Vaccines don't cause autism, court rules

WASHINGTON --- Vaccines aren't to blame for autism, a special federal court declared Thursday in a blow to thousands of families hoping to win compensation and to many more who are convinced of a connection.

The evidence "is weak, contradictory and unpersuasive," concluded Special Master Denise Vowell. "Sadly, the petitioners in this litigation have been the victims of bad science conducted to support litigation rather than to advance medical and scientific understanding" of autism.

Science years ago reached the conclusion that there's no connection, but Thursday's rulings in a trio of cases still offer reassurance to parents scared about vaccinating their babies because of a small but vocal anti-vaccine movement.

Known as "the people's court," the U.S. Court of Claims is different from many other courts: The families involved didn't have to prove the inoculations definitely caused the complex neurological disorder, just that they probably did.

More than 5,500 claims have been filed by families seeking compensation through the government's Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, and Thursday's rulings dealt with the first three test cases to settle which if any claims had merit. The first cases argued that a combination of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine plus other shots triggered autism.

"I must decide this case not on sentiment but by analyzing the evidence," said Special Master George Hastings Jr., writing specifically about Michelle Cedillo of Yuma, Ariz., who is disabled with autism, inflammatory bowel disease and other disorders that her parents blame on a measles vaccine given at 15 months.

"Unfortunately, the Cedillos have been misled by physicians who are guilty, in my view, of gross medical misjudgment," he concluded.

Attorneys for the families said they were disappointed and may appeal.

"There was certainly no scientific proof that vaccines caused autism, but that's not the standard; the standard is likelihood," said Kevin Conway, of Boston, who represented the Cedillos. "We thought our evidence was solid."

"Certainly those three families are discouraged with the ruling," added Tom Powers, a Portland, Ore., attorney overseeing all the claims. "It's a big step, it's a significant step, but it's not the last step."

The court's ruling will do little to change the minds of parents who believe vaccines have harmed their children, said the head of a consumer group that questions vaccine safety, the National Vaccine Information Center.

"I think it is a mistake to conclude that because these few test cases were denied compensation, that it's been decided vaccines don't play any role in regressive autism," said President Barbara Loe Fisher, the center's president.

Autism is known for impairing a child's ability to communicate. Recent data suggest a 10-fold increase in cases over the past decade, though it's unclear how much of the surge reflects better diagnosis.

What's next

The court still must rule on additional cases that argue a different link -- that vaccines that once carried the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal are to blame, if the mercury reached and damaged brain cells. The court has given no timetable for a ruling.