A Link Between Autism and Thimerosal?

tessellation writes "Environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has just published a review of evidence for the link between thimerosal (a mercury-based preservative added to vaccines until 2003) and the autism epidemic. It also details attempts by the FDA and CDC to protect the drug industry from litigation by producing favorable results rather than objective studies: '"Four current studies are taking place to rule out the proposed link between autism and thimerosal," Dr. Gordon Douglas, then-director of strategic planning for vaccine research at the National Institutes of Health, assured a Princeton University gathering in May 2001. "In order to undo the harmful effects of research claiming to link the [measles] vaccine to an elevated risk of autism, we need to conduct and publicize additional studies to assure parents of safety." Douglas formerly served as president of vaccinations for Merck, where he ignored warnings about thimerosal's risks." How often are studies successfully altered by funding agencies to conceal negative results?"

Comments

Irresponsable.

[vrimj]

Even if Kennedy is right (despite convincing evidance to the contrary) thimerosal is now out of the US vaccine supply.

I doubt most readers of this article will notice that point. They are probably only going to notice the "vaccines make your kids sick" argument.

This might lead to more people who are susceptable to serious diseases, the kind of contagious diseases that we have not often seen in my lifetime.

When I was a teen my city had a minor flare up with Measles, largely among older teen and college kids whose immunity from childhood vaccines had atrophyed. Measels sounds benign, but "as many as 1 out of 20 children with measles gets pneumonia. About 1 child in every 1,000 who get measles will get encephalitis. (This is an inflammation of the brain that can lead to convulsions, and can leave your child deaf or mentally retarded.) For every 1,000 children who get measles, 1 or 2 will die from it."

Vaccines have a failure rate, it is not a concern as long as the general population is well protected so the disease cannot spread. Discouraging people from getting vaccinated puts innocent lives at risk.

My grandmother died from Hep B, something that a vaccine would have prevented. I wonder how many people might die from preventable diseases due to this article.