Ginger Taylor is an anti-vaccine activist and vice-president of a tiny splinter political party. She has compiled a list of papers (the count is currently 72) that she claims "show that vaccines can cause autism".
Taylor's list of papers has been getting a lot of play, so a group of pro-science bloggers and writers reviewed the list in detail.
No, the 72 papers do not show that vaccines can cause autism. Papers #60-72 are discussed below the fold and you can download a copy of the full list yourself here: Download G_Taylor_list_debunked_V2.0_8_7
The complete series
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 1)
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 2)
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 3)
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 4)
60. Adverse events following 12 and 18 month vaccinations: a population-based, self-controlled case series analysis. (Original Taylor number = 57.)
Correct citation: Wilson K, Hawken S, Kwong JC, Deeks S, Crowcroft NS, Van Walraven C, Potter BK, Chakraborty P, Keelan J, Pluscauskas M, Manuel D. Adverse events following 12 and 18 month vaccinations: a population-based, self-controlled case series analysis. PLoS One. 2011;6(12):e27897. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027897. Epub 2011 Dec 12.
Study of adverse events, as measured by emergency room visits or hospitalizations after vaccine receipt in a cohort of 456,000 Canadian toddlers.
“..one excess event for every 730 children vaccinated. The primary reason for increased events was statistically significant elevations in emergency room visits following all vaccinations. There were non-significant increases in hospital admissions. There were an additional 20 febrile seizures for every 100,000 vaccinated at 12 months.”
An interesting paper that has some implications for better fever management of infants following vaccination
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
61. Administration of thimerosal to infant rats increases overflow of glutamate and aspartate in the prefrontal cortex: protective role of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. (Original Taylor number = 58)
Correct citation: Duszczyk-Budhathoki M, Olczak M, Lehner M, Majewska MD. Administration of thimerosal to infant rats increases overflow of glutamate and aspartate in the prefrontal cortex: protective role of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. Neurochem Res. 2012 Feb;37(2):436-47. doi: 10.1007/s11064-011-0630-z. Epub 2011 Oct 21.
Rat study, thimerosal (no longer used in U.S. childhood vaccines except for some influenza vaccines), concentrations higher than formerly found in vaccines.
Note: lead researcher M Dorota Majewska seems to have specialized in rat studies that show thimerosal damage.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
62. Neonatal Administration of Thimerosal Causes Persistent Changes in Mu Opioid Receptors in the Rat Brain (Original Taylor number = 59)
Correct citation: Olczak M, Duszczyk M, Mierzejewski P, Bobrowicz T, Majewska MD. Neonatal administration of thimerosal causes persistent changes in mu opioid receptors in the rat brain. Neurochem Res. 2010 Nov;35(11):1840-7. doi: 10.1007/s11064-010-0250-z. Epub 2010 Aug 28.
Rat study, thimerosal (no longer used in U.S. childhood vaccines except for some influenza vaccines), concentrations higher than formerly found in vaccines.
Note: lead researcher M Dorota Majewska seems to have specialized in rat studies that show thimerosal damage.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
63. Unanswered Questions: A Review of Compensated Cases of Vaccine-Induced Brain Injury. (Original Taylor number=60)
Correct citation: Holland M, Conte L, Krakow R, Colin L, Unanswered Questions: A Review of Compensated Cases of Vaccine-Induced Brain Injury. Pace Environmental Law Review, vol. 28, no. 2, 2011
This was a very poor-quality review in a student-run law journal, with substantial ethical and methodological flaws.Debunked here:
- May 10, 2011 http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2011/05/10/student-mags-and-altered-press-releases/
- May 11, 2011 http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2011/05/11/pace-study-confirms-autism-prevalence/
- May 11, 2011 http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2011/05/11/another-swing-for-the-fences-and-a-miss/
- May 16, 2011 http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2011/05/is-the-vaccine-injury-compensation-program-covering-up-an-autism-vaccine-link/
- May 2011 http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/when-you-cant-win-on-science-invoke-the-law-2/
- May 20, 2011 http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2011/05/20/study-by-nyu-and-pace-another-failure-in-obtaining-ethical-approval/
- May 24, 2011 http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2011/05/24/anti-vaccine-warriors-vs-research-ethics/
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
64. Integrating experimental (in vitro and in vivo) neurotoxicity studies of low-dose thimerosal relevant to vaccines. (Not on Taylor's original list)
Correct citation: Dórea JG. Integrating experimental (in vitro and in vivo) neurotoxicity studies of low-dose thimerosal relevant to vaccines. Neurochem Res. 2011 Jun;36(6):927-38. doi: 10.1007/s11064-011-0427-0. Epub 2011 Feb 25.
In vitro study, with a small inclusion of a rat study.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
65. Hepatitis B vaccine induces apoptotic death in Hepa1-6 cells (Original Taylor number = 55)
Correct citation: Hamza H, Cao J, Li X, Li C, Zhu M, Zhao S. Hepatitis B vaccine induces apoptotic death in Hepa1-6 cells. Apoptosis. 2012 May;17(5):516-27. doi: 10.1007/s10495-011-0690-1.
An in-vitro study of how mouse (murine) cells derived from a cancerous tumor react to being bathed in Hepatitis B vaccine. No mention of autism. No relevance to autism.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
66. Maternal thimerosal exposure results in aberrant cerebellar oxidative stress, thyroid hormone metabolism, and motor behavior in rat pups; sex- and strain-dependent effects. (Not in Taylor’s original list)
Correct citation: Sulkowski ZL, Chen T, Midha S, Zavacki AM, Sajdel-Sulkowska EM. Maternal thimerosal exposure results in aberrant cerebellar oxidative stress, thyroid hormone metabolism, and motor behavior in rat pups; sex- and strain-dependent effects. Cerebellum. 2012 Jun;11(2):575-86. doi: 10.1007/s12311-011-0319-5.
Rat study looking at thimerosal, which is no longer used in childhood vaccines in the U.S. (with the exception of some influenza vaccines). No mention of autism.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
67. The rise in autism and the role of age at diagnosis.(Not on Taylor's original list)
Correct citation: Hertz-Picciotto I, Delwiche L. The rise in autism and the role of age at diagnosis. Epidemiology. 2009 Jan;20(1):84-90. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181902d15.
“Autism incidence in California shows no sign yet of plateauing. Younger ages at diagnosis, differential migration, changes in diagnostic criteria, and inclusion of milder cases do not fully explain the observed increases.”
Evidently, according to Taylor, that means that vaccine must account for the observed increases, while disregarding significant changes in demographic data, such as maternal and paternal age at first childbirth.
It is curious that Taylor does not include the other 18 papers on autism in which Hertz-Picciotto has been a contributing author,. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Hertz-Picciotto%20I%5BAuthor%5D)%20AND%20(%222009%2F1%2F1%22%5BDate%20-%20Publication%5D%20%3A%20%223000%22%5BDate%20-%20Publication%5D))%20AND%20autism%5BMeSH%20Major%20Topic%5D
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
68. Slow CCL2-dependent translocation of biopersistent particles from muscle to brain (Not in Taylor’s previous list)
Correct citation: Khan Z, Combadière C, Authier FJ, Itier V, Lux F, Exley C, Mahrouf-Yorgov M, Decrouy X, Moretto P, Tillement O, Gherardi RK, Cadusseau J. Slow CCL2-dependent translocation of biopersistent particles from muscle to brain. BMC Med. 2013 Apr 4;11:99. doi: 10.1186/1741-7015-11-99.
This paper assumes that ‘Shoenfeld syndrome” or "Autoimmune (Auto-inflammatory) Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants” (ASIA) is a real condition, not an artifact found by one group of researchers. It has not yet been verified. At http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2013/08/09/antivaccinationists-against-the-hpv-vaccine-round-5000/, the blogger (a cancer researcher and surgeon) writes:
....an entity called ASIA (Autoimmune/Inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants). From what I’ve been able to tell, ASIA is basically a made-up syndrome that isn’t generally accepted....Even more dubious are the clinical criteria, four major and four minor, that are used to “diagnose” ASIA. The idea is that either two major criteria or one major and two minor criteria are required for a diagnosis of ASIA. Out of curiosity, I went back to what appears to be the original article in which ASIA was defined by Yehuda Shoenfeld, who is known for testifying for “vaccine injury” victims and running a journal sympathetic to antivaccine views, even publishing works by quacks like Mark and David Geier. The “syndrome” appears to have been made up of whole cloth based on unfounded assumptions.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
69. Thimerosal and autism? A plausible hypothesis that should not be dismissed. (Not in Taylor’s previous list)
Correct citation: Blaxill MF, Redwood L, Bernard S. Thimerosal and autism? A plausible hypothesis that should not be dismissed. Med Hypotheses. 2004;62(5):788-94.
Note that this paper is from 2004. Since that time, (1) Thimerosal has been removed from all pediatric vaccines, with the exception of some flu vaccines (2) Autism has continued to rise (3)The concerns about thimerosal have been addressed with epidemiological studies, and dismissed. (4) The concerns about thimerosal have been given a thorough airing in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program legal hearings (Autism Omnibus) and have been found to be baseless. For example
- September 13 2010 Price CS et al., Prenatal and Infant Exposure to Thimerosal From Vaccines and Immunoglobulins and Risk of Autism
- February 26 2013http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2013/02/26/no-the-autism-prevalence-in-california-did-not-go-down-after-removing-thimerosal-from-vaccines/
- April 2013 Vaccine Safety: Examine the Evidence
- March 12, 2010 Meade v. HHS
- March 12, 2010 King v. HHS
- March 12, 2010 Dwyer v. HHS
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
70.Autism Spectrum Disorders in Relation to Distribution of Hazardous Air Pollutants in the SF Bay Area (Not in Taylor’s previous list)
Correct citation: Windham GC, Zhang L, Gunier R, Croen LA, Grether JK. Autism spectrum disorders in relation to distribution of hazardous air pollutants in the san francisco bay area. Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Sep;114(9):1438-44.
This and other environmental studies were discussed at Association Between Autism and Environmental Mercury Exposure Disappears Once Population Density is Controlled for
My primary criticism of these types of studies is that they are attempting to find a cause for an epidemiological phenomenon that could very well not require an environmental explanation. That is, administrative data (special education data in particular) is not equipped to tell us if there are real differences in the prevalence of autism from one region to the next. No screening has ever demonstrated that substantial differences in administrative prevalence between regions are not simply diagnostic differences.
This study does not address vaccines.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
71. Inflammatory Responses to Trivalent Influenza Virus Vaccine Among Pregnant Women (Not in Taylor’s previous list.)
Correct citation: Christian LM, Iams JD, Porter K, Glaser R. Inflammatory responses to trivalent influenza virus vaccine among pregnant women. Vaccine. 2011 Nov 8;29(48):8982-7. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.09.039. Epub 2011 Sep 22.
Partial conclusions: "The inflammatory response elicited by vaccination is substantially milder and more transient than seen in infectious illness, arguing for the clinical value of vaccination. However, further research is needed to confirm that the mild inflammatory response elicited by vaccination is benign in pregnancy."
Two subsequent studies, listed below, have confirmed the safety of trivalent influenza virus vaccines for pregnant women and the children whose mothers were vaccinated during pregnancy.
- Nordin JD, Kharbanda EO, Benitez GV, Nichol K, Lipkind H, Naleway A, Lee GM, Hambidge S, Shi W, Olsen A. Maternal safety of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in pregnant women. Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Mar;121(3):519-25. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3182831b83.
- Conlin AM, Bukowinski AT, Sevick CJ, DeScisciolo C, Crum-Cianflone NF. Safety of the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine among pregnant U.S. military women and their newborns. Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Mar;121(3):511-8. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e318280d64e.
None of the 3 studies cited above mention autism.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
72.&Elevated maternal C-reactive protein and autism in a national birth cohort. Not in Taylor’s previous list.)
Correct citation: Brown AS, Sourander A, Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki S, McKeague IW, Sundvall J, Surcel HM. Elevated maternal C-reactive protein and autism in a national birth cohort. Mol Psychiatry. 2013 Jan 22. doi: 10.1038/mp.2012.197. [Epub ahead of print]
This study does not address vaccines.
Does this paper "demonstrate that vaccines can cause autism"? No.
The complete series
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 1)
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 2)
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 3)
- Those Lists of Papers Claiming That Vaccines Cause Autism: They Don't Show What They Claim (Part 4)
This is awesome. At first I thought it was a rehash of this: No Independent Confirmation of Wakefield.
But this is much much more. It is all you need to know about cherry picking, and more. It also took lots of patience and perseverance.
Congratulations!
Posted by: Chris | Saturday, August 24, 2013 at 09:30 PM