From the December 2000 Idaho Observer:

Portland conference promises clinics, schools for the autistic

Big guns orchestrating blitz to calm the herd over MMR/autism fears

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Nearly 800 people, at least 600 of which were the parents of autistic children desperately in search of answers, attended the “Autism Oasis Conference” at the Oregon Convention Center here November 18, 2000. Conference organizers and speakers did not call for an immediate removal of the measles, mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine that has been scientifically linked to the exponential increase in the incidence of autism worldwide. The event's theme primarily focused on the science of the disease and how its lifelong symptoms may be mitigated through careful dietary regimens that completely omit dairy (casein) and grain (gluten) products. Conference organizers also promised that generous philanthropists would magically appear and they will build, staff and operate schools and hospitals for autism victims and their families.

The conference was sponsored by the Northwest Autism Foundation and the Autism Society of Oregon. Plans to promote the conference began to evolve last spring. Portland area businessman and autism activist Ken Humphrey was willing to organize the event under three conditions: 1) It must be free so that cost would not be a deterrent to attendance; 2) It must host the “best” speakers in the world and; 3) It must present a plan.

Humphrey outlined item number three immediately after introducing the speakers: Dr. Bernard Rimland, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, Dr. Jon Pangborn, Karyn Seroussi and Dr. Jeff Bradstreet. He stated that the Northwest Autism Foundation plans to set up a medical clinic for the families of autistic children so that state-of-the-art care is available to each and every autistic child in the Northwest U.S. He also stated that the foundation plans to erect special schools for autistic children.

There was no mention of plans to remove MMR vaccine from the marketplace. There was no mention of a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of the MMR vaccines which science has positively linked to a nearly fourfold increase in incidence of autism in this country over the last decade.

The National Vaccine Information Center (www.909shot.com) reported that, of the almost 4,000,000 babies born each year in the U.S., according to current trends, 26,666 could become autistic -- that is 512 children per week, or, 73 American children per day that may be terminally afflicted with the developmental disease.

Anatomy of a cover-up

The MMR/autism controversy has been growing steadily since Dr. Andrew Wakefield, a gastroenterologist from the University College Hospital in London, published his MMR/autism link findings in the esteemed British medical journal The Lancet in 1995. Dr. Wakefield showed that the “M” component of the triple-antigen MMR vaccine causes chronic inflammation of the bowel and/or increased bowel permeability that is responsible for a cluster of developmental disorders we call “autism.”

Dr. Wakefield's Lancet article was very specific in its indictment of the MMR vaccine as being the cause of the international epidemic of autism.

In 1999, Dr. Edward Yazbak published his findings which link MMR vaccine to autism (The Idaho Observer, June, 2000) and Dr. Vijendra Singh of Utah State University reported this year that his studies show that the MMR vaccine causes an immune response which damages protein in the brain in a manner that causes autism (The Idaho Observer, October, 2000).

The first sign that the dominant media and the combined interests of organized medicine and vaccine manufacturers were orchestrating a damage control campaign to counter published science came with a cover story in Newsweek magazine in June, 2000. Though so many people are being effected by MMR/autism that the autism edition reportedly sold more than any other Newsweek ever, the story was a big disappointment to those who were hoping for responsible and accurate reporting of this controversial subject.

More recently, the infamous TV news magazine 60 Minutes internationally broadcast another MMR/autism link damage control piece which featured Dr. Wakefield.

For having the courage to lead the scientific charge against MMR vaccine, Dr. Wakefield has endured campaigns of professional assassination from his employer, his colleagues and other entities who depend upon pharmaceutical companies for research grants. The pressure has apparently gotten to him as the charismatic speaker ended his lecture to nearly 600 desperate parents by stating that we must learn “how to give vaccines safely to children.”

To date, there has never been any long-term independent studies conducted that scientifically proves vaccines to be either safe or effective in preventing diseases.

The softening of Dr. Wakefield's position toward the cause of epidemic autism was memorialized on 60 Minutes when he appeasingly stated that he had no problem vaccinating his own children against childhood diseases, but that he did not feel the triple-antigen MMR was safe.

Dr. Viera Scheibner, co-creator of the CotWatch breathing monitor which scientifically established the causal link of vaccines to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (The Idaho Observer, Nov. 2000) commented that Dr. Wakefield's softened stance toward vaccines contradicts his own research which proves single doses of measles vaccine can cause bowel complications which lead to autism.

“In my notes I wrote, 'Bingo,' right after Dr. Wakefield ended his lecture by stating that we must learn how to give vaccine safely to children,” commented Don Harkins of The Idaho Observer who attended the conference. “It was at that moment that I knew that the conference was part of an extremely well-financed damage control campaign that is being orchestrated to quell growing public concern over the MMR vaccine's link to epidemic autism,” Harkins said.

The conference was apparently designed to lead the parents of autistic children away from demanding that MMR vaccine manufacturers, vaccine-approving government agencies and healthcare practitioners be held accountable for making, mandating and administering the harmful jab by promising them access to improved services for their terminally vaccine damaged children.

The only mention made of MMR's direct link to epidemic autism was made by Dr. Bernard Rimland whose son was born “developmentally disabled” in 1966 -- the year he earned his Ph.D. Dr. Rimland had never even heard the term autism (which is now a household word) until they were finally able to associate his son's affliction with the condition at the age of five. Dr. Rimland who, since 1966 has dedicated his life to autism research, is undoubtedly the world's foremost authority on autism. He stated that incidence of autism has increased in a parallel to the increase of MMR vaccine use. “The reasons are debatable,” he said, but he is certain that “increases in the use of MMR vaccine are responsible for the autism epidemic.”

Clues to the coverup:

The Portland Oregonian published two stories prior to the conference (one of which appeared on the front page Nov. 17). It has been proven over and over again that the dominant media is unwilling to give press to anti-vaccination news items that may threaten advertising revenues from vaccine manufacturers.

Both 60 Minutes and Newsweek have aired and published stories designed to mislead the public regarding the MMR vaccine's link to autism.

There was no mention on 60 Minutes, in Newsweek or at the conference that government officials or autism victim advocates are demanding an investigation into the MMR vaccine's link to epidemic autism

There was no mention on 60 Minutes, in Newsweek or at the conference of a campaign to demand the removal of MMR vaccine from the marketplace until it can be proven not responsible for epidemic autism.

There was no mention of a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of MMR vaccines that have caused thousands of children to become terminally afflicted with the developmental disease.

Dr. Wakefield has publicly stated, in contradiction to his own findings, that vaccines are safe if not taken all at once.

Both Humphreys and Dr. Wakefield mentioned the Newsweek article and the 60 Minutes broadcast as if they were good coverage of this controversy.

The event was free to the public, organizers announced that millions of dollars will be donated by largely unnamed philanthropists to build hospitals and schools to serve victims of autism and their families.

For more information:

The FDA is apparently so busy trying to regulate vitamins and block public access to viable alternative therapies for a full menu of degenerative diseases that it has overlooked the MMR vaccine's “possible” link to epidemic autism. Since the “experts” are too busy saving us from things that do not hurt us to save us from things that do hurt, we must be responsible for arming ourselves with the information necessary to make intelligent choices with regard to our children and MMR vaccine.

Please contact Vaccination Liberation (see meeting notice page 3) for a full list of books, magazine articles and websites which contain MMR vaccine/autism link information.

As many as 73 children per day are being diagnosed as autistic. Take action to prevent your child or your grandchild from being one of them.