Journal questions validity of autism and vaccine study

[proverbialwisdom]

Source: By Debra Goldschmidt, CNN

updated 11:48 PM EDT, Wed August 27, 2014

(CNN) -- A study published earlier this month on an alleged link between vaccines and autism has been removed from the public domain pending further investigation, according to Translational Neurodegeneration. In an online statement, the scientific journal said the paper had been removed "because of serious concerns about the validity of its conclusions."

CNN first became aware of the study when an iReport was posted about its publication and the controversy surrounding it.

Brian Hooker, author of the study and a biochemical engineer, found African-American boys who were given the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as MMR, before age 24 months were more likely to be diagnosed with autism. To reach this conclusion, Hooker said he analyzed the same set of data that was the basis for a 2004 study done by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2004, scientists at the CDC's National Immunization Program published their study in the journal Pediatrics. Researchers compared 624 children with autism, age 3 to 10, with 1,824 developmentally healthy children. Most of the children, according to the study, were vaccinated between 12 and 17 months of age in accordance with vaccination recommendations.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/27/health/irpt-cdc-autism-vaccine-study/index.html

[nikto]

1. There was a fairly recent interview with Rob't Kennedy Jr...

Last edited Mon Sep 1, 2014, 01:04 AM - Edit history (1)

...Where legit findings seem to indicate it is not the vaccine itself but
a Mercury compound put in US vaccines since 1989 (for longer stability/shelf-life,
would be my guess----I can think of no other reason).

That same Mercury compound is banned in Europe, and their birthrate of neurological problems
like ADHD, Autism, etc, is far less than the US.
The only known substance more toxic to the human nervous system is Plutonium.
Mercury is #2.

BTW, There were many passages redacted in the documents that Kennedy uncovered,
almost like some secret military document. Odd, that.

Seems like a slam-dunk cover-up to me.

The interview was by Thom Hartman on RT, and can be found on youtube, for sure.
Saw it last week, but it could be a rerun from earlier this year, as happens sometimes
in late summer.

[jakeXT]

2. Let the science speak?

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. You're probably thinking of thimerosal, and it hasn't been in MMR vaccines for 13 years

or more.

Since 2001, with the exception of some influenza (flu) vaccines, thimerosal is not used as a preservative in routinely recommended childhood vaccines.

Thimerosal is a mercury-containing preservative used in some vaccines and other products since the 1930's. There is no convincing evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site. However, in July 1999, the Public Health Service agencies, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/Thimerosal/Index.html

It's not banned in Europe, either - roughly the same attitude as the CDC: http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Scientific_guideline/2009/09/WC500003904.pdf

If Kennedy was the one saying all that, then he really shouldn't be interviewed again - there was just too much wrong in it for anypone respectable to broadcast it.

[jakeXT]

4. I think he says produced in the US sold to the world

The outcome reflected the position of the World Health Organization that the small amount of thimerosal used in vaccines is safe. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics, which called for thimerosal to be removed from children’s vaccines over a decade ago, last year came out in favor of exempting the preservative from the mercury treaty.

The exemption also stemmed from a widely shared economic judgment that the cost to make and distribute thimerosal-free vaccines would be steep and couldn’t be justified by the uncertain benefits.

Richard Mwendandu, a delegate from Kenya, said African nations that expressed concerns about thimerosal agreed by the end that the preservative is still critical to vaccination programs aimed at reducing childhood deaths, and should be used until a good alternative is found. “There is no cost-effective and reliable alternative at this moment,” Mwendandu said.

http://www.salon.com/2013/06/30/world_health_organization_approves_use_of_mercury_based_preservative_in_vaccines_partner/

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. That seems irrelevant - Kennedy is producing profoundly misinformed listeners on purpose

and, as such, I think he qualifies as a complete liar who should be denounced. He is spreading falsehood and ignorance for his own fame.

[Blanks]

28. He has no credibility in the legitimate press on this issue. eom

[freedom fighter jh]

7. If thimerasal was banned only 13 years ago,

some of the kids in the study, aged 3 - 10 some time before 2004 (study was published in 2004; data must have been taken earlier), would still have been exposed to it when they were about 2 years old.

Exposure info can be pretty complicated, I think. My kids were small in 1999 when the scare hit. I called our pediatrician and he explained that his practice used vaccines *without* thimerasal even before there was a concern.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Autism diagnoses have continued to rise after that date

up to birth date of 2002: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

There really is no evidence to link them to thimerosal in vaccines.

[proverbialwisdom]

15. Will that narrative hold if the scientific evidence is scrutinized? That's the debate now, isn't it?

Time will tell, the Rand Corporation aside (CNN above).

Dr. William W. Thompson strongly opposes thimerosal containing immunizations (e.g. flu) for pregnant women (because it has been proven to cause tics). You will note that a key take-away message from RFK Jr's book tour talks and Dr. Mark Hyman's interviews matches that important recommendation.

MORE: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017206443

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. Your OP seems to say the scientific evidence has held up, yet again

So, no, I don't think there is a debate. Just fringe figures like Kennedy saying "I don't trust the science". Like a global warming denier. Or creationist.

[proverbialwisdom]

19. No, OP is CNN's article about new science & heroic CDC whistleblower, Dr. William W. Thompson, PhD.

Last edited Thu Aug 28, 2014, 12:17 PM - Edit history (1)

It's notable because it is the first MSM article on the topic. Of course, CNN's framing and the rest is all wrong like this thread (shifted to be about RFK JR and thimerosal). Recent backstory here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016100237

http://www.morganverkamp.com/august-27-2014-press-release-statement-of-william-w-thompson-ph-d-regarding-the-2004-article-examining-the-possibility-of-a-relationship-between-mmr-vaccine-and-autism/

NEWS

August 27, 2014 Press Release, “Statement of William W. Thompson, Ph.D., Regarding the 2004 Article Examining the Possibility of a Relationship Between MMR Vaccine and Autism”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - AUGUST 27,2014

STATEMENT OF WILLIAM W. THOMPSON, Ph.D., REGARDING THE 2004 ARTICLE EXAMINING THE POSSIBILITY OF A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MMR VACCINE AND AUTISM

My name is William Thompson. I am a Senior Scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where I have worked since 1998.

I regret that my coauthors and I omitted statistically significant information in our 2004 article published in the journal Pediatrics. The omitted data suggested that African American males who received the MMR vaccine before age 36 months were at increased risk for autism. Decisions were made regarding which findings to report after the data were collected, and I believe that the final study protocol was not followed.

I want to be absolutely clear that I believe vaccines have saved and continue to save countless lives. I would never suggest that any parent avoid vaccinating children of any race. Vaccines prevent serious diseases, and the risks associated with their administration are vastly outweighed by their individual and societal benefits.

My concern has been the decision to omit relevant findings in a particular study for a particular sub­ group for a particular vaccine. There have always been recognized risks for vaccination and I believe it is the responsibility of the CDC to properly convey the risks associated with receipt of those vaccines.

I have had many discussions with Dr. Brian Hooker over the last 10 months regarding studies the CDC has carried out regarding vaccines and neurodevelopmental outcomes including autism spectrum disorders. I share his beliefthat CDC decision-making and analyses should be transparent. I was not, however, aware that he was recording any of our conversations, nor was I given any choice regarding whether my name would be made public or my voice would be put on the Internet.

I am grateful for the many supportive e-mails that I have received over the last several days. I will not be answering further questions at this time. I am providing information to Congressman William Posey, and of course will continue to cooperate with Congress. I have also offered to assist with reanalysis of the study data or development of further studies. For the time being, however, I am focused on my job and my family.

Reasonable scientists can and do differ in their interpretation of information. I will do everything I can to assist any unbiased and objective scientists inside or outside the CDC to analyze data collected by the CDC or other public organizations for the purpose of understanding whether vaccines are associated with an increased risk of autism. There are still more questions than answers, and I appreciate that so many families are looking for answers from the scientific community.

My colleagues and supervisors at the CDC have been entirely professional since this matter became public. In fact, I received a performance-based award after this story came out. I have experienced no pressure or retaliation and certainly was not escorted from the building, as some have stated.

Dr. Thompson is represented by Frederick M. Morgan,Jr., Morgan Verkamp, LLC, Cincinnati, Ohio, www.morganverkamp.com.

[nikto]

24. ELI LILLY Corp would back you up all the way

I just wish we could get some objective, non-redacted scientific study on this,
completely free of conflict-of-interest.

The fact it does not exist, is much of the problem.

Trusting current sources is like trusting Casablanca's Captain Renault to be honest about gambling
in his own establishment. You remember the quote: "I'm shocked, shocked to find
that gambling is going on in here!"

Any investigative research on vaccines/Thimerosal,etc needs to be done by an objective 3rd party, if one can even be
found in this corporatized society.

I do not trust The Emperors to investigate themselves, so to speak.

[proverbialwisdom]

13. You have misspoken. As a live virus vaccine, MMR has never contained thimerosal.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/thimerosal/thimerosal_faqs.html

Was thimerosal used in all childhood vaccines?

No. Some other vaccines, including the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR), do not and did not ever contain thimerosal or any preservative. Varicella (chickenpox), inactivated polio (IPV), and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines have also never contained thimerosal.

More.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. Fair enough - that's sort of covered under 'or more' (nt)

[nikto]

23. This seems to syncronize with what some veteran teachers I know have been saying

I retired several years ago, but there was such a "bump" in kids
with ADHD/autism/various other neuro-disorders back in the 90s.

Lately, a couple of active veteran teachers I know have said kids seem to be calmer and more attentive in recent years
than kids in prior years. Just anecdotal, but interesting.

Still, Eli LillyCo would have to answer for the millions of kids damaged during those years
the chemical was used,
if the connection was verified, and liability was established, which it would likely be. Unless they are shielded
from liability, as so often seems to be the case with corporations and banks in this era.

[Warpy]

26. It was never in the MMR

it was in other vaccines, however, and is still in the injectable flu vaccines.

Antivaxers don't even have the decency to admit that taking thimerosol out of mandated vaccinations didn't produce a drop in autism rates. In fact, they have risen. The antivaxesrs, Kennedy included, either move the goalposts or pretend thimerosol, exonerated from any role in autism, is still in all vaccines.

I agree that Kennedy should never be offered a microphone again until he catches up and catches a clue. Too many people are follow-the-leader on this stuff and having him spout rubbish on air gives that rubbish the stamp of approval when it should be thoroughly discredited by someone who actually knows what he is talking about.

[Thor_MN]

6. If people are telling him that the largest exposure to mercury is vaccines,

and he is taking that at face value, then neither they nor he have any clue what they are talking about. Thimerisol used to be used as a preservative in many products, including eye drops and saline for contacts. Having worn contacts for over 35 years, I was exposed to far more thimerisol from saline solution than any vaccine could have given me. Anyone ever given an IV that used thimerisol as a preservative got thousands of times more than from a vaccine.

The use of thimerisol does not correspond with the increases in diagnosis of ASD, if it did the increases would have started generations ago. There has been no science involved with the anti-vaccine crap that is legitimate.

[FarrenH]

10. Common mistake

Mercury is to Thiomersal what Chlorine is to Sodium Chloride.

Chlorine kills, Sodium Chloride is table salt. Thiomersal is an organic compound containing Mercury just as Sodium Chloride is a compound containing Chlorine. Thiomersal is *not poisonous* and to date there is no scientific evidence whatsoever that it is. Compounds containing Mercury are common in living creatures, especially fish.

They're not the same and you cannot draw conclusions about the safety of Thiomersal from the effects of ingesting pure Mercury. It's a non-sequitur. Thiomersal has been only been removed from most vaccines because of scientific illiteracy and public hysteria.

[nikto]

25. A little science here-NaCl is an ionic bond--The strongest type of chemical bond known to science...

No scientist would confuse a fundamental ionic bond with a much more complex and unstable chemical such as Thiomersal,
as you do.

Meanwhile, Thiomersal is described as:

"...very toxic by inhalation, ingestion, and in contact with skin (EC hazard symbol T+), with a danger of cumulative effects. It is also very toxic to aquatic organisms and may cause long-term adverse effects in aquatic environments (EC hazard symbol N).[15] In the body, it is metabolized or degraded to ethylmercury (C2H5Hg+) and thiosalicylate.[7]

Cases have been reported of severe poisoning by accidental exposure or attempted suicide, with some fatalities.[16] Animal experiments suggest that thiomersal rapidly dissociates to release ethylmercury after injection; that the disposition patterns of mercury are similar to those after exposure to equivalent doses of ethylmercury chloride; and that the central nervous system and the kidneys are targets, with lack of motor coordination being a common sign. Similar signs and symptoms have been observed in accidental human poisonings. The mechanisms of toxic action are unknown. Fecal excretion accounts for most of the elimination from the body. Ethylmercury clears from blood with a half-life of about 18 days in adults. Ethylmercury is eliminated from the brain in about 14 days in infant monkeys. Risk assessment for effects on the nervous system have been made by extrapolating from dose-response relationships for methylmercury.[17] Methylmercury and ethylmercury distribute to all body tissues, crossing the blood–brain barrier and the placental barrier, and ethylmercury also moves freely throughout the body.[18] Concerns based on extrapolations from methylmercury caused thiomersal to be removed from U.S. childhood vaccines, starting in 1999. Since then, it has been found that ethylmercury is eliminated from the body and the brain significantly faster than methylmercury, so the late-1990s risk assessments turned out to be overly conservative.[17] Though inorganic mercury metabolized from ethylmercury has a much longer half-life in the brain, at least 120 days, it appears to be much less toxic than the inorganic mercury produced from mercury vapor, for reasons not yet understood.[17] "-----Wiki.
..........................................................................................................................................................................

Sorry, but the reality seems a bit more complex than your "nothing to see here, move on" assessment.
............................................................................................................................................................................
I sincerely hope Lilly Corp is paying you for your emphatically-posted mis-information.

[Blanks]

29. Ionic bonds are not the strongest bonds...

Atomic Bonds Strongest to Weakest:
Covalent Bond being the strongest, Ionic Bond, Hydrogen Bond, Hydrophobic Interaction, and Van der Waals being the weakest.

http://www.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_bonds_listed_strongest_to_weakest

[FarrenH]

31. Thanks

Genuinely. I hadn't read that before. I was under the impression that it was completely non-toxic. We live and learn.

[nikto]

32. ELI LILLY CORP will cease to exist if liability is ever established

This huge pharmecutical corp is desperate to stop Thimerasol from
being linked to any health problems:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Lilly_and_Company

[Archae]

9. How about real science, not the "vaccines cause autism" bullshit?

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2013/04/03/brian-hooker-criticizes-a-vaccine-safety-study-hilarity-ensues/

[Blanks]

30. That's the one I was looking for on this thread...

If someone else didn't post it...

I was going to. It might be a good idea to sprinkle some excerpts from the blog throughout this thread.

Like the fact that the 'CDC informant' didn't know that he was being recorded.

[mathematic]

11. This is a story about the crank study being withdrawn

The study that says vaccines don't cause autism is doing fine. Figure I'd emphasize that for the people that just read headlines.

[Kelvin Mace]

12. CNN added fuel to the fire

Look at how the story is written. The first half (the part most people read) plays up the "controversy" and accusations of a bogus study by the CDC. The second part (that most people never get to) re-affirms the safety of vaccines. This story just gave oxygen to the anti-vaxers.

[SansACause]

17. They'd get more Hg from fish

A diet of fish would contain much more mercury--and in the toxic forms--than anyone would ever be exposed to by getting a vaccine.

The vaccination = autism crowd on the left is not much different from the climate deniers on the right. Both are causing damage to the health and safety of the planet.

[happyslug]

18. I notice no mention of the MAIN Cause of Increase in Mercury, Coal

Increase in Mercury in the Air is a factor of 3-4 times what it was in pre industrial times:

http://autisminnb.blogspot.com/2007/10/autistic-children-canaries-in-coal-mine.html

One the problems with burning coal is the release of Mercury. Pre Reagan the largest coal mining was Eastern Bituminous coal, it was plentiful, the second richest coal in terms of energy but has the highest release of Sulfur, which is tied in with Acid Rain but it is known to ABSORB Mercury when it is burned. Since Reagan you have seen a decline in Eastern Coal Production in favor of Western Lignite coal production. Lignite is lower in energy content, lower in Sulfur but when it burns RELEASES Mercury.

Energy output per ton of coal, per type of coal:
Anthracite: 30 MJ/kg
Bituminous coal: 18.8–29.3 MJ/kg
Subbituminous coal: 8.3–25 MJ/kg
Lignite: 5.5–14.3 MJ/kg

Under Reagan the debate on Acid Rain was high, the debate ended up on burning Bituminous coal and installing scrubbers to remove the Sulfur, or burn Lignite coal and no scrubbers. The difference depended on the sulfur limit. If the Sulfur limit was to low, you had to install the scrubbers even if you burned Lignite (In such circumstances it would be cheaper to burn Bituminous coal for its higher energy content), if the limit of sulfur release was not to low you could burn Lignite AND not install the scrubbers (and save the cost of installing and operating the Scrubbers).

Reagan set the limit to encourage burning of Lignite coal, even in the East. Thus you have Western Coal being shipped in Pennsylvania for Electricity Generation, while Eastern Coal is shipped overseas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rain



Mercury in the Air is a Concern, but one no one is looking at:
http://www.infowars.com/articles/science/mercury_air_pollution_autism.htm

Autism and Mercury are connected, through No evidence of any problems of Mercury in Vaccine being the problem:

http://www.prleap.com/pr/105706/autism-and-environmental-toxins


Mercury being released by the burning of Coal:

http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/mercury/analysis.html

Burning of "Waste" Coal, Coal discarded in the past as unprofitable:

http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal

And lets don't forget about "Clean Coal":

http://www.democraticunderground.com/112734161#post6

http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/treehugger-tradition-well-never-forget-clean-coal-carolers.html


Now the biggest Coal Seam in the East is the "Pittsburgh Seam" of Coal. The "Pittsburgh Seam" is considered the one of the best (if not the best) coals for making coke. We have been mining it since at least the 1790s. When the seam was discovered is was known to be huge, only afterward was it found to have been the richest single seam of any material ever found. The seam starts under what is now the Mt Washington Section of the City of Pittsburgh, through Pittsburgh South Hills into neighboring Washington County and onward into West Virginia. It is still being mined in Southern Washington County and elsewhere in Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This is NOT a series of coal seams (Through a series of mines) but one huge coal seam.

The Pittsburgh Seam is large, it reaches into West Virginia (In 2006 1/3 of the coal mined in West Virginia was from the Pittsburgh Seam:
http://www.wvminesafety.org/seam06.htm

More from West Virginia and coal:
http://www.wvminesafety.org/wvcoalfacts.htm

The Pittsburgh Seam extends over a distance of 6000 square miles:
http://www.chatham.edu/PTI/Everyday%20Science/Real_02.h...


http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1996/of96-280 /

I recommend you go to the USGS web site above and opt for the PDF file copy of this map, it does NOT have the flaws in detail this copy has.

PDF version of above map:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1996/of96-280/pittsburgh.pdf

The Pittsburgh Seam is Bituminous Coal has almost twice the energy per BTU of coal as Ligate mined in the US west:
http://www.govexec.com/features/0307-15/0307-15s3.htm

Bituminous Coal:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bituminous_coal

anthracite ranges from 22 to 28 million Btu/ton
bituminous coal ranges from 21 to 30 million Btu/ton
lignite ranges from 9 to 17 million Btu/ton
sub-bituminous coal consumed in the United States averages 17 to 18 million Btu/ton

The above numbers are generous for Lignite and Sub-bituminous coals but low for Lignite and Bituminous. This is do to the fact that steel makers want bituminous coal from the Pittsburgh seam and are willing to pay a premium for it, while the US Government passed regulations under Reagan that favored Ligate Coal. For more on energy content see:

http://www.petrolpump.co.in/energy-sources/coal.htm

http://energy.usgs.gov/EnvironmentalAspects/EnvironmentalAspectsofEnergyProductionandUse/EnvironmentalEffects.aspx#4187335-overview

[proverbialwisdom]

20. CDC Responds to Allegation it Omitted Vaccine-Autism Study Link

http://sharylattkisson.com/cdc-responds-to-allegation-it-omitted-vaccine-autism-study-link-576

CDC Responds to Allegation it Omitted Vaccine-Autism Study Link
by sattkisson on August 28, 2014

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is responding to a charge from one of its own senior scientists that it omitted key data in a 2004 study that would have revealed a link between autism and a commonly-required childhood vaccine, MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella).

The allegation was made by CDC epidemiologist William Thompson in a statement this week issued through his attorney. It states: “I regret that my coauthors and I omitted statistically significant information in our 2004 article published in the journal Pediatrics. The omitted data suggested that African American males who received the MMR vaccine before age 36 months were at increased risk for autism.”

It is highly unusual, if not unprecedented, for a sitting CDC senior scientist to blow the whistle on alleged scientific misconduct involving a study article that he co-authored. In this instance, the impact of the charge is magnified by more than a decade of allegations from autism advocates who say the federal government and pharmaceutical interests have worked to downplay or hide associations between vaccines and autism.

A spokesman for the journal Pediatrics today said the publication stands by the study despite the news. “There’s a standard process that journals follow when an article is questioned,” said the spokesman. “Those discussions took place between the editors of Pediatrics and the authors of this study, and the editors concluded the research was appropriately conducted.” Pediatrics is published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which accepts vaccine industry funding.

The Director of the CDC Immunization Safety Office, Dr. Frank DeStefano, is a co-author of the now-questioned study which has been widely-cited to dispel an MMR-autism link. DeStefano is frequently quoted as an expert who debunks vaccine-autism ties.

“I stand by the research and the conclusions in our 2004 paper, and I’ll reiterate that the evidence, thus far, the weight of the evidence, is against a causal association between vaccines and autism,” DeStefano told me in a telephone interview this week.

<>

The CDC’s DeStefano acknowledges that he and his study co-authors changed their study analysis plan midstream, which resulted in reducing the statistical vaccine-autism link among black boys. But he says they did so for good scientific reason.

“(Vaccine) exposure around (three years of age) is just not biologically plausible to have a causal association with autism,” DeStefano says. “I mean autism would’ve already started by then…it probably starts in the womb. So I think from a biological argument, it’s implausible this was a causal association.”

<>

This week, in response to a query, the CDC stated that it is not currently investigating the relation between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). “Further, CDC does not have any planned research addressing vaccines and autism,” said a CDC spokesman.

“CDC believes that this topic has been thoroughly studied and no causal links have been found. Current CDC ASD related research focuses on determining how many people have ASD and understanding risk factors and causes for ASD.”–CDC spokesman

More.

[proverbialwisdom]

21. The "established" science? Independent media examines one source, Poul Thorsen, indicted in 2011.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/press/2011/04-13-11.html

[center]AUTISM RESEARCHER INDICTED FOR STEALING GRANT MONEY[/center]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2011

[center]Thorsen Allegedly Absconded With Over $1 Million[/center]

ATLANTA, GA - POUL THORSEN, 49, of Denmark, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud and money laundering based on a scheme to steal grant money the CDC had awarded to governmental agencies in Denmark for autism research.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said of the case, “Grant money for disease research is a precious commodity. When grant funds are stolen, we lose not only the money, but also the opportunity to better understand and cure debilitating diseases. This defendant is alleged to have orchestrated a scheme to steal over $1 million in CDC grant money earmarked for autism research. We will now seek the defendant’s extradition for him to face federal charges in the United States.”

“Stealing research grant money to line his pockets, as Poul Thorsen stands accused of here today, cheats U.S. taxpayers and will simply not be tolerated,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Region for the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health & Human Services. “HHS/OIG will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice.”

Reginael D. McDaniel, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Region for Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation said, “Today’s global economy demands a high-level coordinated approach by multiple agencies and authorities in the investigation of financial crimes. While schemes often become more sophisticated over time, fortunately, so do our investigative techniques. IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to have shared its hallmark expertise in following the money trail in the scheme alleged in this indictment.”

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: In the 1990s, THORSEN worked as a visiting scientist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, when the CDC was soliciting grant applications for research related to infant disabilities. THORSEN successfully promoted the idea of awarding the grant to Denmark and provided input and guidance for the research to be conducted. From 2000 to 2009, the CDC awarded over $11 million to two governmental agencies in Denmark to study the relationship between autism and exposure to vaccines, between cerebral palsy and infection during pregnancy, and between childhood development and fetal alcohol exposure. In 2002, THORSEN moved to Denmark and became the principal investigator for the grant, responsible for administering the research money awarded by the CDC.

Once in Denmark, THORSEN allegedly began stealing the grant money by submitting fraudulent documents to have expenses supposedly related to the Danish studies be paid with the grant money. He provided the documents to the Danish government, and to Aarhus University and Odense University Hospital, where scientists performed research under the grant. From February 2004 through June 2008, THORSEN allegedly submitted over a dozen fraudulent invoices, purportedly signed by a laboratory section chief at the CDC, for reimbursement of expenses that THORSEN claimed were incurred in connection with the CDC grant. The invoices falsely claimed that a CDC laboratory had performed work and was owed grant money. Based on these invoices, Aarhus University, where THORSEN also held a faculty position, transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to bank accounts held at the CDC Federal Credit Union in Atlanta, accounts which Aarhus University believed belonged to the CDC. In truth, the CDC Federal Credit Union accounts were personal accounts held by THORSEN. After the money was transferred, THORSEN allegedly withdrew it for his own personal use, buying a home in Atlanta, a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and Audi and Honda vehicles, and obtaining numerous cashier’s checks, from the fraud proceeds. THORSEN allegedly absconded with over $1 million from the scheme.

The indictment charges THORSEN with 13 counts of wire fraud and 9 counts of money laundering. The wire fraud counts each carry a maximum of 20 years in prison, and the money laundering counts each carry a maximum of 10 years in prison, with a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. The indictment also contains a forfeiture provision seeking forfeiture of all property derived from the offenses, including an Atlanta residence, two cars, and a Harley Davidson motorcycle. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health & Human Services and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.

Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Michael J. Brown are prosecuting the case.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

<>

Published on Aug 29, 2014

TRANSCRIPT: <>

Thorsen, a native of Denmark, led a series of experiments which claimed to show no link between autism and vaccines provided to the public. Several critics are charging the studies were rife with conflicts of interest and scientific fraud.

The Department of Justice has indicted Thorsen over missing funds, although the agency has not yet followed through on prosecution. He is currently living in Kolding, Denmark, carrying out research at a hospital there.

While in Denmark, Thorsen funneled money from... a (CDC) study which was said to prove vaccines do not lead to autism. A grand jury in Georgia indicted the former CDC researcher for accepting fraudulent grant award, money laundering and wire fraud. He faces up to 22.5 million dollars in fines and 22 years in jail if convicted of all charges, and given the maximum sentences.

William Thompson, another researcher for the CDC, has recently come out against the agency by producing a public statement that the CDC falsified studies, manipulated data to obtain desired results.

He wrote, “I regret that my coauthors and I omitted statistically significant information in our 2004 article published in the journal Pediatrics. The omitted data suggested that African American males who received the MMR vaccine before age 36 months were at increased risk for autism.”

While Americans work to clean up their vaccines it appears the CDC has some house cleaning to do as well.

[proverbialwisdom]

22. Other relevant examples of documented overt 'data manipulation.'

Last edited Sat Aug 30, 2014, 02:19 AM - Edit history (1)

Overview: http://www.ageofautism.com/2014/08/cdc-frauds-connections-between-the-destefano-paper-and-the-thorsen-affair.html
Brick, NJ (1997), DeStefano, Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp (the CDC's lead autism epidemiologist): http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=184693
Boyle: http://www.ageofautism.com/2013/09/agent-orange-corporatism-government-coleen-boyle-and-autism.html

REASONS FOR OPTIMISM:

http://www.ageofautism.com/2014/08/our-story-so-far-both-mmr-mercury-laced-vaccines-cause-autism.html

(ignore the title)
By Dan Olmsted is Editor of Age of Autism
Posted by Age of Autism at August 28, 2014

...Thompson himself reported that he was under tremendous pressure to absolve thimerosal at all costs and run and rerun the analyses to remove the association between thimerosal exposure and tics.

Consequently, when the severely compromised manuscript was submitted to the New England Journal of Medicine for consideration for publication, it was soundly rejected with the following comments from the peer reviewers: (BRAVO REVIEWERS 1, 2, 3, although I don't pretend to understand their analyses)

Reviewer 1: In this paper, the authors seem to be hoping for and wanting to demonstrate lack of relationships. When a relationship does emerge, the authors essentially downplay it, even though…a) The authors argue for how strong the dataset is earlier in the paper and b) the authors explain why SEM is superior to alternative analytic techniques.

Reviewer 2: The authors’ conclusion that “thimerosal is not a major causal agent for tic disorders (p. 13),” is not in accordance with their own data. That is, it is not reasonable, on the one hand, to argue that the use of SEM reduces the probability of Type I error, and then, on the other hand, to ignore the one significant, positive finding because of “the lack of biological plausibility of such a relationship.”

Reviewer 3: In general, the arguments presented on page 13 that findings on the tic outcome variable were not seen as sufficiently persuasive to completely dismiss those findings. Only one citation is provided. Further, in the absence of complete heritability, evidence of heritability does not (as the authors seem to suggest), rule out gene-by-environment interactions or even direct environmental effects...If the authors are to convince skeptical professionals, parents, or public policy-makers of their point, they would be well-advised to address the purported mechanisms of effect that have been proposed.

The manuscript was then submitted to and rejected by the Journal of the American Medical Association before it was finally picked up by the Journal of Pediatrics Psychology and was published in 2012.

That whole anecdote with imthevicar paraphrasing Dawkins comes to mind. SCIENCE RULES.

[nikto]

27. The cui bono is ENORMOUS

Eli Lilly Corp would cease to exist if Thimerasol (or any other additive) were conclusively connected to
the mass-disorders, due to the astronomical liability that would ensue.

So...
We've got a huge pharmecutical Company with a desperate motivation to erase any possibility
of connection between the 2.

Whether it is Thimerasol or not, something is going on here.
I smell a coverup.

Just like Fukushima (1 banana contains 897 Chernobyls, I know, I know ), fracking,
Big Bank insider deals with the Justice Dept, pipeline environmental impacts, recent oil and toxic spills, etc etc

Big Corps do this crap all the time nowadays.
Because they can.