Autism activists unmoved - thimerosal studies

[Guest guest]

From: Binstock <binstock@...>

Important issues remain unresolved. Several peer-reviewed studies have

reported associations between environmental toxins and autism (D'Amelio

2005; Palmer RF 2006; Windham 2006); thimerosal injections are not the only

culprit in the current epidemic. Studying thimerosal " safety " in regard to

most children does not preclude adverse effects for a small subgroup with

genetic or acquired predisposition. Many other toxins are injected [whether

or not] thimerosal is injected, thus thimerosal/no-thimerosal models do not

evaluate the injecting of multiple adjuvants and ever so conveniently avoid

considering immune hyperstimulation in children with predisposing alleles

(eg Poland GA of Mayo, series of studies). The outcome of

establishmentarian thimerosal " studies " seems predetermined by study

designs which incline towards non-findings. A bonus for the medical

community derives from the fact that treating chronic pathologies induced

by vaccinations is lucrative.

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Autism activists unmoved

Many scientists are satisfied that mercury in vaccines is not the cause of

the condition, but some parents reject the research and reassurances that

immunizations are not to blame

By Desmon

Sun reporter

January 9, 2008

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.infocus09jan09,0,1363729.story

For years, the scientific evidence has been accumulating. The latest,

published this week, once again showed that thimerosal, a mercury-based

preservative long used in childhood vaccines, does not cause the

neurological disorders associated with the U.S. autism epidemic.

In fact, scientists at the California Department of Public Health

demonstrated that in the years since nearly all thimerosal was removed from

vaccines in 2001, the rate of autism has continued to rise there. Had

thimerosal been the culprit, those numbers should have decreased.

Case closed?

Not in the world of autism, an emotionally charged place where Web sites,

blogs and parent advocacy groups have spent a decade promoting the theory

that the thimerosal injected into babies beginning when they were just

weeks old has left as many as one in 150 children disabled by autism. These

advocates have lobbied Congress, screamed about coverups and filed

financial claims against the government.

" I know the people who want to believe it's thimerosal will find fault with

this [study], " said Dr. Goldstein, president & CEO of the Kennedy

Krieger Institute in Baltimore. " The scientists, they're saying, 'Why are

we still talking about this?' "

Thimerosal, which is almost 50 percent mercury, has been a preservative in

vaccines since the 1930. The first case of autism was identified at s

Hopkins University in the 1940s.

Before 1991, only one vaccine - the one for diphtheria, tetanus and

pertussis - contained thimerosal. Starting in 1991, two more were added to

the schedule for infants - sharply increasing the quantity of mercury given

to young children. Most other vaccines have remained mercury-free.

By 1999, some government scientists were concerned that infants might be

getting too much mercury. As a precautionary measure, the federal Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics

asked pharmaceutical companies to remove thimerosal from vaccines.

Still, according to Dr. A. Offit, the infectious diseases chief at

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, doctors kept insisting that parents

not worry about the safety of vaccines.

But the firestorm came. " Many parents, frightened by a sudden change in

policy, reasoned that thimerosal was targeted because it was harmful - and

their faith in the vaccine infrastructure was shaken, " Offit wrote in a

September issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

By 2002, the last U.S. doses of required vaccines for children made with

thimerosol had expired, though other countries continue to use it.

Those who publicly deny the link between thimerosal and autism have been

harassed - some have received death threats. Goldstein said he has gotten

hate e--mails and a call saying, " I hope your child dies. "

In the new California study, published in Archives of General Psychiatry,

researchers looked at data reported to the California Department of

Developmental Services, which serves the state's disabled population. " To

me, the body of evidence is persuasive, " said study author Dr.

Schechter.

But Lyn Redwood, a co-founder of SafeMinds, a nonprofit that raises

awareness of mercury exposure in children, said she isn't ready to write

off the thimerosal/autism connection. That's because thimerosal has not

disappeared. Pregnant women receive flu shots - which contain a full dose

of thimerosal - and flu vaccines for babies often contain it, she said.

" Our children are still getting exposed to mercury, " said the Atlanta nurse

practitioner and mother. " I think mercury should still be on everybody's

radar screens. "

She said the California data are flawed because the continued rise in

autism could be explained by immigrants there who were vaccinated in other

countries where thimerosal is still used.

" I think it's a little bit early to close the books on thimerosal, " she said.

Dr. Mark Geier, a Silver Spring epidemiologist, agreed. " Everyone worries

about lead poisoning, " he said. " Do you know how much more dangerous

mercury is? "

It is still unknown what causes autism, a spectrum of disorders marked by

impairment in social development and communication. Autistic children

usually exhibit language delays and often have difficulties relating to

people, failing to read basic social cues in the faces of others.

Most specialists believe autism's cause will be found in genetics, but many

also suspect that an environmental trigger contributed to the explosive

growth in autism cases in the past generation. Doctors also attribute some

of the growth to better diagnosis and a broadening of autism's definition.

But it's the scientific community's inability to provide a definitive cause

that has led so many to thimerosal. " The final answer to me will come when

that paper is written that says, 'This is what causes autism', " said Dr.

Deth, a pharmacologist at Northeastern University in Boston, who

calls thimerosal " a prime suspect. "

Some health experts are concerned that thimerosal worries might keep some

parents from vaccinating their children, forgetting the value of protecting

them from diseases that were once major killers.

" Immunizations have kind of become the fall guy for problems, " said Dr.

W. Zimmerman, a pediatric neurologist at Kennedy Krieger, " but the

public has a short memory - because before immunizations, the diseases

themselves were much worse. "

stephanie.desmon@...

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Sheri Nakken, former R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

Vaccines - http://www.wellwithin1.com/vaccine.htm Email classes start in

January