U.S. Court of Federal Claims
On February 12, 2009, three Special Masters of the United States Court of Federal Claims rendered three opinions in three "test cases" that were proceeding in that court, each of which addressed causation issues relating to MMR vaccine and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The opinions were critical of Arthur Krigsman and his testimony about autistic enterocolitis, which the court said that he described as a "new form of gastrointestinal disorder." Typical of their criticism was the following passage found at page 199 of the opinion in the Snyder case: "Doctor Krigsman was qualified to testify about gastroenterology qualifications to establish the validity of a new form of gastrointestinal disorder, unrecognized by other authorities in the field, were ... sadly lacking." The court noted that the "medical textbooks" do not recognize autistic enterocolitis. At page 27, the same opinion stated that "Dr. Krigsman’s testimony about autistic enterocolitis as a diagnostic entity was speculative."
In his judgment in Cedillo v Secretary for Health and Human Services, February 12, 2009, Special Master George Hastings said:
- "To be sure, the petitioners in this case have stressed that they rely upon Dr Krigsman as their expert concerning the causation of GI symptoms, not Dr Wakefield. Thus, they argue that criticisms of the personal integrity of Dr Wakefield are not relevant here. However, because Dr Krigsman’s general causation approach clearly was strongly influenced by Dr Wakefield’s theory, criticisms of Dr Wakefield’s “autistic enterocolitis” theory are relevant, and criticisms relating to Dr Wakefield’s credibility in developing that theory are of relevance as well. Therefore, it is a noteworthy point that not only has that “autistic enterocolitis” theory not been accepted into gastroenterology textbooks, but that theory, and Dr Wakefield’s role in its development, have been strongly criticized as constituting defective or fraudulent science."
Read more about this topic: Autistic Enterocolitis
Famous quotes containing the words court, federal and/or claims:
“As to “Don Juan,” confess ... that it is the sublime of that there sort of writing; it may be bawdy, but is it not good English? It may be profligate, but is it not life, is it not the thing? Could any man have written it who has not lived in the world? and tooled in a post-chaise? in a hackney coach? in a Gondola? against a wall? in a court carriage? in a vis a vis? on a table? and under it?”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“There are always those who are willing to surrender local self-government and turn over their affairs to some national authority in exchange for a payment of money out of the Federal Treasury. Whenever they find some abuse needs correction in their neighborhood, instead of applying the remedy themselves they seek to have a tribunal sent on from Washington to discharge their duties for them, regardless of the fact that in accepting such supervision they are bartering away their freedom.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)
“Before anything else, we need a new age of Enlightenment. Our present political systems must relinquish their claims on truth, justice and freedom and have to replace them with the search for truth, justice, freedom and reason.”
—Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)