UPDATE - FILES AVAILABLE
IOM Meeting Agenda with brief comments appears below
Congressman Weldon's Remarks - .pdf file
Dr. Bradstreet's Presentation - .pdf file
IOM:  A Parent's Perspective

Many parents have been asking for an update of the IOM meeting held on Monday, Feb. 9th. For those who of you who could not be there, this was the agenda for that day with a brief comment under each presenter’s name and title.

8:00 - 8:30 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Marie McCormick, M.D., ScD, Committee Chair

Congressman Dave Weldon, U.S. House of Representatives

Congressman Weldon was excellent. As usual, he was one of our children’s greatest advocates. His remarks have been posted here.

8:30 – 9:30
Etiologic factors and pathogenesis of autism: evidence from clinical studies and animal models

Mady Hornig, M.D., Associate Professor, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Dr. Hornig went through the current research getting the IOM up to speed with where the issue/controversy is right now.  Her presentation also discussed her research that consisted of injecting rats with thimerosal and then monitoring any behavioral changes. Video during her presentation showed rats that consequently developed harmful repetitive behaviors following the injections with thimerosal on a vaccine schedule that mimicked our children’s vaccine schedule. One of the rats died as a result.

Slides Unavailable

9:30 – 10:00
Association of Autistic Spectrum Disorder and MMR Vaccine: A Systematic Review of Current Epidemiological Evidence

Kumanan Wilson, M.D., MSc, Division of Clinical Decision Making and Health Care, Toronto General Research Institute, Canada

This presentation consisted of the latest numbers in Canada. Epidemiological findings based on Canada’s numbers showed no association.

Slides

10:00 - 10:30
Results of the Metropolitan Atlanta study of MMR and Autism

William W. Thompson, Ph.D., National Immunization Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Frank DeStefano presented Dr. Thompson’s findings. DeStefano, also from the CDC, presented epidemiological findings which showed no correlation between autism and the MMR vaccine. DeStefano is also co-author of the recent CDC epidemiological study published in Pediatrics which found no relative risk between thimerosal and autism, and is under current investigation by Congressman David Weldon’s office.

Slides

10:45 – 11:15
Exposure to Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines in UK Children and Autism

Dr. Elizabeth Miller, Head, Immunisation Division, Public Health Laboratory Service, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, London, UK

Dr. Miller’s presentation stated epidemiological evidence from the UK which indicated no association.

Slides

11:15 – 11:45
Vaccine Safety Datalink Study: Autism Outcome

Robert L. Davis, M.D., M.P.H., University of Washington Group Health, Cooperative Depts. of Pediatrics Center for Health Studies and Epidemiology

Dr. Davis presented the Vaccine Safety Datalink study which was released in the Pediatrics in November 2003 indicating no link between thimerosal and autism.

The study is under current investigation by Congressman David Weldon’s office. 

Slides

Rebuttal from Press Packets

11:45 – 12:15
Study of the Association Between Thimerosal-Containing Vaccine and Autism in Denmark

Anders Peter Hviid, MSc, Department of Epidemiology Research, State Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark

This study discussed findings based on epidemiological research in Denmark.
The findings show no association in Denmark.

Slides

Rebuttal from Press Packets

12:15 – 12:45
Autism and thimerosal-containing vaccines: analysis of the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS)

Mark R. Geier, M.D., Ph.D., President, The Genetic Centers of America

Dr. Mark Geier, geneticist and PhD, along with fellow researcher David Geier, presented their findings which supports a link between thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders. By studying the government’s own reporting system for adverse vaccine reactions, VAERS, the Geiers found that children were six times more likely to develop autism after exposure to TCVs. The two researchers also demonstrated that many childhood vaccines still contain thimerosal. One TCV vial shown during the presentation listed an expiration date of 2005.

Slides

The Geier’s Presentation will be linked here as soon as it becomes available.

1:45 - 2:15
A Toxicologist's View of Thimerosal and Autism

H. Vasken Aposhian, Ph.D., Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona

Dr. Aposhian told the committee that thimerosal might be causing autism. He said that the theory has “become more plausible than when your committee first discussed this.”

Slides

2:15 - 2:45
Relation of Neurotoxic Effects of Thimerosal to Autism David Baskin, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery and Anesthesiology, Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Baskin presented his research that shows that thimerosal causes cell death. AS with the December 10, 2002 House Reform Committee Hearing, he did an excellent job during the IOM presentation explaining the toxicity and effects of thimerosal.

Slides Unavailable

2:45 – 3:15
Thimerosal Exposure From Vaccines and Ethylmercury Accumulation in Non-human Primates

Dr. Polly Sager, Assistant Director for International Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Dr. Sager presented a primate study. She had a very small group of monkeys who had no conditions that would predispose them to the toxic effects of thimerosal. The research found no association.

Slides

3:30 – 4:00
Reduced Levels of Mercury in First Baby Haircuts of Autistic Children
Boyd Haley, Ph.D., Chairman and Professor, Department of Chemistry,
University of Kentucky

Dr. Boyd Haley demonstrated why boys are more susceptible to autism than girls. With a 4:1 ratio, Haley concluded that thimerosal is actually fueled by testosterone, while estrogen acts as a protector from the toxin and presented research that children with autism cannot detoxify heavy metals as easily as the rest of the population. He also showed that autistic children do not detoxify like regular children and that because of this fact, they hold onto the thimerosal which eventually makes its way to the brain and causes neurological disorders.

Slides

4:00 – 4:30
A Case-control Study of Mercury Burden in Children with Autistic Disorders and Measles Virus Genomic RNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid in Children with Regressive Autism

Jeff Bradstreet, M.D., FAAFP, Adjunct Professor, Neurosciences, Stetson University, Director of Clinical Programs, International Child Development Resource Center, Florida

Dr. Bradstreet not only discussed his research findings, but was able to bring together many different theories including Deth’s, James, Haley’s, Wakefield’s, and Geiers’ research into one cohesive presentation.

Slides

Dr. Bradstreet’s Presentation Here

4:30 – 5:00
Autism, Vaccines, and Immune Reactions
Vijendra K. Singh, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, Utah State University

Dr. Singh outlined that antibodies to measles virus and Myelin Basic Protein were more prevalent in autistic children showing a tendency for autistic children to have auto-immune disorders. Dr. Singh could not say what caused the antibodies.

Slides Unavailable

5:00 – 5:30
Public Comment Period

Parents who addressed the panel sited research and presented evidence to the panel that showed their autistic children suffer from active measles infections and heavy metal poisoning and disagreed with epidemiological findings showing no substantial link. All requested that the epidemiological studies cease. They asked for additional research money and unbiased research studies to study the children to know the cause and find the cure. By their appeals, they put faces on the epidemic. They were emotional, forceful and compelling. We are so very thankful to each for their heartfelt comments.

5:30 pm
Adjourn