Latest study refutes link between thimerosal and autism

by Bev Sklar (Subscribe to Bev Sklar's posts)
Jan 8th 2008 3:00PM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

Some point to the mercury preservative thimerosal as a possible cause of autism. The first years of my kids' lives, a fear of autism constantly lurked in the back of my mind. My youngest is now 3 1/2 years old.

A new study by California researchers from the state's Department of Public Health examined autism rates in children from 1995 to 2007. They found autism rates rose steadily during the 12-year study window, even though thimerosal has not been added to childhood vaccines since 2001 (with the exception of some flu shots). If autism is triggered by the preservative, doctors say autism rates should have dropped after thimerosal was removed. But here's a separate 2006 study showing autism rates dropped after thimerosal was removed from vaccines.

One statistic no one denies is autism rates are definitely rising -- 1 in 150 American children are now affected.

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EM 1-08-2008 @ 5:03PM

The second study linked, the one from 2006 that purports to show that autism rates dropped after thimerosal was removed, uses a known flawed methodology. It's not actually measuring autism rates at all, it's measuring reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). All the VAERS does is track when parents THINK a vaccine has caused side effects in their kids (including autism). When mercury paranoia goes up, VAERS reports go up because parents become more concerned. When mercury paranoia goes down, VAERS reports go down. It's no more than a very fancy-sounding public opinion poll.

Liz Parker 1-12-2008 @ 6:27PM

Did ANYBODY actually READ this new study?

The study period was, actually, BEFORE California mandated the PARTIAL removal of mercury from vaccines administered to pregnant women and babies under 3 years old.

“In addition to analyzing the prevalence of autism by birth year, the researchers also examined the rate among children age 3 to 5 based on quarterly reports issued by the Department of Developmental Services. Prevalence increased each quarter from January 1995 (0.6 per 1,000 live births) through March 2007 (4.1 per 1,000 live births), including after 2004, when the researchers estimate that exposure to thimerosal during infancy and early childhood declined. Over the same time period, the rate of all developmental disabilities increased but at a slower rate, from 5.4 to 9.5 per 1,000 live births”

The period January 1995 - March 2007, including only children 3 - 5 years old.

Since California implemented its law in July of 2006, NONE of the children considered in this study actually are known to have received low mercury vaccines! The oldest child post-California law change was only 8 months old!!!

This study is a farce. The researchers never even validated mercury exposure for this study “researchers ESTIMATE that exposure to thimerosal during infancy and early childhood declined.” THIS is SCIENCE?! Give me a break.

California’s children (3 and under) are still likely to receive about 10 mcg of mercury through their vaccines by the time the reach one year of age, and get to share another 20 mcg with their RH- mothers. California children over age 3 still get full-mercury shots. It is very difficult to study the effects of a poison with any real results, until you have a control group that is entirely free of exposure.

Even so, if you believe simply removing the mercury will suddenly make vaccines “safe,” you must not have considered some of the many other toxins and common ellergens being injected into our kids: aluminum (another neurotoxin), ammonia, dyes, formaldehyde, lactose, msg, egg, phenol, polysorbate, urea, acetate, yeast, soy, and tissue from monkeys, mice, chicken, human, and cows.

Our world is already toxic enough, why mainline poison?