Sunday-Times.co.uk Autism linked to Mercury vaccine

[Guest guest]

This passed on to me by of www.whaleto.com. Couldn't wait for

you to

see it. Sandy

May 27 2001

Autism 'linked to mercury vaccine'

Rosie Waterhouse http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/

MERCURY in vaccines for babies and infants could be

the cause of a steep

rise in cases of autism in children around the world,

according to a growing

number of scientists.

The increase in reports of autism in Britain, America

and some other

countries coincides with a growth in the number of

inoculations given to

young children, say the researchers.

Many of the vaccines contain a preservative called

thiomersal, which is

49.6% mercury - a substance known to have neurotoxic

effects, especially in

infants whose brains are still developing. Symptoms

are similar to those

displayed by autistic children.

Autism is a spectrum of disorders which range in

severity from bizarre,

violent behaviour to an inability to communicate or

interact socially, along

with repetitive patterns of behaviour.

Estimates of the prevalence of the syndrome in

Britain range from 10 cases

per 10,000 of the population with " classic " autism,

to 9.1 cases per 1,000

showing some signs of autistic behaviour.

The National Autistic Society estimates that there

are about 500,000 people

with autism in Britain, 120,000 of them children.

According to one recent

study, there has been a tenfold increase among

children between 1984 and

1994.

The new possible explanation of the rise has emerged

after a two-month

review of all the available information by The Sunday

Times. Several groups

of academics and researchers in America and Sweden

are investigating similar

theories that a combination of factors is to blame.

They include a genetic predisposition, the cumulative

effects of mercury in

vaccines lowering the immune system, with the

controversial measles, mumps

and rubella (MMR) triple vaccine being a possible

trigger.

The US Institute of Medicine is so concerned that

officials have organised a

two-day meeting in July to discuss the " hypothesis "

that thiomersal and

mercury in vaccines are linked to autism.

Boyd Haley, chemistry professor at the University of

Kentucky, has been

asked to submit a paper. " Thiomersal is extremely

toxic. The preliminary

data is convincing and does indicate that vaccines

are the most likely

suspect for causing autism, " he said.

In general, the researchers argue, the cumulative

effects of mercury impair

brain development and damage the child's immune

system and gastrointestinal

tract, resulting in hypersensitivity to toxic

environmental substances.

This build-up could lead to autism or a form of

mercury poisoning - whose

symptoms are similar. In addition, researchers

believe, the MMR triple

vaccine, usually given at 18 months to two years,

could trigger autism

because the damaged immune system cannot cope with

three live viruses at

once.

Only some children exposed to mercury will develop

symptoms. Researchers

believe this indicates that there may be a genetic

predisposition. This

theory was reinforced by a study published this month

which showed that in

99% of autistic children a family of proteins

essential for disposing of

mercury and other heavy metals is missing or

" disabled " .

The proteins, called metallothionein (MT), are the

main way in which the

body counters heavy metal. The study, by the

Chicago-based Pfeiffer Centre,

a health research institute, found that of 503

autistic patients 499 showed

an MT " dysfunction " .

The number of vaccinations given to babies and

children in Britain and

America has increased significantly. In the United

States the number given

before the age of two has risen from eight in 1980 to

22 now.

In Britain in 1970, most children received

diphtheria, tetanus, polio,

whooping cough and BCG for tuberculosis; about half

were also immunised

against measles. In 1972 rubella was added; MMR in

1988, Hib (Haemophilus

Influenza type , against a form of meningitis in

1992, MMR as a second

dose in 1996, and meningitis C in 1999.

The MMR first dose is given between 12 and 15 months,

with diphtheria and

tetanus and the second dose of MMR at three to five

years.

Like tens of thousands of other children,

Wickens, 10, underwent a

full course of inoculations. When she was just 14

months, after she had

received her MMR jab, her life changed.

From being an alert, normal child, her behaviour

became erratic. Typically,

when she arrives home from school she throws down her

fluffy red school bag

and pulls everything out of it. In the kitchen she

snatches a box of

breakfast cereal and crams flakes into her mouth.

Later she smears

strawberries over herself and her bedroom upstairs.

She has already broken several television sets and

throws chairs around the

sitting room and pulls down shelves. , who was

given the MMR vaccine

in 1992, has severely regressive autism and

inflammatory bowel disease.

" On the same day as the MMR she started a

high-pitched screaming, " said her

mother n Wickens, from Brighton. " Over the next

few weeks she cried

inconsolably, started to bite herself and to pull out

her hair, resulting in

bald patches on her head.

" She used to have a lovely sparkle in her eyes but

they went blank. She

couldn't understand 'Where's mummy?' any more. It no

longer registered. "

She concluded: " wasn't born autistic, she

regressed. "

MMR does not contain thiomersal, though other child

vaccines do. Thiomersal

was introduced in the 1930s as a preservative and

went into common use

without review by America's Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) because it

was assumed to be safe.

In America, researchers found some infants who are

being vaccinated using

multidose vials with thiomersal can receive 62.5

micrograms of mercury per

visit. This is 100 times more than the intake

considered safe for the

average six-month-old by the US Environmental

Protection Agency.

In June 1999 the FDA discovered that: " Infants who

receive

thiomersal-containing vaccine at several visits may

have been exposed to

more mercury than recommended by Federal guidelines. "

The following month

the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal

Products (EMEA) issued a

statement saying: " Cumulative exposure to

ethylmercury [found in thiomersal]

. . . could lead to a potential cause for concern. "

In May last year, a scientist from the US Centres for

Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) gave a presentation, based on a

study of the Vaccine Safety

Datalink Project - a database of 400,000 children -

with evidence of harm.

Dr Verstraeten of the CDC found the screening

analysis suggests

" statistically significant associations " between

certain neurologic

developmental disorders - such as attention deficit

disorder, and speech and

language disorders - and exposure to mercury from

thiomersal-containing

vaccines before the age of six months.

As a result, the EMEA issued another statement last

June, saying: " For

vaccination in infants and toddlers, as a

precautionary measure it would be

prudent to promote the general use of vaccines

without thiomersal. Moreover,

the use of thiomersal-free vaccines should be

recommended for newborns. "

Neither of these EMEA statements received national

newspaper publicity in

Britain, and at least 10 thiomersal-containing

vaccines for children are

still in use as drug manufacturers are permitted to

finish stocks.

Jane Maroney El-Dahr, an immunologist at Tulane

University medical centre in

New Orleans, said: " It is important for me to

emphasise that the message is

not to not vaccinate children, but to make sure that

vaccines are

thiomersal-free. "

The health department said: " Thiomersal has played an

important role as a

preservative in vaccines.

Because thiomersal contains mercury, both European

and American regulators

have recently recommended that vaccine manufacturers

phase out its use

wherever possible as a precaution. They have not

recommended the withdrawal

of any vaccines.

" While there is substantial evidence that MMR vaccine

- which is a live

vaccine and therefore contains no thiomersal - is not

a factor, the cause of

autism remains unknown. "

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED,

PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE

IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT

TO BE CONSTRUED AS

REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE

PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE

CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL

ADVICE. THE DECISION

WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND

COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE

MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR

HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.

[Guest guest]

Our sons symptoms were much more noticeable after the

MMR shot. When we started to remember when we first

started seeing autistic tendences. Why are these

shots required if they are damaging our children?

Cindy mother of Gavin 3 Autism

--- a_margaretcummings@... wrote:

> This passed on to me by of www.whaleto.com.

> Couldn't wait for

> you to

> see it. Sandy

>

> May 27 2001

>

> Autism 'linked to mercury vaccine'

> Rosie Waterhouse

> http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/

> MERCURY in vaccines for babies and

> infants could be

> the cause of a steep

> rise in cases of autism in children

> around the world,

> according to a growing

> number of scientists.

> The increase in reports of autism

> in Britain, America

> and some other

> countries coincides with a growth

> in the number of

> inoculations given to

> young children, say the

> researchers.

> Many of the vaccines contain a

> preservative called

> thiomersal, which is

> 49.6% mercury - a substance known

> to have neurotoxic

> effects, especially in

> infants whose brains are still

> developing. Symptoms

> are similar to those

> displayed by autistic children.

> Autism is a spectrum of disorders

> which range in

> severity from bizarre,

> violent behaviour to an inability

> to communicate or

> interact socially, along

> with repetitive patterns of

> behaviour.

> Estimates of the prevalence of the

> syndrome in

> Britain range from 10 cases

> per 10,000 of the population with

> " classic " autism,

> to 9.1 cases per 1,000

> showing some signs of autistic

> behaviour.

> The National Autistic Society

> estimates that there

> are about 500,000 people

> with autism in Britain, 120,000 of

> them children.

> According to one recent

> study, there has been a tenfold

> increase among

> children between 1984 and

> 1994.

> The new possible explanation of the

> rise has emerged

> after a two-month

> review of all the available

> information by The Sunday

> Times. Several groups

> of academics and researchers in

> America and Sweden

> are investigating similar

> theories that a combination of

> factors is to blame.

> They include a genetic

> predisposition, the cumulative

> effects of mercury in

> vaccines lowering the immune

> system, with the

> controversial measles, mumps

> and rubella (MMR) triple vaccine

> being a possible

> trigger.

> The US Institute of Medicine is so

> concerned that

> officials have organised a

> two-day meeting in July to discuss

> the " hypothesis "

> that thiomersal and

> mercury in vaccines are linked to

> autism.

> Boyd Haley, chemistry professor at

> the University of

> Kentucky, has been

> asked to submit a paper.

> " Thiomersal is extremely

> toxic. The preliminary

> data is convincing and does

> indicate that vaccines

> are the most likely

> suspect for causing autism, " he

> said.

> In general, the researchers argue,

> the cumulative

> effects of mercury impair

> brain development and damage the

> child's immune

> system and gastrointestinal

> tract, resulting in

> hypersensitivity to toxic

> environmental substances.

> This build-up could lead to autism

> or a form of

> mercury poisoning - whose

> symptoms are similar. In addition,

> researchers

> believe, the MMR triple

> vaccine, usually given at 18 months

> to two years,

> could trigger autism

> because the damaged immune system

> cannot cope with

> three live viruses at

> once.

> Only some children exposed to

> mercury will develop

> symptoms. Researchers

> believe this indicates that there

> may be a genetic

> predisposition. This

> theory was reinforced by a study

> published this month

> which showed that in

> 99% of autistic children a family

> of proteins

> essential for disposing of

> mercury and other heavy metals is

> missing or

> " disabled " .

> The proteins, called

> metallothionein (MT), are the

> main way in which the

> body counters heavy metal. The

> study, by the

> Chicago-based Pfeiffer Centre,

> a health research institute, found

> that of 503

> autistic patients 499 showed

> an MT " dysfunction " .

> The number of vaccinations given to

> babies and

> children in Britain and

> America has increased

> significantly. In the United

> States the number given

> before the age of two has risen

> from eight in 1980 to

> 22 now.

> In Britain in 1970, most children

> received

> diphtheria, tetanus, polio,

> whooping cough and BCG for

> tuberculosis; about half

> were also immunised

> against measles. In 1972 rubella

> was added; MMR in

> 1988, Hib (Haemophilus

> Influenza type , against a form

> of meningitis in

> 1992, MMR as a second

> dose in 1996, and meningitis C in

> 1999.

> The MMR first dose is given between

> 12 and 15 months,

> with diphtheria and

> tetanus and the second dose of MMR

> at three to five

> years.

> Like tens of thousands of other

> children,

> Wickens, 10, underwent a

> full course of inoculations. When

> she was just 14

> months, after she had

> received her MMR jab, her life

> changed.

> From being an alert, normal child,

> her behaviour

> became erratic. Typically,

> when she arrives home from school

> she throws down her

> fluffy red school bag

> and pulls everything out of it. In

> the kitchen she

> snatches a box of

> breakfast cereal and crams flakes

> into her mouth.

> Later she smears

> strawberries over herself and her

> bedroom upstairs.

> She has already broken several

> television sets and

> throws chairs around the

>

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