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PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:
November 3, 2003

Contact:
Laura Bono, 919-403-9443
Lori McIlwain, 919-272-8192
Moms on a Mission for Autism

CDC Scandal Emerges—Study Attempts Cover Up of Autism-Mercury Link—Congressman Dave Weldon, M.D., Asks CDC for Investigation

ORIGINAL CDC STUDY FOUND “INCREASING RISKS OF NEUROLOGIC DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS WITH INCREASING CUMULATIVE EXPOSURE TO THIMEROSAL...” NOW, THIRD REVISION OF SAME STUDY FINDS NO LINK

Washington, DC—A CDC study looking at Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) data, published today in Pediatrics, is believed to contain fraudulent scientific data. The study reports no statistically-significant link between autism, ADHD, and developmental delays and the mercury-based vaccine preservative Thimerosal. All of these disorders were found in the CDC’s original investigation and have been removed.

Today’s Washington Times reports that U.S. Congressman Dave Weldon (R-FL), a physician, said in a letter to Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the CDC, “I have reviewed the article and have serious reservations about the four-year evolution and conclusions of this study.” And, “I found a disturbing pattern which merits a thorough, open, timely, and independent review by researchers outside of the CDC, HHS, the vaccine industry, and others with a conflict of interest in vaccine related issues.”

Dr. Tom Verstraeten, the lead investigator in the original study and author of the current article, is employed by vaccine-manufacturer giant GlaxoSmithKline, although the current article fails to disclose the clear conflict of interest.

The original February 2000 version of the VSD study, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), found that exposure to just three mercury-containing vaccines within the first three months of life could make children nearly two and one half times more likely to develop autism than children not exposed. The symptoms of autism mimic those of mercury poisoning.

A CDC meeting was held in June 2000 to discuss the original study’s findings. Transcripts, also obtained through FOIA, reveal CDC researchers and others conspiring to deliberately deceive the American people by minimizing the ill-affects of thimerosal.

• Dr. Robert Brent, of Thomas Jefferson University and the Dupont Hospital for Children said, “…we are in a bad position from the standpoint of defending any lawsuits if they were initiated and I am concerned.”

• Dr. Tom Verstraeten said, “...we have found statistically significant relationships between the exposures and outcomes for these different exposures and outcomes...” Also, “But one thing that is for sure, there is certainly an under-ascertainment of all of these because some of the children are just not old enough to be diagnosed.”

• Bill Weil, M.D., representing the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), said, “You can play with this all you want.” [The numbers] are linear. They are statistically significant.”

• When discussing data manipulation, Dr. Philip Rhodes, a statistician at the CDC and co-author of both studies said, “So you can push, I can pull. But there has been substantial movement from this very highly significant result down to a fairly marginal result.”

Dr. Mark Geier and MedCon, Inc. President, David Geier, are independent researchers, who at the behest of the U.S. Congress have analyzed the VSD data. They found an overwhelming epidemiological confirmation of a direct link between thimerosal and autism. In fact, the researchers found that the risk is comparable to smoking and lung cancer. Their study will be published in December in the peer-reviewed journal, Expert Review of Vaccines.

A study published this summer in a peer-reviewed journal by Dr. Jeff Bradstreet found mercury concentrations were significantly higher in children with autism vs. normal controls.

Another recent study published by independent researchers analyzed the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS,) a cooperative program of the CDC and FDA. This study found children were six times more likely to have autism after thimerosal-containing vaccines than children not exposed.

A July 2003 UPI Report found, after a four-month investigation, a web of close ties between the agency and the companies that make vaccines.

For copies of studies, data manipulation analysis, and CDC Meeting transcripts, visit www.momsonamissionforautism.org