Raymond Gallup letter to Newsweek

Dear Sir:

Thank you for your article in the July 31, 2000 issue of Newsweek titled
Understanding Autism and the additional article Parents Wonder: Is it
Safe to Vaccinate? As a parent of a 15 year-old autistic boy and head of
an autism organization, the Autism Autoimmunity Project, I would like to
add some information that was not in the article.

There is an epidemic of autism in the U.S. and other countries overseas.
In east Surrey, England the rate of autism is one in 69 which is the
highest rate in the world. In the July 8th edition of the Lancet, David
Thrower, a parent, reports that the education authority of Wakefield,
West Yorkshire, England had only five autistic pupils in 1992 and 111 in
1999. In our son's school there were 20 autistic students in 1992, now
there are over 115. According to the US Department of Education figures,
nationwide, in a one year period, 97-98 to 98-99, autism has increased
by 26% among children ages 6 to 21 attending school in the United
States.

This epidemic of autism is due to an immune insult. Hundreds of parents
have reported that they see the link between the MMR, DPT and/or
hepatitis B vaccines. Some of these parents/grandparents are MD's and
RN's, some parents have autoimmune disorders in their family and many
parents have had their children tested and have found elevated
autoimmune blood indicators.

Dr. James H. Roger of Livedata (UK) Ltd. mentioned in the July 6, 2000
edition of the Lancet, that Dr. Brent Taylor's conclusions are faulty.
Dr. Roger felt that his data with other published epidemiology data, are
certainly consistent with appreciable number of autism cases being
triggered by the MMR vaccination. Recent hearings at the April 6th
Government Reform Committee chaired by Congressman Dan Burton in
Washington DC brought to light testimony by parents and exciting
research prospects of Dr. Vijendra Singh, Dr. Andrew Wakefield and
Professor John O'Leary.

There were also hearings that concerned the conflict of interest between
Federal government health officials and the vaccine manufacturers. There
are no independent, long-term safety studies on any of the vaccines.
There is no science by our Federal government health agencies that
proves that vaccines do not cause autism. Until these safety studies and
independent research are done, the mystery of autism will remain a
mystery.

What is the alternative?

More autism, more human suffering and more financial burdens for our
communities.

We either attack the problem now, or pay the horrible price down the
road.

Raymond Gallup, President
Autism Autoimmunity Project
45 Iroquois Avenue
Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034
Tel# 973 299-9162
Fax# 973 299-2668
http://www.gti.net/truegrit/