A new study, published online on September 13th in advance of publication in the October print issue of “Pediatrics,” contributes new hard evidence to disprove at least one of the suspected links between vaccination and autism. The subject of the study was the preservative, thimerosal, which contains mercury.
Thimerosal came into wide use in vaccines since the 1930’s. In 1999, the FDA decided that the increasing number of vaccines containing thimerosal on the infant vaccine schedule was putting children at risk of being exposed to too much mercury. The preservative have been stripped out of most current vaccines, or at least reduced to minimal levels. In fact, all vaccines recommended for children under six have been cleared of anything but trace amounts of thimerosal except for the seasonal flu vaccine, which is available in a preservative free version for those who want it.
This new study interviewed the mothers of 256 children on the autism scale and examined their medical records then studied them in the context of 752 children who did not have autism. Careful tracking of the manufacture of the different vaccinations the children had received allowed researchers to determine exactly how much thimerosal they had been exposed to.
The study found that children in the highest 10% of exposure levels were no more likely to have autism than children in the lowest 10%.
“This study adds to a large body of evidence indicating that early thimerosal exposure through vaccination does not cause autism,” Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for a leading advocacy group, Autism Speaks. Dawson was not involved with the research told Health Day.
Dawson, like almost all reputable health experts, urges parents to vaccinate their children.
“We encourage parents to have their children vaccinated and to establish a trusting relationship with their child’s pediatrician so they can discuss any concerns they have,” Dawson said.
