Is Vaccine Debate Diverting Attention from the Real Risks to People with Autism?

When you hear "Trump" and "autism," you may first think about the president's support for debunked myths that vaccines cause autism. But the uproar over that issue maybe detracting from the real concern -- the harm that will be caused by repealing protection in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), according to health policy experts at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services at the University of Pennsylvania.

In a column posted today in the New England Journal of Medicine, the authors point out that the ACA has expanded access to health insurance for low-income people in 31 states and the District of Columbia by expanding the Medicaid program -- the largest health care payer for people with autism and developmental disabilities.

One of the authors, Colleen Barry of the Bloomberg School of Public Health, said, "These rollbacks could be devastating for children and adults with autism and other disabilities. It is important not to let the controversy over the debunked link between vaccines and autism distract from what is at stake in terms of the potential loss of critical benefits this vulnerable group relies on."

The authors are also concerned about threats to the rights of students with disabilities. Barry said, "People who care about preserving and expanding services for children and adults with autism need to pay attention to the conversations in Washington around the ACA repeal and threats to IDEA to make sure important protections and guarantees are not lost."

Read "Care for Autism and Other Disabilities -- A Future in Jeopardy."

CDC: Swine Flu Poses Higher Risk to Children with Disabilities

A new report on the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, has a particular caution to parents of children with disabilities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children with high-risk medical conditions or disabilities should be among the first to be vaccinated against H1N1 influenza.

CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden said, "We also are recommending that all people with underlying conditions get vaccinated -- people who have asthma, diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, neuromuscular conditions, neurological conditions that increase their risk factors, and women who are pregnant." And high-risk children under 18 years of age should be rushed to a doctor at the first sign of the virus, Frieden said.

The vaccine is expected to be available by mid-October, and it's adding flames to the existing debate over the possible link between vaccines and autism. While there is no scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism, the debate over this issue is only heating up. It doesn't help that the H1N1 vaccine will be new and untested over time, and that reports (see Washington Post article) say many of the vaccines will have thimerosal, which contains mercury (which has been removed from many vaccines). Read what the CDC says about the vaccine.

As of Aug. 22, there had been 556 deaths in the United States associated with the H1N1 virus as of Aug. 22 -- and 42 were children under 18. Seven of the children who died were younger than 5, and 24 had underlying disabilities such as muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or another medical condition.

Learn more and keep up with this special section of the CDC's website.

Will Obama Administration Step into Autism/Vaccine Controversy?

There is no question that among the special needs community, the presidential campaign has been divisive -- with parents and other advocates passionately supporting Sen. Obama (because of his positions on autism and disabilities) or Sen. McCain (particularly after his nomination of Gov. Palin).

But if you think that was controversial, just wait for the vaccine debate to heat up. You may know that many parents are convinced that vaccines are a contributing cause to autism (and you may be one of those parents). On the other side of the debate are scientists and organizations (including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) that say there is no medical evidence of that link.

Early in the campaign, McCain mentioned a possible link, until his advisors informed him there was no solid evidence, and he backtracked. Obama was asked directly about the connection at a campaign rally, and he didn't commit either way, but said more research is probably needed.

The reason this could become an issue very soon is because there are rumors that Obama may nominate environmentalist Robert Kennedy Jr. to be head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Kennedy, if you don't know, is the nephew of Sen. Ted Kennedy has actively campaigned against the CDC, the World Health Organization, and the pharmaceutical industry because he is convinced they are covering up a link between vaccines and autism. Some think if Obama appoints him, it will be an implied endorsement of that controversial position. According to the Huffington Post, Kennedy said he has not been asked but would say yes if offered the position.

UPDATE: More on this issue from Daily Kos -- "Divided We Fall."