Federal Court Rules: There Is No Link Between Autism and Vaccine

Friday, August 30th, 2010, The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on upheld what the lower courts have ruled that there is no connection between vaccines and autism in children.

The ruling came in Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services, In this case Michelle Cedillo recieved the the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine in 1995 and began to show mental retardation and autism symptoms afterward. Cedillo was among the roughly 5,000 cases alleging a link to autism filed under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986.

Joined by Judges Pauline Newman and Richard Linn, Judge Dyk concluded that the report of the lower level courts in the Cedillo case was "rationally supported by the evidence, well-articulated, and reasonable." They saw no need to overturn the results. In May, the Federal Circuit issued a similar ruling in another of the autism test cases, Hazlehurst v. HHS.

Theresa Cedillo, the mother of the plaintiff in the case decided Friday, sent this comment on the ruling: "We are obviously extremely disappointed. Michelle has a very strong case. The facts in her medical records speak for themselves. Our lawyers are currently reviewing the decision to see what legal options are available."

Opinion: I am saddened that there will be no one to blame for this child's illness. As a mother, I know that Theresa Cedillo must feel helpless that her child's health has deteriorated yet there is no explanation for it's orgin. What is a mother to do?