Despite numerous studies cited repeatedly by federal officials as proof that vaccines do not cause autism, a new study released today in the Pace Environmental Law Review revealed that over the last two decades, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) has been quietly compensating dozens of vaccine injury cases involving a child with autism. The preliminary findings showed approximately 1300 cases of vaccine injury resulted in childhood brain injury, 83 of which had autism. The National Autism Association (NAA) says the study further underscores the need for Congressional hearings and independent scientific research into the autism-vaccine connection.

The only product liability-protection program of its kind, NVICP was established in the late 80s to act as a taxpayer-funded “no-fault” alternative in seeking medical care compensation for those with proven vaccine injuries. Since that time, the government has only publicly conceded to one vaccine-induced autism case involving nine-year-old Hannah Poling, but maintained Poling’s case was “rare” and did not result in autism, but “autism-like symptoms.” Based on the new report, however, the program has compensated far more cases involving a diagnosis of autism. “They’ve essentially taken the wordplay approach,” states NAA President Wendy Fournier. “For an unavoidable vaccine-autism case like Hannah Poling’s, the government chose to downplay the connection using semantics. In the 83 cases found in this investigation, the government maintains that vaccines caused ‘encephalopathy’ (brain damage) and/or ‘residual seizure disorder’ in these children with autism, but not the autism.”