Court Rules in Autism-Vaccine Case
The news spread like wildfire today among the health care industry and autism circuits:
The US Department of Health and Human Services has ruled in favor of the family of 9-year-old Hannah Poling of Athens, GA, entitling compensation from a federal vaccine injury fund. Government health officials conceded that vaccines "significantly aggravated" Hannah's underlying mitochondrial disorder and led autism-like symptoms.
For more information, read:
Government Concedes Vaccine Injury Case
First Autism-Vaccine Link: How Hannah Made History
The family held a press conference in Atlanta today and will be appearing tonight on Larry King Live.
ADVANCE first reported on the first test case for a larger group of autism-vaccine claims-the Omnibus Autism Proceeding in the US Court of Federal Claims-in June of last year. That article can be read here.
The most recent update in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims was filed on Jan. 17 and divulged the following:
* Currently, there are 4,900 petitions in autism cases pending, all dependent upon the Omnibus Autism Proceeding (OAP).
* Additional petitions are always being filed.
* The first set of three test cases was presented in the OAP for the first of three varying theories of general causation-the theory that MMR vaccines and vaccines containing thimerosal combined can cause autism.
* Test cases for the first theory include first test case Cedillo VS HHS, no. 98-916V (began in of June of 2007); second test case Hazelhurst VS HHS, no. 03-654V (began in October 2007); and third test case Snyder VS HHS, no.01-162V (began in November 2007).
* Evidentiary hearings for all three cases in the first theory as well as opening briefs have been conducted. Additional briefs are forthcoming. A written ruling will be made once all additional briefs have been filed.
* Test cases for the second general causation theory-the theory that vaccines containing thimerosal alone can cause autism-were identified early this year and include first test case Mead VS HHS, no. 03-125V; second test case Krakow VS HHS, no. 03-632V; and third test case King VS HHS, no. 03-584V.
* An evidentiary hearing for the three cases for the second theory of general causation is scheduled for May 12-30 of this year in Washington, DC.
* Test cases for the third theory-the theory that MMR vaccines alone can cause autism-will be identified by May 5 of this year with an evidentiary hearing scheduled for Sept 15 in Washington, DC.
Parties have been instructed to complete evidentiary hearings for all test cases for the second and third theories by Sept. 30, 2008.
(The full report can be obtained here.)