A newly published study about "Early-life programming of later-life brain and behavior" (1) augments concern that vaccinating a pregnant woman increases the likelihood that her fetus will experience adverse neurologic effects.

Bilbo & Schwarz summarize an important role of cytokines as follows:
        "Given their crucial role in brain development, it is not surprising that elevated levels of pro-infl ammatory cytokines generated by the maternal or fetal immune system during perinatal infection have been associated with abnormal fetal brain development and increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders (Cai et al., 2000; Meyer et al., 2006; Pang et al., 2003; Richardson-Burns and Tyler, 2004; Urakubo et al., 2001; Yu et al., 2004)."

Consider several more points summarized by Bilbo & Schwarz:
A. "Increased levels of IL-6 in amniotic fluid have also been a clinically useful marker of increased risk for neurological disorders and morbidity (Yoon et al., 1995)". (1)
B. "Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the cell wall component of gram-negative bacteria, has been used to mimic infection in many studies because it initiates a rapid and well-characterized immune response (see Wang et al., 2006 for review)." (1)
C. "LPS markedly induces cytokine expression in the immature rat brain, which has been linked to white matter injury and cerebral palsy (Cai et al., 2000; Fidel et al., 1994; Golan et al., 2005; Urakubo et al., 2001)." (1)

Bilbo & Schwarz conclude their introduction by pointing out that 'tis not pathogen-particles that cause damage to the progeny, instead the adverse effects to the developing brain are caused by maternally produced cytokines:
        "...the strong association between infection and developmental disorders spans a diverse number of bacterial and viral agents, suggesting a common mechanism such as cytokine release."

Given that excesses of maternally produced cytokines can damage the embryonic and fetal brain, the rush to vaccinate pregnant women raises concern because, in addition to other reasons (see below) vaccinations induce severe elevations of cytokines.

Let us be clear. For a pregnant woman, vaccination-induced neuropathy in her embryo or fetus may occur because vaccinations induce hyper-production of cytokines (2) which are known to alter development of the central nervous system (1, see also 3-4). Furthermore, most seasonal flu shots still contain thimerosal, which is 49.6% ethylmercury by weight; and most swine-flu shots will contain thimerosal even as many may also contain a squalene adjuvant, which hyperstimulates immunity and which was identified as etiologically significant in many cases of rheumatoid pathologies associated with Gulf War Syndrome (9).

Despite CDC and FDA belittlements, thimerosal injected by physicians and nurses adds neurologic risk to fetus and embryo. For instance, a study published last year reported that boys who had received thimerosal injections were 9 times more likely subsequently to have received special education services (5, see also 6-7). Previously, a CDC team in 1999 found thimerosal injections to be associated with autism, PDD, tics, speech problems, language disorders, etc (Verstraeten et al 1999; see 12-13). How many medications had sales enhanced as a result of brain development and behavior tweaked by vaccinal cytokines, by thimerosal and aluminum, etc?

Squalene is a naturally occurring molecule that, when injected as an adjuvant in vaccines, hyperstimulates immunity and (in many individuals) has created autoimmunity against brain and other tissues having endogenous squalene as a component. MF59 is a squalene-based adjuvant patented by Novartis and may be injected during many swine-flu vaccinations (eg, 8-11).

A further irony: according to news reports, initial testing of swine-flu vaccinations is likely to occur with formulations not containing squalene or thimerosal. Since the forthcoming "vaccines are safe" messages which we're certain to hear may be based upon vaccinations containing neither thimerosal nor squalene, messages about safety-testing of swine flu vaccinations shall remain a scientific fiction.

Indeed, when we hear news-reported messages from the CDC and FDA regarding safety of thimerosal, squalene, and flu shots - be they for normal flu or for swine flu - we are well served to remember the FDA's posture in regard to Vioxx. When FDA staffer David Graham, M.D., reported that Vioxx was likely to have killed tens of thousand of people, top-level big-wigs wanted to silence him, to have him fired. Fortunately, Congress intervened.

Similarly, when the CDC's team of researchers led by Verstraeten et al found evidence of thimerosal's adverse effects, Verstraeten et al 1999 proceeded deliberately to dilute their own data (12-13) and published a "study" based upon that diluting (14; 2003). Subsequently, the CDC's upper-echelon bureaucrats have failed to correct the deliberate diluting of data that would have caused many a graduate student to be expelled from university facilities.

For these reasons, when the CDC and FDA pronounce the so-called "safety" of swine-flu and regular-flu vaccinations, I don't know what to believe, don't know whom to trust. But recent history tells me to be very wary of vaccine-safety messages from the CDC and FDA. When pregnant women to endures a vaccination-induced cytokine storm accompanied by the injecting of thimerosal and squalene, she is likely to have put her embryo and fetus at risk.

References:

1. Early-life programming of later-life brain and behavior: a critical role for the immune system
Staci D. Bilbo * and Jaclyn M. Schwarz
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, USA
{free online}
http://www.frontiersin.org/behavioralneuroscience/paper/10.3389/neuro.08/014.2009/

The immune system is well characterized for its critical role in host defense. Far beyond this limited role however, there is mounting evidence for the vital role the immune system plays within the brain, in both normal, “homeostatic” processes (e.g., sleep, metabolism, memory), as well as in pathology, when the dysregulation of immune molecules may occur. This recognition is especially critical in the area of brain development. Microglia and astrocytes, the primary immunocompetent cells of the CNS, are involved in every major aspect of brain development and function, including synaptogenesis, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor [TNF]α, interleukin [IL]-1β, and IL-6 are produced by glia within the CNS, and are implicated in synaptic formation and scaling, long-term potentiation, and neurogenesis. Importantly, cytokines are involved in both injury and repair, and the conditions underlying these distinct outcomes are under intense investigation and debate. Evidence from both animal and human studies implicates the immune system in a number of disorders with known or suspected developmental origins, including schizophrenia, anxiety/depression, and cognitive dysfunction. We review the evidence that infection during the perinatal period of life acts as a vulnerability factor for later-life alterations in cytokine production, and marked changes in cognitive and affective behaviors throughout the remainder of the lifespan. We also discuss the hypothesis that long-term changes in brain glial cell function underlie this vulnerability.

2. Vaccinations, cytokine storms, and autism
Teresa Binstock, Jul 11, 2009.
http://www.generationrescue.org/binstock/090711-autism-by-cytokine-storms.htm

3. Anti-influenza vaccination of pregnant women: is the fetus effected?
Teresa Binstock, Jun 16, 2009
http://www.generationrescue.org/binstock/090616-Anti-AntiInfluenza.htm

4. The flu shot: a brief review of anti-influenza vaccinations
Sherri Tenpenny, D.O., Jun 26, 2009
http://www.generationrescue.org/binstock/090626-flu-shot-mediocre-efficacy.htm

5. Hepatitis B triple series vaccine and developmental disability in US children aged 1-9 years
Gallagher C, Goodman M.
Stony Brook University Medical Center
Toxicol Environ Chem 2008 90(5):997-1008.
{free online}
http://fourteenstudies.org/pdf/hep_b.pdf

This study investigated the association between vaccination with the Hepatitis B triple series vaccine prior to 2000 and developmental disability in children aged 1-9 years (n = 1824), proxied by parental report that their child receives early intervention or special education services (EIS). National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2000 data were analyzed and adjusted for survey design by Taylor Linearization using SAS version 9.1 software, with SAS callable SUDAAN version 9.0.1. The odds of receiving EIS were approximately nine times as great for vaccinated boys (n = 46) as for unvaccinated boys (n = 7), after adjustment for confounders. This study found statistically significant evidence to suggest that boys in United States who were vaccinated with the triple series Hepatitis B vaccine, during the time period in which vaccines were manufactured with thimerosal, were more susceptible to developmental disability than were unvaccinated boys.

6. Toxicity of thimerosal and other metals: a new paper: April 2009
Teresa Binstock, May 18, 2009
http://www.generationrescue.org/binstock/090518-Toxicity-of-Thimerosal.htm

7. Autism, mercury, other toxic metals, & glutathione
Teresa Binstock, Aug 12, 2009.
http://www.generationrescue.org/binstock/090812-autism-toxic-metals-glutathione.htm

8. Squalene: The Swine Flu Vaccine’s Dirty Little Secret Exposed
by Joseph Mercola, D.O.
http://tinyurl.com/lh57v8

9. Extensive documentation about squalene's adverse effects in:
Vaccine A: The Covert Government Experiment That's Killing Our Soldiers--And Why GI's Are Only The First Victims
Gary Matsumoto; 2004, Basic Books.

9a. Bookfinder for used copies of Vaccine A:
http://tinyurl.com/m46n33

9b. Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Vaccine-Government-Experiment-Killing-Soldiers/dp/046504400X

9c. B&N
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Vaccine-A/Gary-Matsumoto/e/9780465044009


10. Adverse effects of adjuvants in vaccines
by Viera Scheibner, Ph.D.
http://www.whale.to/vaccine/adjuvants.html

11. Adjuvant Index
http://www.vaclib.org/basic/adjuvants.htm

12. Evidence of Harm
http://www.evidenceofharm.com

13. The CDC's Simpsonwood meeting...
http://www.putchildrenfirst.org/chapter2.html

14. Safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines: a two-phased study of computerized health maintenance organization databases
Verstraeten T et al. Pediatrics. 2003 Nov;112(5):1039-48.