CHILDREN’S HEALTH

Dr. Paul Tebbe

The evidence is clear: Vaccinations do not cause or contribute to autism

THE TWO MOST common questions I am asked in my pediatric practice are: Do vaccines cause autism, and is autism on the rise?  The answers to these questions are no, and probably not.

Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by delay in communication and language skills, poor social interaction, and a narrow range of interests and activities.  These patterns of difficulty usually start to appear around 18 months of age and it is generally diagnosed in children between 2 and 4 years of age.  I refer children to an experienced psychologist or pediatric neurologist for evaluation when I am concerned about the possibility of autism.  Usually the diagnosis is made clinically, but many times diagnostic testing is performed to rule out other disorders that can mimic autism.

THE ANALYSIS of volumes of data from legitimate researchers and statisticians disproves any link between autism and vaccines. However, mis-information and skewed statistics are rampant on the web and in the popular press.

Unknown Cause

The exact cause of autism is unknown, but a genetic component seems to be the most predominant factor.  We know this because the chances of autism in siblings of an autistic child are several-fold higher (up to 8 percent) than the general population.  Further supporting this conclusion is the fact that in the case of identical twins, 60 percent of the time both children are affected.  The exact gene or genes that contribute to autism are still unknown, but research is continuing.

There also seems to be an environmental factor or factors that trigger the disorder in genetically predisposed children.  This is clear because the rate of concordance (both children affected) in identical twins is high (60 percent), but it is not 100 percent as it would be if it were merely genetics at work. (They have the same exact genetic code.)   Theories of possible factors include viral infections, pollutants, food additives, hormones, and allergies, amongst other possibilities.  However, it remains clear that vaccinations do not cause or contribute to autism.  In addition, the trace amount of mercury (Thimerosal) used in the past as a vaccine preservative does not cause autism.

Research Disproves link

The research on vaccines and autism has been extensive over the last 30 years.  The analysis of volumes of data from legitimate researchers and statisticians disproves any link between autism and vaccines.  However, mis-information and skewed statistics are rampant on the web and in the popular press.

Media Hype & Misinformation

Over the past couple of years there has been a lot of hype in the media because it is a “hot” topic that sells magazines and newspapers. Don’t believe everything you read.  Without having to review any of the vast research data, let’s look at this practical example: if vaccines were the causative environmental trigger, then in the case of identical twins, both twins would always be affected. (Same genes, same vaccines.) This simply does not hold true.

CASES OF AUTISM are soaring at an alarming rate nationally, with more than 4,000 cases in Brevard County alone. Though much is being invested in finding a possible genetic link, the cause is unknown. Thus there is no cure, but early diagnosis and intervention are proving to help young people with autism spectrum disorders and their families.

The question then remains: is autism on the rise?  In fact this is a very difficult question to answer.  If you look at the number of autism diagnoses for 1977 vs. 2007, you would see a significant increase over that 30 year period.  However, many experts feel that the increase has to do more with the classification of developmental disorders rather than a true increase.  For example, in 1977 a child might have been diagnosed as being mentally-retarded, emotionally disabled, or communication delayed rather than autistic.

Today, many types of developmental delay in children can be classified as a type of autism-spectrum disorder.  This can encompass everything from mild interpersonal communication difficulty (i.e. Asperger’s Syndrome) to a fully autistic and severely impaired child.

The full understanding of autism and the genetic and environmental factors is years away.  We as pediatricians understand parents’ concern about autism due to the profound effect it can have on children and their families.   Rest assured, we are not in the business of doing anything that would increase a child’s risk for the disorder.  If a vaccine was thought to cause autism, we simply wouldn’t give it and would find an alternative.

Vaccines do not cause autism.  Vaccines protect children from life-threatening and disabling illnesses that years ago caused the death of 1 in 5 children before they reached adulthood.  For more accurate information about vaccines, talk to your pediatrician and check out the following resources: American Academy of Pediatrics; www.AAP.org and the Centers for Disease Control; www.CDC.gov/od/science/iso/

HOW DO VACCINES HELP THE IMMUNE SYSTEM DEFEND THE BODY?

• The immune system has cells, sometimes called memory cells, that remember diseases.If these cells meet a disease, they keep track of what it looks like so they can recognize it later.
• When the memory cells meet up with the disease again, they recognize it and know they need to get rid of it. They call in the other parts of the immune system to get rid of the disease. In some cases, memory cells can recognize a disease without ever having to meet up with it, which is called “natural” immunity. In other cases, the cells need some help to become familiar with a disease.

Dr. Tebbe has been a resident of Brevard County since 1982.  He attended the University of Florida for undergraduate studies and medical school, graduating in 1995.  Dr. Tebbe completed a Medicine-Pediatrics residency at Arnold Palmer Hospital and Orlando Regional and is currently a board-certified pediatrician and CEO at Pediatrics In Brevard.  He has worked for PIB since 1999, and his office is located in Viera, serving patients, ages newborn to 21.  Dr. Tebbe’s passion is primary care pediatrics, but  he also has an interest in immunology and infectious diseases.  He has been active in clinical pediatric research, including the evaluation of vaccines since 2002.

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