Advocacy Groups Ask President Obama to Order Suspension of Hepatitis B Vaccine Birth Dose
Washington, DC – National Vaccine Information Center and Talk About Curing Autism are calling on President Obama to order the immediate suspension of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation of the birth dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine after two recent studies linking the Hepatitis B vaccine to functional brain damage in U.S. male newborns and infant primates. In a related development today, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, including the Health Resources and Services Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced that 1 in every 91 children are now diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder as reported in the November 2009 issue of Pediatrics. Previous data released by the CDC indicated a prevalence of 1 in every 150 children affected by the disorder. (Managing Editor's Note: Pediatrics does not appear to have the study on their site as of this time, click HERE to check their home page. We'll add it the link as soon as it's available.)

Considering a demonstrated 50% increase in autism prevalence, combined with two recent studies indicating a potential role of the Hepatitis B vaccine as a factor in the development of autism, the following advocacy groups urge President Obama to order the immediate suspension of the recommendation and administration of the birth dose of Hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns – with the exception of rare cases where the mother tests positive for Hepatitis B.

Researchers from Stony Brook University published a research abstract (HERE) for an epidemiological study in the September 2009 issue of Annals of Epidemiology which revealed findings suggesting that U.S. male neonates vaccinated with Hepatitis B vaccine had a three-fold greater risk of autism spectrum disorders. Additionally, a collaboration of several institutes including the University of Pittsburgh - School of Medicine, the University of Kentucky and Thoughtful House Center for Children in Austin, Texas published research findings in the October 2009 issue of Neurotoxicology revealing evidence of substantial functional brain damage in infant primates who received the birth dose of Hepatitis B Vaccine. (HERE)

“We take the unusual step of appealing directly to the President of the United States because he is the only elected official who can take action to allow a newborn more time to develop before being exposed to the potentially damaging Hepatitis B vaccine,” stated Barbara Loe Fisher, President and Co-founder of the National Vaccine Information Center. “The President has a unique position of authority as the head of the Executive Branch to order HHS and the CDC appointed officials to utilize the precautionary principle.”

“Rates of autism diagnosis have exploded, rising from 1 in every 10,000 children twenty years ago to the rates revealed today,” stated Rebecca Estepp, National Manager of Talk About Curing Autism (TACA). “What other "genetic" disorder has ever increased at such an exponential rate and what other "genetic" disorder has a forty percent recovery rate as reflected in the Pediatrics report? If such an association between early Hepatitis B vaccine and autism exists, delaying the birth dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine would be a good first step in protecting children from autism as well as from infectious diseases. We must err on the side of caution and consider that exposure to Hepatitis B Vaccine at early critical developmental stages may be one of the potential environmental triggers which lead to autism.”

The following organizations have also stated that they are in support of this measure – Unlocking Autism , Autism Action Network, SafeMinds, Autism One.