Autism and Vaccines: Evidence of a Connection

With a class action lawsuit underway in the UK and the USA, there is a growing controversy regarding vaccinations and the increase in autism. Mercury, a known neurotoxin,  was removed from animal vaccinations in 1982 due to safety issues, yet it is still in the current supply of human vaccinations. While most new vaccines being manufactured are sans thimerosal, the government and the pharmaceutical companies who produce vaccines still claim that the amount of mercury preservative in them are harmless. A large number of families and professionals think otherwise. Take the following figures from the Department of Education(*1) of individuals with autism, ages 6-21: In my home state of Ohio, in 1992-93 school year there was an autism incidence rate of 22; in the 2000-01 school year it was 2217. The percentage increase is literally near infinite. The state with the lowest percentage increase is Massachusetts, with a 17% increase, which is still an alarming rate of increase. Another cause for worry with the MMR vaccine is that some autistic children have measles in their blood and/or intestines.(*2) Dr. Andrew Wakefield is one of the first professionals to come forward with his beliefs that MMR is contributing to the increase in autistic individuals. He has done studies that suggest that the measles reside in the gut and make their way into the blood stream. With the large amount of monetary, emotional, and physical damage that is being alleged against the pharmaceutical companies and the governments that have advocated the complete safety of vaccines, it is not a surprise that the accused are denying any connection. The government had the Centers for Disease Control(*3) perform a study of the effects thimerosal exposure levels had on the neurological development of children in 2000; after seeing the results that suggested the probability of a connection between thimerosal and developmental disorders that warrants further studying, the government didn’t actively pursue publishing the results to the public in general. I accessed the actual research result document from www.autismlawyer.com. With the possibility that the government maintained the safety of universal usage of vaccines while knowing that there was the possibility that the vaccines meant to keep citizens safe were causing lifelong neurological conditions, I see no reason to keep parents and caregivers from seeking retribution against them. I know firsthand that something is amiss with the way the families are being treated and informed by doctors and government representatives because I have experienced it myself. *1 Department of Education, www.ideadata.org/tables24th\ar_aa3.htm ; www.IDEAdata.org/tables/ar_aa2.htm ; and www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/Research *2 Sunday Herald, “DNA Test Links Autism to MMR”, Meg Milne and Sarah-Kate Templeton, United Kingdom, August 25, 2002 *3 Thimerosal VSD Study Phase I, Thomas Verstraeten, Robert Davis, and Frank DeStefano; February 29, 2000