The Study That Proved Vaccines Caused Autism-like Symptoms

by Catherine J. Frompovich

The study that showed vaccines were responsible for causing autism-associated or autism-like symptoms from mercury in vaccines was done by CDC epidemiologist Tom Verstraeten using the CDC’s massive Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) and presented at the Simpsonwood Conference Center (Atlanta, GA area) in June 2000 with only 52 vaccine manufacturers invited to discuss the problem and how to change the science.

Here is what Dr. Verstraeten found:

We have found statistically significant relationships between exposure [to mercury in vaccines] and outcomes. At two months of age, developmental delay; exposure at three months, tics; at six months, attention deficit disorder. Exposure at one, three and six months, language and speech delays–the entire category of neurodevelopmental delays. 

Dr. Verstraeten also discussed previous studies showing a link between mercury and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Instead of doing the right thing about what was going on, they powwowed over two days to change the science, sending Verstraeten back to redo his work. However, here are some of the statements made by some of the Simpsonwood conference members:

“But there is now the point at which the research results have to be handled, and even if this committee decides that there is no association and that information gets out, the work has been done and through the freedom of information that will be taken by others and will be used in other ways beyond the control of this group. And I am very concerned about that as I suspect that it is already too late to do anything regardless of any professional body and what they say.

“My mandate as I sit here in this group is to make sure at the end of the day that 100,000,000 are immunized with DTP, Hepatitis B and if possible Hib, this year, next year and for many years to come, and that will have to be with thimerosal containing vaccines unless a miracle occurs and an alternative is found quickly and is tried and found to be safe.” — Dr. John Clements, World Health Organization (WHO), Simpsonwood Meeting, June 2000

“I have to say the number of kids getting help in special education is growing nationally and state by state at a rate not seen before. So there is some kind of increase. We can argue about what it is due to.”

“I have taken a lot of histories of kids who are in trouble in school. The history is that developmental milestones were normal or advanced and they can’t read at second grade, they can’t write at third grade, they can’t do math in the fourth grade and it has no relationship as far as I can tell to the history we get of the developmental milestones. So I think this is a very crude measure of neurodevelopment.”

“To think there isn’t some possible problem here is unreal.” — Dr. William Weil, a pediatrician representing the Committee on Environmental Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Simpsonwood Meeting, June 2000

“I wonder is there a particular health outcome that is related to aluminum salts that may have anything that we are looking at today.” — Dr. Tom Sinks, Associate Director for Science at the National Center for Environmental Health at the CDC and the Acting Division Director for Division of Birth Defects, Developmental Disabilities and Health, Simpsonwood Meeting, June 2000

As a result of the Simpsonwood Meeting, Dr. Verstraeten effectively reworked the data; found no implication / causation for autism; and that’s what the CDC/FDA say is factual science. Dr. Verstraeten then went on to work for GlaxoSmithKline (vaccine manufacturer) in its European Union facility.

And, finally this, which may be the apparent ‘defense’ at the Simpsonwood meeting: “We just don’t know the effects of ethylmercury.” [as Thimerosal in vaccines]

Cartoon Courtesy of René Bickel and his book, Vaccination: The Great Illusion

Catherine J Frompovich (website) is a retired natural nutritionist who earned advanced degrees in Nutrition and Holistic Health Sciences, Certification in Orthomolecular Theory and Practice plus Paralegal Studies. Her work has been published in national and airline magazines since the early 1980s. Catherine authored numerous books on health issues along with co-authoring papers and monographs with physicians, nurses, and holistic healthcare professionals. She has been a consumer healthcare researcher 35 years and counting.

Two of Catherine’s more recent books on Amazon.com are Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, A Probe Into What’s Probably Making Us Sick (2009) and Lord, How Can I Make It Through Grieving My Loss, An Inspirational Guide Through the Grieving Process (2008).