causal connection between MMR vaccine and autism.

" These ongoing, long-term studies should give parents the confidence

they need to take charge of their children's well-being and have them fully

immunized, " concludes Winkler, who is also producing a movie with Ann

s for Showtime this May. " Fear for our children's safety has simply

been taken out of the equation. "

As a parent, Winkler knows where each of us can make the most impact

in our lives. " An individual doesn't have to help the entire world in order

to make a lasting difference. All it takes is devoting ourselves to the

welfare of one individual child. "

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Texans to Rally for Autism Treatment Support

Autism advocates in Texas are urging parents to contact their state

representatives, to request support for a bill that will require Insurance

Agencies to cover the cost of ABA in Home therapy for Autistic children in

Texas starting January, 2002.

Also announced is a rally at the Capitol in Austin on May 7th at noon

to support SB 427. Parents are encouraged to bring their children.

Here's a link to an online website with some information about the

bill

sponsors, etc.

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/db2www/tlo/billhist/billhist.d2w/repo

rt?LEG=77&SESS=R&CHAMBER=S&BILLTYPE=B&BILLSUFFIX=00427 <-- website address

ends here.

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Oregonians to Rally for Autism Support

[by Tory Mead, a mother of 2 1/2 year-old son . She can be

reached at Tory@....]

www.oregonlive.com/oped//index.ssf?/commentary/oregonian/co_21mead16.frame

April is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs out of

the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain

-- The Wasteland, T.S. Eliot

T.S. Eliot's Wasteland depicts April's spring rains melting the snow

and uncovering the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in WWI. Spring brings

with its rains both the promise of rebirth and the recognition of past

sacrifice.

It is fitting that April has been chosen as Autism Awareness Month.

Parents of autistic children believe that a spring thaw is beginning to

unravel the mysteries of autism.

At the same time, we urge legislators to help children with the

syndrome, by passing two bills.

Sixty years ago saw the diagnosis of childhood autism. It was a

life-long devastating disability. As the mother of a 2-1/2 year old son

recently diagnosed with autism, I see a lifeline of hope within our

diagnosis. Young autistic children are making enormous strides with the

right kind of intensive medical and educational treatment. I am meeting

Portland parents whose children who have been " de-classified " and have

entered public or private education in the normal sequence. It is an

astonishing revelation: Many children are recovering from autism.

Parents of autistic children are fighting on a new battlefield in a

war we did not seek. We are fighting to save our children. But our effort to

save a son or daughter is not just a personal battle. With treatment, almost

half of these children can be moved through special education and into

kindergarten at a huge saving to the State of Oregon.

There has been a tenfold increase in reported cases of autism in

Oregon since 1988. It is estimated that one in 250 children in Oregon are on

the autistic spectrum. Autistic Spectrum Disease (ASD) has risen over 500%

in Oregon in the last five years, making autism more common than childhood

cancer, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis or Downs Syndrome.

With the lifetime cost of state-sponsored care running at over $2

million per child, Oregon must act quickly to provide necessary early

intervention and educational support to autistic children. One fact is

certain: more research is needed to determine the causes of autism and to

develop a proven strategy for its prevention and cure.

Each day new discoveries are emerging about the diagnosis, cause, and

treatment of autism -- important new discoveries in the face of a

frightening rise in the number of diagnosed cases. Although we all work hard

to protect our children's health, for some reason we are unable to protect

them from autism. Despite mountains of medical data about our children,

science seems unable to " tell us " what has produced fields of autistic

children. People are asking why there are more and more cases of autism.

Medical researchers are just beginning to explore these issues.

Certain answers suggest that we have met the enemy and he may be us. Some

research points to a complex interaction between immune challenged children

and common childhood vaccinations, an issue that lies at the very heart of

our mandated vaccination policy. My son made all developmental milestones

until shortly after his MMR vaccination. We believe his autism is the result

of the thimerosol-mercury preservative in 14 of his 16 vaccine shots. A

review of medical literature indicates that the characteristics of autism

and of mercury poisoning as strikingly similar.

The road to recovery is not an easy fight to win. Public awareness

about the complications of autism is limited. Most insurance carriers in the

United States deny coverage for the treatment costs for autism. Oregon

school districts provide only a portion of care needed.

Recovery from autism is costly, often $100,000 per child. The

intensive early intervention programs include biomedical treatments,

supplemental vitamins, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) programs, and for

some children, a Gluten-Free/Casein Free (GFCF) diet. Most families fighting

autism incur huge debts to save their children.

Legislation proposed in Salem, SB 648 and SB 700, would help. Senate

Bill 648 would fund autistic teacher training, ABA education programs, and

insurance coverage for autistic families. It would require standards for

certification for ABA programs and teachers. SB 700 would revise the Oregon

State Education due-process hearings to create a more equitable process for

parents of special education children.

But the prospects for these badly needed improvements are uncertain.

Parents' pleas for help and evidence of recoveries have been met with

bureaucratic opposition and lack of funding. Time is of the essence to help

our children and save the State of Oregon millions of dollars.

On Sunday, April 22, from 1-4 p.m. at Pioneer Square in Portland,

family and friends of autistic children will gather for a rally in honor of

Autism Awareness Month. Our purpose is to raise the public's awareness about

autism. The following Friday, April 27, thousands will march for autism in

Washington, D.C. to highlight the importance of Autism Awareness Month. To

commemorate the little steps our children are taking towards recovery, the

Portland families will wear yellow. We will wear yellow to signify our

emerging spring, and our hope for State support in preventing and treating

autism.

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AUTISM CONFERENCE & RALLY! WASH DC APRIL 25-27

" Open Your Eyes to Autism " and be a part of " The Power of ONE "

Unlocking Autism - www.UnlockingAutism.org

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Lenny Schafer, Editor PhD Ron Sleith Kay Stammers

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