This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series Cedillo vs. HHS.

Cedillo vs. HHS

The case for the Respondent, the Department of Human Services, began on Monday. Transcripts didn’t appear until this afternoon.

I feel for Michelle Cedillo and her parents. They have gone through things we and our daughter will thankfully not have to go through.

The vaccine fund was established because even back in the days of polio it was known that some viruses could harm children even if they benefit the supreme majority of them. It was created to reduce the liability for pharmaceutical companies and provide incentive to bring medicines to the public quickly. We are witnessing the result of government interfering in health care, promising to know better than you do, and using your tax dollars to fund its screw-ups.

Having seen just the Petitioner’s case thus far, I offer the following opinions:

The petitioner and its witnesses have relied on Dr. Aposhian for the role of mercury and thimerosal in the role of autism. Unfortunately, Dr. Aposhian was their weakest witness. He cites one human study and one animal study while there are two studies to the contrary. More work needs to be done here.

If one is going after thimerosal and mercury as a cause of autism, the Cedillo case was not ideal. A case was needed where there were thimerosal shots and autism, without the interfering data of the measles virus.

Do I think Michelle and her family were rocked by the MMR shot? Absolutely. Do I think they deserve compensation? Yes, I do. Do I think the observations in this case can be applied to those who had thimerosal but no effects from MMR? The Petitioner’s witnesses don’t make that claim, so I’m not sure I can. Not yet.

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