Autism and vaccines - health story of the year
Taken from about.com Monday December 29, 2008
CNN has declared that the debate over whether vaccines cause autism is the number two health story of the year. In its year-end health wrapup, CNN reviews the story of how Hannah Poling received compensation from the Vaccine Court based on the claim that vaccines aggravated an underlying mitochondrial disorder resulting in "autism-like" symptoms.
This story, when it hit, reignited fears that the MMR vaccine, or trace quantities of mercury or aluminum, or some as-yet-unknown combination of ingredients in vaccines, could set off autism in a young child. Those fears are still front and center in the autism community, and are still major issues for parents-to-be.