Conner Hall, the son of Dana Emmitt-Hall, is a child with autism. His case is one of approximately 4,800 in the waiting for the Federal Vaccine Court. Photo Courtesy of the Emmitt-Hall family.

FOX Television asks: “Autism Correlation Coverup? Vaccine claims rarely compensated by government,” during the Fox News’ Fox & Friends Saturday. The news segment begins with the story the family of Hannah Poling. Hannah is a young child who, after receiving vaccines against nine diseases in one doctor’s visit, at the age of 18 months, reportedly developed autism. The family of Hannah Poling was later awarded $1.5 million, in September 2010.

According to www.Lawyersandsettlements.com, Hannah was vaccinated in July 2000, against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, varicella, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and Haemophilus influenzae. Her health reportedly declined rapidly following the vaccines, she stopped eating, developed high fevers, didn’t respond when spoken to, started having screaming fits, and began to show signs of autism. In 2002 her family filed an autism claim in federal vaccine court.

This settlement is the first award of its kind. And, according to www.Lawyersandsettlements.com, there are approximately 4,800 further autism cases awaiting disposition in federal vaccine court.

Dana Emmitt-Hall, a mother of a child with autism, appears on the FOX television segment. Dana has one of the autism cases in the waiting. The case was filed for her young son and, on the segment, she speaks about how she received a letter from the Federal Vaccine Court that requested she provide a “theory of why we believe the vaccines cause the autism.” The letter continues on to ask that they provide a “medical expert’s opinion” to the Federal Vaccine Court.

“We have our theories” said Dana. However, she hasn’t been able to find “medical experts willing to risk losing their medical license in the United States.”

Mary Holland, a professor at New York University’s Law School, also appeared on the segment. The professor didn’t have any hope to offer Dana or the other 4,800 families with cases waiting. In fact, the professor says that this is letter from the Federal Vaccine Court is “probably the end of the line” but the parents could preserve their cases for a later date if they step out of the cases in a particular way.

Holland is among the founders of the Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law and Advocacy (EBCALA).  Holland told, ICare4Autism, that the non-profit organization “seeks to educate lawyers and the public about the legal needs of the autism community.”

A supreme court case on this matter will be held in October.

Connor Hall is a child with autism. Photo Courtesy of the Emmitt-Hall family

Sources:

Lawyers and Settlements website

VIDEO Courtesy of MEDIA Matters for America

Related reading:

Federal Appeals Court Rejects Autism-Vaccine Link

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A Parents’ Guide to Managing Vaccinations: What to do if You Don’t Want Your Child to Get 8 Vaccines at Once?

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Autism: Searching for Answers in the Brain of Infants

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Risk Factor: Autism Cause Still Unknown

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