Survey: ADHD & Autism Rates Much Higher in Vaccinated Boys
A large phone survey, commissioned by the non-profit Generation Rescue (GR) and conducted by independent opinion research firm Survey USA, found that, relative to unvaccinated boys, vaccinated boys were 2.5 times more likely to have a neurological disorder such as ADHD or autism.
The survey queried 11,817 households in Oregon and California, and gathered data on 17,674 children ages 4 to 17, including 9,175 boys and 8,499 girls. The survey method closely paralleled the approach and age ranges that the CDC has used to identify national prevalence rates for neurological disorders.
Survey Results
Significant relationships between vaccinations and neurological disorders (NDs) were found only in boys, which, as GR notes, is not too surprising, given that boys represent 80% of all ND cases.
Here are a few of the survey’s amazing findings:
A. All vaccinated boys, compared to unvaccinated boys:
- Were 155% more likely to have a neurological disorder
- Were 224% more likely to have ADHD
- Were 61% more likely to have autism
B. Older vaccinated boys, ages 11-17, compared to older unvaccinated boys:
- Were 158% more likely to have a neurological disorder
- Were 317% more likely to have ADHD
- Were 112% more likely to have autism
(GR notes: “Older children may be a more reliable indicator because many children are not diagnosed until they are 6-8 years old, and we captured data beginning at age 4.”)
C. All vaccinated boys, removing one county with unusual results, compared to unvaccinated boys:
- Were 185% more likely to have a neurological disorder
- Were 279% more likely to have ADHD
- Were 146% more likely to have autism
Also, all vaccinated boys and girls were 120% more likely to have asthma than their unvaccinated peers.
Call for Larger Scale Study
Generation Rescue (GR) makes it clear in its commentary that this phone survey doesn’t prove that vaccines cause childhood neurological disorders (NDs), but it does raise significant questions, including perhaps the biggest one:
Why hasn’t a larger scale study comparing ND rates of vaccinated and unvaccinated children already [been conducted by the CDC]?
and a call to action:
We [GR] are a small non-profit organization. For less than $200,000, we were able to complete a study that the CDC, with an $8 billion a year budget, has been unable or unwilling to do. We think the results of our survey lend credibility to the urgent need to do a larger scale study to compare vaccinated and unvaccinated children for neurodevelopmental outcomes.
As I did in an earlier post, GR also questions the greatly expanded vaccination schedule:
In 1983, the Centers for Disease Control (”CDC”) recommended a total of 10 vaccines for our children up to the age of 5. In 2007, the CDC recommends 36, an increase of 260%, or 3.6x. (See a comparison here [PDF]).
During this time period, we have witnessed an epidemic of childhood neurological disorders (”NDs”). Today, the CDC estimates that 1 in 13 U.S. children has been diagnosed with ADHD and 1 in 150 has been diagnosed with autism. In the 1980s, ADHD was almost unheard of and autism was estimated to affect 1 in 10,000 children. Boys are significantly more affected by NDs, accounting for approximately 80% of all cases.
Can the increase in ND diagnoses be explained by better diagnosis? GR notes that is highly unlikely:
[T]he mainstream media still misreports that the explosive growth in NDs is the results of “better diagnosis” despite the considerable published scientific research to refute this position. As one example, Department of Developmental Services in California, known for keeping the best autism data in the country, issued this report regarding the growth of autism rates in California where they stated:
“There is no evidence that a loosening in the diagnostic criteria has contributed to increased number of autism clients…we conclude that some, if not all, of the observed increase represents a true increase in cases of autism in California…a purely genetic basis for autism does not fully explain the increasing autism prevalence. Other theories that attempt to better explain the observed increase in autism cases include environmental exposures to substances such as mercury; viral exposures; autoimmune disorders; and childhood vaccinations.”
Like GR, I’d like to see more study into the potential relationship between the greater number of vaccines and the risk for neurological disorders.
In a promising step in that direction, “Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) [re]introduced the “Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act of 2007” (H.R. 2832), legislation that would require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct a comprehensive comparative study of vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, which may resolve the controversy about the possible link between autism and mercury or other vaccine components.”
Such a study would go a long way to helping to identify potential risks created by the greatly expanded vaccination schedule. If you feel strongly about this issue, please call or write your Congressperson in support of this legislation.
Bottom Line
Again, I’d like to make it clear that I’m not anti-vaccine. Diseases such as polio, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, etc. are highly contagious and potentially deadly, especially in children.
However, one really does have to question how much better off are we today versus 25 years ago when the number of vaccination shots given were less than 1/3 the number given today? As asked in a previous post, were we experiencing epidemics of childhood diseases then? No, we were not.
GR also makes this point and several other important ones about vaccines on this page, including some useful vaccination rules of thumb and links to several alternative and potentially safer vaccine schedules for parents to consider.
In this blog, I regularly raise the topic of vaccines and potential toxin and immune system injury. The reasoning is that:
- These injuries affect potentially millions of people in both acute and subclinical ways, with effects that may last lifetimes.
- The emotional and financial costs of helping family members deal with these illnesses are extremely high.
- Nutritional and other biomedical interventions can play a significant role in helping people to heal and recover.
With 1 out of 6 children in the U.S. with a learning developmental disorder, 1 out of 13 with ADHD, and 1 out of 150 with autism (the latter is more than all children with cancer, juvenile arthritis, and type 1 diabetes combined), I’ll continue to highlight the issue until we get better answers.
Related Posts
Vaccination Schedule Expands 250% Over Past 25 Years
Why We All Should Care About Autism - A Must-Read Discover Magazine Article
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