Sheila Bjorklund Recognized as "Woman to Watch" by Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine

9/29/2007

AFTER RECEIVING DISTINGUISHED AWARD, IT’S BACK TO WORK FOR ATTORNEY AND FORMER NURSE TRYING TO ESTABLISH LINK BETWEEN AUTISM AND CHILDHOOD VACCINES AS SECOND ROUND OF FEDERAL COURT BEGINS OCTOBER 8 Former public health nurse turned attorney Sheila Bjorklund of Lommen, Abdo, Cole, King & Stageberg, P.A., was the first to prevail nationally on a high profile bar issue in a 2003 Minnesota case against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, representing a boy who developed autism after getting his childhood vaccinations. She was able to convince the judge that there is no single factor that heralds the first symptom of autism and thus the claim was timely filed. Since then she has gone on to represent 23 midwestern families, and is working today with 60 other lawyers from around the country as they present their arguments on behalf of more than 4,800 plaintiff claims. The claims are presented in the Court of Federal Claims: Office of Special Masters, before a special panel of three federal attorneys appointed to hear vaccine cases. The three-person panel heard the first of nine test cases in Washington, D.C., in June. The court has come to be known as the "Vaccine Court."

Bjorklund’s efforts recently earned her a prestigious "Women to Watch" Award from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal, which every year recognizes women in the Twin Cities community who are making a difference in their professional careers. She was chosen from a highly competitive application process in which almost 300 women competed for the 2007 honor.

But she’s not resting on her laurels, or the powerful supporting letters sent with her "Women to Watch" nomination from people like Eric V. Larsson, Ph.D., Executive Director, Clinical Services at the Lovaas Institute for Early Intervention in Minneapolis, who wrote: "Those stressed by handling tough life situations need a gladiator like Sheila to assist them in obtaining payment for treatment options, finding the cause of certain conditions, obtaining compensation through established vaccine programs, and working within our legal and governmental systems..."

"Through all of that effort," Larsson continued, "I have been continually impressed by her insight, thoroughness, and compassion. Her personal interest in the well being of these families was evident. Her background as both a public health nurse and a registered nurse gave her a keen perspective in the legal issues that involve payment for health care, both with agencies like DHS [Department of Health and Human Services] and with private insurers, as well as the vaccine injuries that she handles."

"It’s overwhelming to receive recognition from a community where many people are deserving of such an award," Bjorklund says. " I was very surprised by it and am grateful for the honor and recognition, especially in a legal and scientific area that is so highly controversial." Bjorklund will return to Washington sometime early next year for the causal part of additional test cases: "I will be much more involved in the next round of test cases – those in which the theory is that the thimerosal used as a preservative in the childhood vaccines caused the autism or neurodevelopmental disorders." When the Vaccine Court hearings on test cases resumes on October 8, she will continue to monitor arguments daily as one of 10 attorneys from around the country on the Executive Steering Committee for the Petitioners (plaintiffs). She will provide counsel as needed while preparing for the third round of argument in 2008.

Bjorklund says the defense has very competent legal counsel and well-qualified experts. Moreover, recent studies by the CDC and National Institutes of Health proclaiming no link between the thimerosal in the vaccinations and autism in children present formidable challenges to the legal team she’s on. "Still, I think the government knows a link may exist and may have swept it under the rug. More studies are finally coming out that show a possible connection and should help us to chip away at the pro-thimerosal views that we heard in court over the summer."

With her training as a registered nurse and legal experience in personal injury cases, Bjorklund is an ideal Minnesota connection to national proceedings that are sure to be heavily covered by all media as the court resumes. She brings an extensive background in health care administration as well as direct patient care to her practice of law and the issues before the Vaccine Court. She handles many other vaccine injury matters outside of the thimerosal claims.

"Mercury in organic form as either ethylmercury, that is found in thimerosal, or methylmercury, that is found in fish, can be toxic to humans, " Bjorklund adds. "It is undisputable that organic mercury can affect the human brain, immune system and other body systems. That’s why they tell you not to eat the fish. The debate before the Vaccine Court is whether the exposure to ethylmercury in vaccines was of a sufficient amount to cause long-term permanent harm such as neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism."