Cnn
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The American Ministry of Health and Social Services launched a “massive effort of test and research” involving hundreds of scientists in the world who will determine “what caused the epidemic of autism” by September, said secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. but the experts expressed the research on Thursday, the research would be carried out in good faith, given the history of Kennedy Despite solid evidence that the two are not linked.
“We have launched a massive effort of tests and research that will involve hundreds of scientists from around the world,” he told President Donald Trump at a meeting of the cabinet. “In September, we will know what caused the epidemic of autism, and we will be able to eliminate these exhibitions.”
The president replied that “there will be no more important press conference than that”, suggesting “there must be something artificial that does this”.
Autism rates in the United States have increased, to around 1 in 36 children identified with an autism spectrum disorder in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kennedy suggested on Thursday that the new figures could show “they go back”, about 1 in 31. In 2000, the rate was 1 in 150.
Researchers who study autism say that rates are increasing for several reasons, including increased awareness, wider definitions of what constitutes autism, screening tools and improved processes and previous detection. Its cause is not fully understood, but factors, including genetics as well as advanced parental age, prenatal exposure to air pollution or certain pesticides, and other environmental influences are supposed to play a role.
Which does not do: vaccines.
“No link was found between autism and vaccines, including those containing Thimérosal, a Mercury -based compound,” according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, which is one of the National Institutes of Health.
However, Trump seemed to offer an involvement on how “massive tests of tests and research” of Kennedy could drive.
“If you can find this answer, where you stop taking something, you stop eating something, or maybe it’s a blow,” he told Kennedy on Thursday. “But something causes it.”
The story of Kennedy of Anti-Vaccin plea is well documented, and despite the pre-confirmation promises to Senator Bill Cassidy-the republican doctor who heads the Senate, education, work and pensions of the Vaccines Committee, Kennedy’s actions, such as the senior health official of the country, have done little to suggest a change in change.
Kennedy ordered the CDC to study vaccines and autism last month, despite the agency’s own research not showing any link. Under his watch, the best regulator of the US Food and Drug Administration vaccine, Dr Peter Marks, was forced to go out, writing in his resignation letter that Kennedy “wishes a subordinate confirmation of his disinformation and his lies”. And the Department hired David Geier data as a main analyst, an self -proclaimed autism expert who published an article broadcast from his father, Mark Geier, supposed to show links between vaccines and autism.
Kennedy also minimized an epidemic of rapidly growing measles centered in western Texas which killed two unvaccinated children.
Questioned Thursday about Fox News of the deceased child of measles last week, Kennedy said that “she had had many complications that could have killed her”, although the Texas Department of Health noted that no child had already reported underlying conditions.
Kennedy added: “We must do better to treat children who have this disease and not only say that the only answer is vaccination.”
And although Kennedy this week has given his strongest approval to date of the summer-off vaccine, saying to CBS News: “We encourage people to obtain the measles vaccine”, he also praised the doctors in Texas who provide treatment, including budgets, a steroid generally used for asthma and antibiotic clarithromycin.
Dr. Adam Ratner, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases in New York who wrote a book on measles and responded to the 2019 epidemic of the city, told CNN this week: “These are not processing for measles. … What prevents a measles epidemic is vaccination, which is also the thing that prevents the trigger of the measles.”
During the meeting on Thursday’s office, Kennedy said that cases of measles in the United States “have now reached platforms”, despite their growth between 19% and 36% per week in Texas in the last month, with new epidemics appearing in Indiana and Ohio. And he said “we try to refocus the press” on “the chronic illness epidemic”, first citing children with diabetes before going to autism.
Kennedy doubled on Fox News, saying that previous studies on vaccine safety was insufficient.
“We are going to examine the facts,” he said. “We are going to look at everything. Everything is on the table: our food system, our water, our air, different ways of parenting, all the types of changes that may have triggered this epidemic. ”
HHS communications director Andrew Nixon said in a statement on Thursday that “the NIH actively investigates the deep causes of autism, as indicated by the presidential commission to make America in good health. Autism rates increasing at an alarming rate, the discovery of its etiology is a national imperative. Only sciences based on gold standards. »»
Defenders of the autism community met Thursday’s announcement with skepticism.
Autism Society of America described Kennedy’s claim “both unrealistic and misleading”.
“The main organizations of people with disabilities, the scientific community and credible medical experts all agree: we need more rigorous and science -based research – no speculation, less transparency or simplified deadlines,” the company said in a press release. “We are deeply concerned about the lack of transparency around this effort – which directs it, what methods are used and if it will meet established scientific standards.”
The commentary of the Secretary of Health on the elimination of “exhibitions” which cause autism “really gives the game,” said Zoe Gross, director of advocacy in the defense network of the autistic self-defense.
“They do not enter with an open mind, saying to themselves:” Oh, I wonder what causes autism “. They will: “We will prove that this is caused by a certain thing.” “”
The defense network for autistic self-defenseing previously opposed the appointment of Kennedy to direct the HHS and spoke out against Geier’s hiring by the agency.
The Maryland Board of Physicians disciplined Geier in 2011 for practicing medical without license. The same year, Maryland regulators revoked his father’s medical license, saying that he “endangers autistic children and exploited their parents”. At least six other states have followed suit.
Geier did not respond to the request for CNN comments.
On Thursday, the Democrats of the Chamber on the Energy and Commerce Committee launched an investigation into Geier’s involvement in the study of HHS autism.
Meanwhile, health researchers said that the Kennedy deadline in September – in five months – is a sign of insufficient effort.
“Even the development of a research program would take more than five months,” said Dr. Lisa Settles, director of the Center for Autism and Related Tulane disorders, which has spent more than 20 years in autism research. “So how are you going to develop this program, collect data and analyze data in five months?
Dr. Peter Hooz, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, is a vaccine researcher who wrote a book on his daughter, entitled “Vaccines did not cause Rachel’s autism”. He stressed that the causes of autism were “well studied by NIH and their beneficiaries at the various academic health centers, and we have a lot of information. So I do not understand what new sudden information (Kennedy) will get by September. ”
More likely, said Hooz, the answer is predetermined – and wrong.
“He already has his predetermined framework for what he says causes autism when it is in fact none of these things, because autism begins at the beginning of the development of the fetal brain even before the children never see vaccines,” he said.
HHS recently reduced its 25% staff in a spectacular restructuring that has eliminated the departments, which led certain public health experts to wonder how the administration could really conduct a large global study in the will to reduce costs and federal staff.
“I don’t know how you can do it if they reduce the entire NIH budget. Where does money come from? ” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American public Health Association, who called on Wednesday to Kennedy to resign or to be dismissed. “And how do you coordinate a global study when you moved away from (the World Health Organization) and have alienated all researchers from around the world?”
Deidre McPhillips of CNN contributed to this report.
