Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines and the Link with Autism

Some Personal History:

I have been very involved with autism for a long time. Besides being a registered nurse and having numerous autistic clients over the years, my 14-year-old grandson has Asperger's syndrome, sometimes described as high-functioning autism.

I have spent many hours in thought about the months leading to my grandson's birth, the birth itself, and the years proceeding my daughter's and my awareness that something was 'not quite right', but nothing seemed significant except the fact that Jordan's behavior began changing soon after his immunizations shortly before his third birthday.

My daughter (Jordan's mother) has been active in the Northwest Autism Foundation (http://autismnwaf.org/) since it was founded in 1997. For years she volunteered several days a week at the NWAF office in Oregon City, Oregon, and in the last two years has become their only paid employee. The NWAF is a non-profit organization that provides education and information to families, caregivers and professionals of autistic children.

She keeps current on any new developments related to autism, and she shares information with me almost daily. We have always been very interested in the studies involving thimerosal, the mercury compound used as a preservative in vaccines, immune globulin preparations and other medical products.

The History of Thimerosal: