Re: New York Times:Study Finds Vaccine Preservative Is Not Linked to Risks of Au

[Guest guest]

Probably in response to this one I saw the other day:

Autism is Correlated with Mercury from Vaccinations

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=47182

Parents want to know what is leading to the apparent increase in

autism, and many across the country are blaming mercury from vaccines

as the culprit for their children's autism. Doctors and medical

organizations have denied there is a connection and continue to

recommend, and even force, vaccinations that contain thimerosal.

Thimerosal contains the neurotoxin mercury and doctors claim the dose

is not high enough to cause any damage to health.

Researchers at the Department of Psychology, University of Northern

Iowa wanted to know the truth. Particularly interested in the

correlation between mercury exposure and autism, the researchers cite

that, like the link between aspirin and heart attack, even a small

effect can have major health implications. Could mercury contribute to

autism?

Proponents of both sides of the autism debate over mercury cite that

the other side refers to studies that are misleading or funded by

industry. Those who support no connection between mercury and autism

are accused of reporting false results to protect the financial

interests of pharmaceutical companies and industry. Some say

researchers are paid off to report the desired findings of the payer.

Refreshingly, this set of researchers stated that " If there is any

link between autism and mercury, it is absolutely crucial that the

first reports of the question are not falsely stating that no link

occurs. "

This led them to reanalyzing a data set originally reported by Ip et

al. in 2004. They found an error in the original p value. Upon

correcting this error, they found that a significant relation does

exist between the blood levels of mercury and diagnosis of an autism

spectrum disorder!

Parents have been saying all along that the symptoms of mercury

poisoning are the same as the symptoms of autism. Many claim that

chelation cured and/or improved their child's health and behavior.

Further evidence can be found in the fact that both autism and

increased vaccinations occurred simultaneously.

There is still one question that burns in many parents' minds. Why are

some children affected and not others? This reanalyzed study has

provided an answer. Hair samples in this study support the theory that

persons with autism may be less efficient at eliminating mercury. This

would indicate that vaccination with thimerosal laced vaccines is

contraindicated in a significant portion of the population, if not all.

Should thimerosal be eliminated from all childhood vaccines? It would

probably be a good idea based on these findings. Yet, New Jersey just

enacted a law to force children to receive a thimerosal laced flu shot

each year. New Jersey also has the highest rates of autism in the

country. Parents must wonder why lawmakers without medical degrees are

calling the " shots " .

Citation: Desoto MC, Hitlan RT. Blood Levels of Mercury Are Related to

Diagnosis of Autism: A Reanalysis of an Important Data Set. J Child

Neurol. 2007 Nov;22(11):1308-1311.

Copyrighted © 2007-2008 MCS America

>

> This has been widely published in various newspapers today in the US...

>

> _Click here: Study Finds Vaccine Preservative Is Not Linked to

Risks of

> Autism - New York Times_

>

(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/health/08autism.html?_r=1 & ref=health & oref=slo\

gin)

>

>

> January 8, 2008

>

> Study Finds Vaccine Preservative Is Not Linked to Risks of Autism

> By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

>

> LOS ANGELES (AP) †" _Autism_

>

(http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/autism/overview.html?inline=nyt\

-classifier)

cases in California continued to

> climb even after a mercury-based vaccine preservative that some

people blame

> for the neurological disorder was removed from routine childhood

shots, a

> study has found.

> Researchers from the State Public Health Department found that the

autism

> rate in children rose continuously in the study period from 1995 to

2007. The

> preservative, thimerosal, has not been used in childhood vaccines

since 2001,

> except for some _flu_

>

(http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/the-flu/overview.html?inline=ny\

t-classifier)

shots.

> Doctors said that the latest study added to the evidence against a

link

> between thimerosal exposure and the risk of autism and that it

should reassure

> parents that _vaccinations_

>

(http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/specialtopic/immunizations-general-over\

view/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier)

do not

> cause autism. If there was a risk, the doctors said, autism rates

should have

> dropped from 2004 to 2007.

> Dr. Geschwind, a neurologist at the _ Geffen_

>

(http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/david_geffen/index\

..html?inline=nyt-p

> er) School of Medicine at the University of California, Los

Angeles, said

> the focus should be on exploring possible causes of autism,

including genetic

> links.

> “Something else must be at play,†said Dr. Geschwind, who had no

connection

> with the study. “And we need to know what that is if we’re

really serious

> about preventing autism.â€

> The results of the study are in the January issue of The Archives of

General

> Psychiatry. The study did not explore why autism cases increased.

> Officials say one in 150 American children have autism, higher than

other

> estimates. Researchers say it is unclear whether the increase stems

from changes

> in classifying autism or whether the increase is actual.

>