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"Protecting the health and informed consent rights of children since 1982."
Contact:
Barbara Loe Fisher National
Vaccine Information Center February 20, 2002 IOM
REPORT ON CHILD VACCINATIONS URGES MORE RESEARCH
Washington, D.C. – Responding to a report issued today by the National
Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM) on child vaccinations and
autoimmune dysfunction, the nation’s oldest and largest vaccine safety and
informed consent advocacy organization, the National Vaccine Information Center
(NVIC) endorsed IOM’s call for expanded basic science research into the
development of the human immune system and identification of genetic and other
biomarkers which could predispose some children to vaccine based adverse events,
including autoimmunity.
The report, issued by the IOM’s Immunization Safety Review Committee,
found that scientific evidence from epidemiological studies on whether allergy,
including asthma, can be caused by multiple vaccinations was conflicting and
concluded that the evidence “was inadequate to accept or reject a causal
relationship.” The Committee concluded that epidemiological studies to date
“favor rejection of a causal relationship between multiple immunizations and
increased risk for infections and for type 1 diabetes.” However, the Committee
also concluded that they did find some biological mechanism evidence that
vaccines could increase the risk of immune dysfunction in some children that
could lead to increased infections and allergy, including asthma. They stated
that “the biological mechanisms evidence regarding increased risk for
infections is strong.”
The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) has long advocated
increased basic science research into the biological mechanisms for immunity and
vaccine adverse events, with particular emphasis on identifying genetic and
other biomarkers that may play a role in increasing susceptibility for
vaccine-induced neuroimmune dysfunction. Acknowledging the absence of research
into this area, the Committee said, “The Committee was unable to address the
concern that repeated exposure of a susceptible child to multiple immunizations
over the developmental period may also produce atypical or non-specific immune
or nervous system injury that could lead to severe disability or death.
(Fisher, 2001). There are no epidemiological studies that address this.
Thus, the committee recognizes with some discomfort that this report addresses
only part of the overall set of concerns of some of those most wary about the
safety of childhood immunizations.”
NVIC President Barbara Loe Fisher called the report “an important step
in acknowledging the very real basic science research needs of our nation’s
mass vaccination system. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the growing
minority of children who, for biological reasons, are not able to handle the
increasing numbers of vaccinations routinely being given to all children.”
The IOM Committee pointed out that “as the array of available vaccines
and disease targets expands the current emphasis on universal recommendations
and state mandates for vaccine use should be reassessed.” It encouraged “an
exploration of the merits of accomodating requests for alternative
vaccine-dosing schedules and the development of appropriate clinical guidance
for any such alternatives. A more flexible schedule might allow for a reduction
in the number of vaccines administered at one time.”
Although the IOM Committee report did not recommend a policy review by
the Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration or the
American Academy of Pediatrics at this time, the Committee report summary
clearly recommended continued scientific research and consideration of “new
frameworks for immunization policy, particularly as the number of licensed
vaccines increases.”
“While we disagree with some of the Committees conclusions regarding
the relative strengths and weakness of both the epidemiological and biological
mechanism data that bears on proof of causality involved in vaccine-related
autoimmunity and believe that specialized, methodologically sound studies of
possible associations between multiple vaccinations and immune system
dysfunction should be given a high funding and program priority by federal
health agencies, we are pleased that this IOM report has identified a number of
areas in which vaccine adverse event and policy research should be
re-examined,” said Fisher. “We hope that both government and industry will
pay attention to the signals given in this report and work with parents of
vaccine injured children to come to a better scientific understanding of why,
for some children, the risks of vaccination are 100 percent.”
A non-profit, educational organization founded in 1982 by parents of
vaccine injured children, NVIC serves as a consumer watchdog on vaccine
development and policymaking. NVIC advocates the institution of safety and
informed consent protections in the mass vaccination system and basic science
research into genetic and other biological factors which place some individuals
at high risk for vaccine injury and death. To view the full report: http://National-Academies.org and www.iom.edu/imsafety. The National Vaccine
Information Center is a non-profit educational organization founded by parents
of vaccine-injured children in 1982.
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