statism watch

Kevin Freking, Associated Press
May 11, 2008

Families get day in court; medical community skeptical of claims

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Institute of Medicine said in 2004 there was no credible evidence to show that vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal led to autism in children. But thousands of families have a different take based on personal experience.

Some of them are going to court Monday as attorneys will attempt to show that the mercury-based preservative triggers symptoms of autism.

Two 10-year-old boys from Portland, Ore., will serve as test cases to determine whether many of the children and their families should be compensated. Attorneys for the boys will attempt to show the boys were happy, healthy and developing normally – but, after being exposed to vaccines with thimerosal, they began to regress.

Thimerosal has been removed in recent years from standard childhood vaccines, except flu vaccines that are not packaged in single-doses. The CDC says single-dose flu shots currently are available only in limited quantities. In 2004, a committee with the Institute of Medicine concluded there was no credible evidence that vaccines containing thimerosal caused autism.

Overall, nearly 4,900 families have filed claims with the U.S. Court of Claims alleging that vaccines caused autism and other neurological problems in their children. Lawyers for the families are presenting three different theories of how vaccines caused autism.

Full Story | See Also: Bush To Veto Ban On Mercury In Vaccines

CBC News
Last Updated: Sunday, May 11, 2008

The RCMP released an incident report about Robert Dziekanski who died at Vancouver International Airport last October, but much of the kind of information routinely released in other cases was censored.

The name and rank of the officer who fired the stun gun, his supervisor’s name, details about the duration of the firing and the number of times the weapon was used in stun mode were omitted from the report obtained under the Access to Information Act by CBC News and the Canadian Press.

Though Dziekanski’s name has been struck from the four-page report, it is readily identifiable as his case, listing basic details familiar to those who watched an amateur video of the RCMP arriving on the scene and shortly thereafter firing a Taser at him.

A written summary of the incident was blanked out along with assessments as to whether use of the Taser helped the RCMP either “avoid use of lethal force” or “avoid injuries to subject or police.”

A passage about whether Dziekanski was armed or not has also been excised. One witness said he was waving a stapler at police.

In the widely viewed video, it appeared that Dziekanski was shocked at least twice last Oct. 14. After arriving on an overseas flight, he wandered the airport for six hours in a secure area controlled by the Canada Border Services Agency, unable to effectively communicate with anyone because he was Polish and spoke limited English.

In a letter accompanying the report, the RCMP said it invoked exemptions under the Access to Information Act to protect the privacy of the person stunned and to guard confidences about the force’s investigations and weapons.

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