CDC Director Calls Autism an 'Urgent' Concern

WASHINGTON — Autism is an "urgent" concern of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, its director Dr. Julie Gerberding told senators Tuesday.

Although CDC has been criticized by some autism activists and members of Congress, Gerberding said the Atlanta-based agency is best equipped to do the surveillance and research needed to understand and respond to the disorder.

"The profound lifelong impact of autism spectrum disorders, tremendous costs to the affected individuals and their families, the lack of known causes or cures and concerns about the increased rates of diagnosis all make autism spectrum disorders one of our urgent realities," she told a Senate appropriations subcommittee.

She said "CDC recognizes that parents want answers," adding, "We share their frustration at not having more answers about the causes and possible cure."

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, whose Appropriations subcommittee on the departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services held the hearing, said that "millions of families are grappling with the profound difficulties of understanding and coping with this disease."

"We've got to do something about this," Harkin said.

Testifying with Gerberding were the director of the National Institute of Mental Health and a generally supportive group representing families and advocacy organizations.

Not represented at the hearing were autism activist groups that have accused CDC of concealing evidence of a link between childhood vaccinations and the disorder.

However, while the Senate committee hearing was under way, two members of the House announced that they will reintroduce legislation to end what they called "a conflict of interest whereby CDC is responsible for both vaccine promotion and vaccine safety."

Reps. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., and Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said they will introduce the bill Thursday. They were authors of another bill last year that would remove the CDC's responsibility for vaccine safety. The bill did not pass.