February 26, 2008
The U.S. government recently conceded that a 9 year old girl’s “autism-like” disorder was aggravated by vaccines. The decision has sparked heated debate about the role of vaccines in the autism epidemic, which, according to the CDC, affects 1 in 150 children in the U.S. today.
In a matter of months after being injected with 9 vaccines in one day, Hannah began exhibiting the repetitive behaviors and social withdrawal that typifies autism. “Something happened after the vaccines'” says her mother, Terry Poling, who is a registered nurse and an attorney. “She just deteriorated and never came back.”
The government in Hannah Poling’s case, insists she had a pre-existing “mitochondrial disorder” that made her vulnerable to the encephalitis which resulted in brain injury, which then led to her “autism-like” disorder. This “blame the victim” strategy implies that the genetically defective child is to blame for the vaccine reactions that led to her autism.
A deluge of articles and commentaries is flooding vaccine awareness websites and blogs. While many see Hannah Poling’s case as a landmark victory, others are crying foul at government doublespeak and cover-up. The term “autism-like” disorder is itself an oxymoron as autism is defined by a collection of specific symptoms, and if a child exhibits enough of them, he/she receives a diagnosis of autism.
Waiting in the wings are close to five thousand U.S. families who believe their children’s autism was caused by vaccine induced injuries. They too are hoping to receive compensation from the U.S. government.
“Over and over again, mothers describe in identical terms what they witnessed their babies and children suffer following vaccination—seizures, high pitched screaming, collapse, unconsciousness, high fevers, body rashes, head banging, flapping, profound personality changes—cognitive and physical regression that changes the child physically, mentally and emotionally forever. And over and over again, mothers describe how their pediatricians stubbornly deny the vaccines just given had anything to do with what happened.” See the Vaccine Awakening blog.