Vaccinations and Autism

I almost hesitate to mention the topic. There are some passionate beliefs on both sides of the issue of vaccinations. The number of children suffering from Autism is growing and many have believed that a component in vaccines contributed to or caused the problem.

The study below seems to refute the belief that vaccinations might cause Autism.

So, if it's not vaccinations, what is it? Why are the numbers increasing? Diet? Toxins in our foods? Pesticides? Hormones in foods?

For a while I was using a product that, among other things, purported to somewhat counteract the affects of vaccines. It was supposed to neutralize the metals we take into our system. I tried it for about a year and didn't see any health benefits. It was expensive so I stopped taking it. However, I had a good friend who's daughter was Autistic. She gave her daughter the same product and noticed a striking improvement. Her therapists, who had not been told about the inclusion of the product into her diet, independently reported a marked difference in her abilities.

I saw the little girl a few times before she took the product. She was removed, it was impossible to understand what she was saying and touch was out of the question. About 6 months later I saw her. I noted a huge difference. Her speech was clear enough I didn't have any trouble understanding what she was saying. She responded to the people around her. I won't bore you with all of the little differences I noted, but overall it was remarkable.

Her mom had done quite a bit of research and was fairly well convinced that vaccines had been the trigger.

I don't know. I suppose I'll be spending a little time wandering around the Internet again doing some reading!

Here's the article. Let me know what you think about vaccines.

California autism cases continue to grow
LOS ANGELES - Autism cases in California continued to climb even after a mercury-based vaccine preservative that some people blame for the neurological disorder was removed from routine childhood shots, a new study found.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080107/ap_on_he_me/autism_cases

China tries unsafe product crackdown

BEIJING - Last August, the Chinese government unleashed its most extensive campaign since the 2002-03 outbreak of SARS, the mysterious killer disease. The goal: to shore up China's battered reputation as a manufacturer of quality goods

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080106/ap_on_bi_ge/china_battle_for_quality

Global Hot Air from the BBC

Toxic Note: Great article!

Billions of people now ‘know' about global warming and how it threatens the planet. They ‘know' that it is all the fault of decades of irresponsible, profligate industry and capitalism. And yet, what exactly do they really know? Have they delved in to the research data? Have they made it their business to acquire a thorough understanding of atmospheric processes and of climatology? Or have they simply heard it ad nauseam on the news. Heard it so insistently, emphatically and endlessly repeated that it must be true. Surely?

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/01/global_hot_air_from_the_bbc.html

Two British Women Die From Identical Infection After Giving Birth on Same Day at Same Hospital

Fox News: In what is being called more than a coincidence, two new mothers who gave birth at the same British hospital on Dec. 21 died afterwards from identical infections, The Daily Mail reports.
Within 72 hours both women died from complications linked to streptococcus A infection, which normally causes sore throats.
The Daily Mail identifies the women as Amy Kimmance, 39, and Jasmine Pickett, 29.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,320106,00.html

Original Story, Great Britain:
Two new mothers die of identical bug after giving birth at SAME hospital on SAME day
Two mothers have died from an identical infection after giving birth at the same hospital on the same day.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=505949&in_page_id=1774&ct=5

Quotes from various sources (linked below):

- Is group A strep infection an emerging infectious disease?
Yes. Health problems associated with strep A bacteria are not new, but reports of fatal infection with invasive strep A bacteria have been increasingly recognized in the United States since 1987. Researchers do not know why the new strain of strep A is on the increase or why it targets certain otherwise healthy people.

- Group A streptococci (hemolytic Streptococcus pyogenes) cause a broad spectrum of diseases, ranging from simple and uncomplicated pharyngitis and skin infection to life-threatening invasive illness that includes pneumonia, bacteraemia, necrotizing fasciitis, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (TSS), and nonsuppurative sequelae such as acute rheumatic fever and glomerulonephritis.

- It has recently been estimated that there currently are more than 18 million cases of severe group A streptococcal disease such as rheumatic heart disease in the world, with more than 500 000 deaths each year.

Here's some links to info on Streptococcus A:

Streptococcus A - Necrotizing Fascitis, http://www.emergency.com/strep-a.htm (1994)
Group A Streptococcus - http://www.dhpe.org/infect/strepa.html
Group A streptococcal infection - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_A_streptococcal_infection
World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/immunization/topics/strep_a/en/index.html

Weis Markets Announces Voluntary Recall of Weis Baker's Basket 18 Ct Fruit Miniatures and 2 lb Platters of Mini-Fruit Diamonds

Toxic Note: I see a LOT of this type recall.

A lot of people with nut allergies have SERIOUS nut allergies. They could die from eating nuts.

How is it that companies don't know they have nuts of some sort in their products?

I know a little 9 year old girl with a nut allergy. She wouldn't die from eating them, but it does affect her and if I understand correctly, at any point it could become serious. Or she could outgrow it. Either way, right now this little 9 year old can pick up a package, scan the ingredients in about two seconds flat and tell me whether there's anything nut related in it. She can't have anything that used a nut based or related oil. She knows which brand of refrigerator cookie is OK, which one is not.

These companies, who could suffer serious, serious, losses if anyone suffered from their mix up, can't figure out whether there's something nut related in their foods before shipping them off to stores?

The recalls don't normally say where the products are made, although they'll tell you where the stores are located that are selling the products. I'm wondering if this is something similar to the Chinese and their love of lead-based paints on our toys. Is the food being manufactured in another country where they either don't have the same concerns, or... do they enjoy seeing how many Americans drop before anyone figures out it's some obscure nut problem? How many companies can we take down? How much damage can we do?

Who knows. Toxic things cross ones mind when looking at all the recalls that drop into my in-box at the Fayette Front Page.

Here's the recall:

Weis Markets Announces Voluntary Recall of Weis Baker’s Basket 18 Ct Fruit Miniatures and 2 lb Platters of Mini-Fruit Diamonds Due to Undeclared Allergen (Walnuts)

Weis Markets today said it has initiated the voluntary recall of its Weis Baker's 18-count Fruit Miniatures and two pound platters of Mini-Fruit Diamonds in four varieties – Nut Diamond, Cheese Raspberry, Apricot and Mixed assortment. These products are being recalled because they may contain walnuts which are not identified on the label.

People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to walnuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

These products, which were sold in Weis Markets' Bakeries, have been removed from store shelves and destroyed. The 18-count Fruit miniatures come in clear plastic containers and the two pound Mini Fruit Diamonds are packaged in a platter with a clear top. The UPC and code dates are listed below.

This problem came to the company's attention after a customer complaint. Concerned customers may return this product to Weis Markets for a full refund. Customers with concerns or questions about this recall may contact Weis Markets' customer hotline at 866-999-9347, Extension 3, which is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Weis Baker's 18-count and two pound platters of Fruit Miniatures – Nut Diamond, Cheese Raspberry and Apricot are sold at Weis Markets including its Mr. Z's, King's and Scot's Lo-Cost units. Weis Markets operates 156 stores in five states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and West Virginia.

The UPC Codes for the recalled product with a sell by date up to 1/5/08 are:
UPC 210100-00000 18 Ct Fruit Miniatures
UPC 210112-00000 2 lb Fruit Miniature Platters

Search Under Way for Georgia Man Suspected of Stabbing Father, Grandfather to Death

DECATUR, Ga. — Police are searching for a 22-year-old man suspected of stabbing his father and grandfather to death at a Decatur home.

Decatur Assistant Police Chief Keith Lee says Miller Jordan III is wanted for two counts of murder in the deaths of Miller Jordan Sr. and Miller Jordan Jr.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,319263,00.html

Bible Reading Mom Kicked Off Bus

Snapshot: A mother in Texas was reading to her children from the Bible on a bus. They were headed to church. The bus driver asked her to stop. She refused. They called another bus, kicked her off the main bus, took her to church in a separate bus.

Toxic. I think, based one what little is included in the full story below, this is toxic.

Unless the woman was reading at the top of her lungs, I have a serious problem with anyone going to the extremes the bus company went to stop this woman from reading the Bible to her children.

Have you ever been on a bus where some obnoxious boor was waxing eloquent about his or her exploits? Have you ever had a mentally challenged individual sing? Have you been entertained by someone who decided to read their poetry verse out loud? Have you been on a subway where someone played their boom box loud enough for others to hear?

Do ya think that the bus would stop and provide another means of transportation for any of the individuals above?

I think that every member of every church in the town in Texas should start riding the buses. And reading. Anything. Bibles, their kids school books, the newspaper... How many buses can the company provide for people choosing to read to their children?

Maybe people should start requesting a separate bus, forwarn the bus company that they were going to be reading to their children thus they needed a separate conveyance to avoid bugging the bus driver.

There is common courtesy that should be employed on any public transportation. But it isn't. For every decent person who respects the right for peace in public there is one who believes they have the right to get in their face. If they're obnoxious they get bumped or arrested.

Most people would be thrilled that a parent was willing to read to her children... that she was doing something with them,... that she would spend her money on bus fare to take them to church.

At a minimum the bus company over-reacted. In my estimation, they were flat out wrong.

Here's the stories:

Texas Woman Forced to Leave Bus After Reading Bible Out Loud
A Texas woman is demanding an apology from her city’s mass transit system after she was booted off a bus for reading the Bible aloud, MyFoxDFW.com reported Monday.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,319346,00.html

Bible-Reading Woman Kicked Off Fort Worth Bus
FORT WORTH -- A Fort Worth woman wants an apology from the city's mass transit system because of how she was treated Saturday while on her way to church. Christine Lutz claimed she was kicked off The T for reading the Bible aloud to her children.
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5358343&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1