US pays out for vaccine damage in autism case.

[yurt1]

here

The vaccines received at 18 months 'significantly aggravated' an underlying (undiagosed) mitochondrial disorder. The child was originally diagnosed with autism - the mitochondrial disorder was discovered later.

I knew someone (now lost touch - she moved away) whose dd regressed following MMR, was dxed with autism aged 2, and the last I saw her (aged 9) was being investigated for mitochondrial disorders.

I was most interested that the reactions the child had at the time (high pitched screaming, fever, arched back) were said to be normal by a paediatrician and yet they still paid out. Her regression started post vaccination.

I don't think compensation would have been granted in the UK (but the US system for vaccine compensation has always been better).

Gosh, that's interesting, Yurt1. Poor kid.

It's staggering that a paed can say a child who is clearly in real pain and suffering those symptoms is having a 'normal' reaction. If that's normal, God help all of us!

And I don't understand the blank denial that this group of medicines can cause side effects. It's a fact that all medicines potentially have side effects, the job is working out what they are and the cost/benefit ratio - are the potential side effects so serious/so widespread the medicine should be withdrawn or restricted, and is the condition so severe the risks of side effects are worth it?

BUt they do that all the time edam. A mumsnetter whose son ended up in HDU with encephalitis following the MMR was told it was coincidental (presumably had he ended up in HDU following wild measles it would have been deemed totally normal).

They don't take on board the immune system irregularities that seem common in autism either. I know so many autistic children who have had really conditions. Only last week a friend's daughter was taken to hospital with heart inflammation (pericarditis??) which initially her GP refused to believe she had as apparently its something that children don't get (after seeing the test results the GP said it was and she must have been very unlucky), but I know of so any autistic children getting these odd- often inflammatory disorders.

It would seem entirely possible that there's something about a lot of children with autism that means their immune system behaves in odd ways. DS1's body did some really weird things before he regressed (such as a large mole he has swelling like a blister and releasing white fluid, before crinkling down, blistering and then the blister (supposedly eczema herpeticum) spreading out across his entire body within about 12 hours.

Apparently that child's case forms part of a test case going through the US courts at the moment. But I know very little about that.

really 'odd' conditions - missed out a word- sorry!

yurt
my DD ( who is nt) has the weirdest immune system too.
She has had persistent episodes where her temp goes through the roof ad she struggles to breath. Been in hosp four or five times. She has inhalers but Drs are pretty sure it isn't classic asthma.
Now she has been diagnosed with "non specific viral rash" because her body is totally covered in a rash remarkably like chicken pox but without blistering. The Dr thought it may be measles but again no classic symptoms. She is incredibly itchy one day and then not bothered the next ( although very much on the mend).
When she had allergy tests to see if food was triggering her breathing issues the DR observed that her immunity was staggeringly low.
Perhaps that wierd immune response was a factor in DS2 reation to the MMR.

(God I wish I had anything approaching a scientific mind but zilch idea)
Just think it is interesting....

ds3 has had a lot of the same problems as ds1. I do think he was/is very vulnerable. Like ds1 he gets odd high temps with no other symptoms that last a few hours then go for example.

and another interesting report this moring! Slightly different.

Message withdrawn

from the New Scientist

What irritates me is the main fear appears to be that the payout will put people off vaccinating. I'm put off vaccinating, not because children get damaged by it so much (I know they do) but because I don't trust anyone official to help pick up the pieces if it does go wrong. Or even investigate.

I would have more confidence in an honest system that considered all evidence before it rather than one that refuses to consider something it find unpalatable.

a bit more from this story

thank you yurt1-brilliant links-wspecially from cbs news