Federal authorities for the first time conceded that there is a connection between a child’s autistic symptoms and the vaccines she received as an infant.  Medical evaluators at the Department of Health and Human Services concluded that the child had been injured by the vaccines and recommended that her family be compensated for the injuries.   The panel stated that the child had an underlying mitochondrial disease that was aggravated by the vaccines, causing the autistic like symptoms.

The United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, in collaboration with our Scientific and Medical Advisory Board stated “There are no scientific studies documenting that childhood vaccinations cause mitochondrial diseases or worsen mitochondrial disease symptoms. In the absence of scientific evidence, the UMDF cannot confirm any association between mitochondrial diseases and vaccines.”

Because of the focused attention on mitochondrial disease from this story, Charles A. Mohan, Jr., Executive Director and CEO, was a much sought after person for comment on the issue.   Mohan reiterated the SMAB statement, but added that there is very little in the way of any federally funded research into mitochondrial diseases. “Mitochondrial diseases are as prevalent as childhood leukemia, however the National Institutes of Health devotes only $11 million a year to research into mitochondrial disorders and only about one-third of that is earmarked for primary mitochondrial disease research.  Many scientists believe unmasking the causes of mitochondrial disease may lead to possible cures for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and cancer,” Mohan said.

Mohan said everyone should encourage Congress and the NIH to make research into mitochondrial disorders a high priority.  “Under funding research for mitochondrial disease is a  tragedy for many thousands of children and adults. An increase at the NIH level could reveal one of the mysterious missing links around autism and many other diseases.”  

To read any of the news articles in which the UMDF was used as a resource on this story, please click on any of the links below.  Check back, as the UMDF will continue to post information from our Scientific and Medical Advisory Board about vaccines and mitochondrial diseases.