Federal authorities? concession that vaccine preservatives may have aggravated at least one girl?s autism has far-reaching consequences for the thousands of families claiming vaccines caused or worsened autism symptoms in their children.
With nearly 5,000 cases pending, and a lifetime of care and therapy at stake,federal officials minimized the vaccine link in the case of a Georgia girl who developed autism after a round of booster vaccines.
The government “has not conceded that vaccines cause autism,” said Linda Renzi, the lawyer representing federal officials, who have consistently maintained that childhood shots are safe.
The Georgia child had an underlying mitochondrial disorder, a rare disease that impairs mitochondria, miniature powerhouses within each cell.
In a statement, federal attorneys said the thimerosal in the vaccine appears to have aggravated this disorder.
According to the document, five vaccines the girl received on one day in 2000 aggravated her mitochondrial condition, making her vulnerable to metabolic problems that caused worsening brain function “with features of autism spectrum disorder.”
Although the disease is very rare in the general population, it is more prevalent in children with autism.
“There are no scientific studies documenting that childhood vaccinations cause or worsen mitochondrial diseases, but there is very little scientific research in this area,” said Chuck Mohan, executive director and chief executive officer of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.
Mitochondrial diseases are as prevalent as childhood leukemia.
Parents of autistic children have spent as much as $30,000 a year on top-notch therapies to help their children fit in and learn in a world that barely understands the disease, according to a University of Missouri study. Costs include specialized child care, speech and language therapy, and food supplements or drugs. Parents of destructive children may also end up paying compensation and replacements costs for items that were destroyed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
