BURTON REVIEWS
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TRACK RECORD ON VACCINES AND AUTISM
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Blain Rethmeier/Nick Mutton
December 6, 2002
(202) 225-5074
Burton reviews federal government
track record on vaccines and autism
Washington, D.C. - Nationwide, as many as 1.5 million Americans are believed
to have some form of autism spectrum disorder, and Congressman Dan Burton
(R-IN), Chairman of the Committee on Government Reform, wants to know what
the federal government is doing about it.
The Committee on Government Reform will hold a hearing entitled, "Vaccines
and the Autism Epidemic: Reviewing the Federal Government's Track Record and
Charting a Course for the Future," on December 10, 2002, in 2154 Rayburn
House Office Building at 1:30 p.m.
In recent years, the number of American children suffering from autism has
skyrocketed. A recent well-published study funded by the State of
California determined the number of autism cases in the state has tripled in
the last 10 years. Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of
Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a rate of
10-17 percent per year.
Said Burton, "Fifteen years ago, one in every 10,000 children in America was
autistic. Today, one in every 250 children is autistic. We have an
epidemic on our hands. If this trend continues at a constant rate, the
prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade."
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during
the first three years of life. A growing number of parents and scientists
believe that there may be a relationship between autism and childhood
vaccines. One leading suspect is thimerosal, a preservative which was used
for decades to kill bacteria in vaccines and contains ethyl mercury. It has
long been known that over-exposure to mercury in children can cause serious
neurological problems in developing children.
On November 21, 2002, Chairman Burton wrote to President Bush urging him to
host a White House conference on autism and to begin a national effort to
determine why autism has reached epidemic proportions in the United States.
The text of the letter follows and for more information on this autism
investigation, please visit the House Government Reform's website at
www.reform.house.gov <http://www.reform.house.gov>
November 21, 2002
The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
I am writing to urge you to host a White House conference on autism
to galvanize a national effort to determine why autism has reached epidemic
proportions in this country.
Fifteen years ago, one in 10,000 children in the United States was
autistic. Today, estimates place that number at one in 250. A recent study
funded by the State of California determined that the number of autistic
children in California has tripled, and that the increase could not be
attributed to better diagnoses or more accurate testing.
This explosive growth in autism has had devastating consequences for
families and communities all across the country. Families of autistic
children face great emotional and financial hardships as they seek to care
for their children. Local school districts have been overwhelmed
financially and logistically as they attempt to educate these children with
so many special needs. As a nation, we must develop solutions to help
families and communities cope with these challenges.
We must also try to determine what is causing this outbreak and how
it can be stopped. One possible explanation is the mercury preservative
that was used for years in pediatric vaccines. It is troubling that at the
same time that autism was skyrocketing, additional vaccines were being added
to the routine vaccination schedule, increasing the cumulative amount of
mercury to which young children were exposed. The Institute of Medicine
called this theory unproven, but "biologically plausible," and called for
much more research. Other factors may also be behind this increase, and it
is entirely possible that a combination of factors in the environment may be
at work.
At a White House conference, you could bring together the best minds
from across the country to chart a course of scientific research to uncover
the underlying causes of this epidemic. Right now such research is not
being aggressively pursued. You could also bring together parents of
autistic children and leaders in the fields of education and social services
to begin to address the difficult challenges they face.
Mr. President, you are in a unique position to provide the
leadership that is necessary to organize a national effort to resolve these
problems. Members of the House and Senate would, without a doubt, work with
you to mobilize whatever resources are necessary to mount such an effort. I
urge you to host a White House conference on autism.
Thank you very much for your leadership, and for your consideration
of this request.
Sincerely,
Dan
Burton
Member of Congress
Witnesses:
Panel One
* David Baskin, MD, Baylor University, Board Member, Cure
Autism Now
* Mark Geier, MD, Bethesda, MD
Panel Two
* Elias Adam Zerhouni, M.D, Director, National Institutes of
Health (Invited)
* Kathryn C. Zoon, Ph.D., Director, Centers for Biologics Evaluation
and Research, Food and Drug Administration (Invited)
Staff Contacts:
Beth Clay
Government Reform Committee
Telephone: 225-5074
Fax: 226-1274
E-Mail: beth.clay@mail.house.gov
< mailto:beth.clay@mail.house.gov
<mailto:beth.clay@mail.house.gov>
>
Pablo Carrillo
Government Reform Committee
Telephone: 225-5074
Vaccination News Home Page
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