Autism and Vaccines: I Just Can't Worry About This

Kathy is the parent of a son with autism, and one of WebMD's Community team members. Today, she is speaking solely as a parent living with autism in her family.

My days of panic and worry about autism and vaccines are long over.

My son is nearly 13 and has lived with autism, well, all his life. I don't know what caused his brain to be different. Sure, I have theories, just like any parents, doctors, and health professionals who live with autism.

I also know that there's a large group of folks who think that preservatives, once but no longer in childhood vaccines, caused their children to develop this disability.

But I just don't know that. And until someone tells me that in absolute certainty, I'd give the shots to him again in a minute.

Not the popular theory right now, huh? Especially in light of recent news.

There's a fear train that I think all parents ride soon after you suspect autism or just days after diagnosis. And, like many passengers, in my early parenting days, I took that lamenting ride, crying that maybe the vaccines I thought would save my son from disease actually caused his disability.

But no one could tell me that for sure. In fact, with autism, no one can tell me anything for sure. What causes it? What exactly will help? How do I know he will be okay? What happens after I die? Why did this happen to us?

All I know of parenting is autism and how to live with it. And one other thing: autism theories change everyday. On any given day I can look to my inbox and find any number of studies, blog entries, and newsletters all touting they know exactly how to fix my kid, what caused his autism, and how it happened.

But they don't.

What do we know? That childhood immunizations and vaccines save lives. They prevent the kinds of diseases that killed my great-grandmother's only baby son.

I respect those parents in autism, like me, searching for clues as why this thing has entered their lives and who truly believe these shots are what caused their child's disability. I admire their courage to speak out, fight, and seek justice.

I just hope they find more answers to share with us all along the way.


Related Topics:

• Autism: Support Group
• Autism Health Center

Technorati Tags: autism, vaccines, children, health, webmd

Vaccine Decision Ignites Autism Debate

Hannah Poling

The Issue:
Federal health officials conceded that several vaccines contributed to autism-like symptoms in a 9-year-old girl, Hannah Poling. For years, there's been debate among parents, researchers, and the government over whether a mercury-based preservative in vaccines, thimerosal, causes autism. While the government has said that vaccines don't cause autism, many anti-vaccine groups see this as a vindication of their beliefs. Read WebMD's news story and interview with her father, Jon Poling.

WebMD is dedicated to keeping you informed. Check back for the latest updates. When we know, so will you.

What We Know

This is important news and the WebMD team is working to deliver you the best information.

• December 1998: Hannah was born, possibly with a rare mitochondrial disorder from the onset. But it's important to note according to her father, Jon Poling, MD, PhD, a neurologist, that Hannah may or may not have been born with the mitochondrial disorder. All genetic mitochondrial testing was unremarkable at that time. Whether she was born with a metabolic problem or it developed later is still an unknown question. This is one of key questions that his daughter's case raises in both the science and the law.
  


• July 2000: Hannah received five shots, containing nine vaccines.


• February 2001: Hannah was diagnosed with features of autism spectrum disorder.


• November 2007: The Division of Vaccine Injury Compensation, said "compensation is appropriate" because the vaccines aggravated her disorder, causing her to have "features of autism spectrum disorder."


• March 2008: The government says that this does not mean that vaccines cause autism.


• Hannah's father, Jon Poling, told WebMD Thursday that his is not anti-vaccine and that they are a hugely important medical advance. But he added that every treatment has a risk and benefit, and that he couldn't say that vaccines are "absolutely safe, that they are not linked to brain injury and they are not linked to autism."


• The CDC said Thursday this was a special case and that there is no evidence that vaccines are unsafe for any children.


• The American Academy of Pediatrics said Thursday that the case "raised many questions" and that it wanted to examine the documents to better understand the implications.

The Background You Need

On this issue, here are the must-read articles, reference materials, and news stories you need.

• Q & A: Are Vaccines Safe?


• Expert View: Pediatrician Dr. Steven Parker


• Study: Vaccines Don't Cause Autism


• Autism Symptoms

WebMD's Coverage

To deliver you in-depth coverage, WebMD has:

• Posted a news story on the court case.


• Updated a QA about vaccines to include the newest information.


• Is working on ways to bring you additional perspective and context.


• Is moderating an active discussion of the topics on its boards.
  
  
• Posted a blog from a mother of an autistic child, with her take on the news.
  

Those Involved

The people and organizations surrounding this event.

• Hannah Poling, the 9-year-old girl diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.


• Jon Poling, Hannah's father, a neurologist.


• Division of Vaccine Injury Compensation, Department of Health and Human Services, the government office that admitted the vaccine-autism link in Hannah's case.


• Autism United, a coalition of autism groups.


• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has said that vaccines do not cause autism.


• SafeMinds, an advocacy organization that believes vaccines cause autism.

Technorati Tags: autism, vaccines, breaking news, webmd