Media Inquiries:
Rita Shreffler, NAA (Nixa, MO) 401-632-6452
Wendy Fournier, NAA (Portsmouth, RI) 401-835-5828

MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION, VACCINES AND AUTISM: 1 in 50 Children Could Be at Risk
WILL THE GOVERNMENT CURB AN OVERLY AGGRESSIVE VACCINATION SCHEDULE TO COMBAT RISING AUTISM RATES?

Nixa, MO – Parents of children who regressed into autism after receiving vaccines are expressing cautious optimism that government health officials may at last be catching on to the link between vaccines and autism.

An article published on Huffington Post by investigative journalist David Kirby reported details of a conference call held earlier in March, bringing together federal vaccine safety officials to discuss concerns surrounding mitochondrial dysfunction, autism and vaccines.

The call came on the heels of a concession by the federal government that vaccines lead to regressive autism in nine-year-old Hannah Poling of Atlanta. The ruling is raising many questions, especially in the area of mitochondrial dysfunction, which the government conceded was exacerbated by Hannah’s vaccines.

In the article, Kirby stated, “The hot topic of the day was mitochondria - the little powerhouses within each cell that convert food and oxygen into energy.” And that, “Some researchers on the call reported that mitochondrial dysfunction is probably much more common than the current estimate of 1-in-4,000 people, making the potential implications for autism staggering.”

Of utmost significance are the following points:

• Up to 1 in 50 children (2%) may be at risk for mitochondrial dysfunction.

• Thimerosal, mercury, aluminum, pollution, pesticides, medicines and prenatal alcohol exposure have all been shown to damage mitochondria.

• Up to 20% of all children with autism may have underlying mitochondrial dysfunction.

• The CDC is aware of this situation and is immediately taking measures to address the current national vaccine schedule.

• The genetic susceptibility for mitochondrial dysfunction is not rare.

• This DNA mutation alone may not be enough to confer cellular dysfunction, doctors believe there is an environmental trigger as well.

• Children with mitochondrial dysfunction are more likely to regress into autism following a fever and illness from viral infections or a vaccine reaction.

• Some changes in the vaccine schedule will almost surely be made. The most difficult decision is how and when to vaccinate children with proven mitochondrial dysfunction.

The National Autism Association (NAA), a parent-led non-profit organization, believes that vaccines have contributed to regressive autism in most children, and that the rise in autism correlates with the increase in vaccinations. "It's apparent that those in a position to bring the truth to light about the vaccine-autism connection might finally be listening to the parents who have witnessed it first-hand," said NAA board chair Scott Bono.

A meeting of the HHS National Vaccine Advisory Committee's Vaccine Safety Working Group will be held in Washington, DC on April 11th. This meeting will be open to the public.

To read Mr. Kirby’s article, please visit:
www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/the-next-big-autism-bomb_b_93627.html 

To learn more about autism, visit: www.nationalautism.org

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