Thimrosal-Autism-Childhood Vaccinations

Nurses General Nursing

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I am in the middle of cross training and in a few weeks, I may be going to pediatrics for two weeks. I discovered a few months ago that my son's half-brother has autism. His father told me that he believes that this developed due to childhood vaccinations received at 6 months of age-stated that his son was developing normally until he received his vaccine series, came home and had seizures.

Of course, he is asking me questions and I am quite sure I will encounter them again. What is the deal about the relationship between thimrosal (sorry if I spelled it wrong) and autism? I am reading, but the information is complicated to me. I would like resources that I can share with parents making this decision and to be proficient enough to at least be able to explain if asked. Thanks!

Specializes in Critical Care.
i think we also need to take a few other ideas into consideration. in the early 1900's there was not enough info about autism, and many of these children were labeled 'retarded' and sent into group homes and 'looney bins'.

i believe that if we look back we will see that numerous adults actually have an autism spectrum disorder, something that was not properly dianosed until fairly recently.

autism is also genetic. there are families that refuse to vaccinate their other children based on an older siblings autism, yet these younger children will get autism without ever being vaccinated. we know that there is a genetic link, we do need more research though.

autism is such a complex disorder..

oh, autism is very clearly genetic. from just last week:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/miot-mmg020409.php

Specializes in Gyn/STD clinic tech.

ooooh, thanks for that link!! i have been studying like a maniac, so i have not kept abreast on the latest research.

here's the list of ingredients from the cdc.....

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/b/excipient-table-1.pdf

how can you say that mercury isn't harmful? there's plenty of proof out there that states otherwise. it's a heavy metal, it causes neurological damage. metal poisoning and autism have the same symptoms. i'm glad you think your link is the truth, but according the the cdc themselves, there's still mercury in some vaccines.....all of those that contain mercury are normally given to babies/toddlers. and yes the fact that there's aborted fetal tissue and other animal products is another issue. although they're not chemicals.....i personally don't think it's healthy exposing some other foreign dna into my child or even myself for that matter. however, i'm pro-life so that's why i refuse those vaccines.

No one says mercury isn't harmful. It has been proven that the small doses of Thimerosal in a very few vaccines is not harmful.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4927a5.htm

Notice to Readers: Summary of the Joint Statement on Thimerosal in Vaccines

In June 2000, a joint statement on thimerosal* in vaccines was prepared by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the Public Health Service (PHS) in response to 1) the progress in achieving the national goal declared in July 1999 to remove thimerosal from vaccines in the recommended childhood vaccination schedule, and 2) results of recent studies that examined potential associations between exposure to mercury in thimerosal-containing vaccines and health effects. In this statement, AAFP, AAP, ACIP, and PHS recommend continuation of the current policy of moving rapidly to vaccines that are free of thimerosal as a preservative. Until adequate supplies are available, use of vaccines that contain thimerosal as a preservative is acceptable.

A joint statement issued by AAP and PHS in July 1999 and agreed to by the AAFP later in 1999 established the goal of removing thimerosal as soon as possible from vaccines routinely recommended for infants. The goal was established as a precautionary measure. No evidence existed of any harm caused by low levels of thimerosal in vaccines. Public concern had been expressed about the health effects of mercury exposure of any sort, and the elimination of mercury from vaccines was considered a feasible means of reducing an infant's total exposure to mercury in a world where other environmental sources of exposure are more difficult or impossible to eliminate (e.g., certain foods).

Since July 1999, substantial progress has been made in removing thimerosal from vaccines. As of March 2000, all U.S. children had access to hepatitis B vaccines that do not contain thimerosal as a preservative. Beginning July 2000, only single-dose thimerosal-free Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine will be produced in the United States; previously manufactured multidose vials containing thimerosal still may be in distribution. One diphtheria and tetorifice toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) that does not contain thimerosal is available, and it is projected that additional DTaP vaccines without thimerosal as a preservative will become available in early 2001. On the basis of this progress, the most likely maximum amount of ethylmercury that an infant may be exposed to from the routine vaccination schedule has been reduced by 60%, from 187.5 µg to 75 µg. Measles-mumps-rubella, varicella, inactivated polio, and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines have never contained thimerosal.

Research on the potential health effects of exposure to thimerosal is continuing, and findings will be monitored closely by PHS to determine whether any changes in policy are needed. AAFP, AAP, and PHS, in consultation with the ACIP, reaffirm the goal set in July 1999 to remove or greatly reduce thimerosal from vaccines as soon as possible. On the basis of information from the Food and Drug Administration and manufacturers, PHS projects that the United States will complete its transition to a secure routine pediatric vaccine supply free of thimerosal as a preservative by the first quarter of 2001.

The vaccination of children in much of the world will continue to require the use of multidose vials because of cost, production, and storage capacity. Multidose vials require a preservative to prevent microbial contamination after the vial is opened. For multidose vials, manufacturers are encouraged to seek alternatives to thimerosal.

That's great, but do you really think a multi-billion company with come down on their own recommendations?

Conversely, if thimerosal were a factor, why is the rate of autism steady after its phasing out?

1980 correlates with many things. For instance, that's about the time all the baby boomers had their children. Cable television, HFCS instead of sugar, all sorts of drastic lifestyle changes at that time combined with better and more popular diagnostics.

Baby Boomers also used Day Care more than their parents . . . .autism increased during this time . . .so, that means putting kids in day care caused it. ;)

I'm with all the folks using scientific studies to show that thimerosal does not cause autism.

P.S. hypocaffeinemia . . . I applaud you. :up:

steph

Specializes in Critical Care.

nice. notice under thimerosal, it lists "some preparations" or "trace"? that's important. here's the fda on routine pediatric vaccinations: http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm#t1

how can you say that mercury isn't harmful?

easy. i never argued that. you're created a straw man argument because it's far easier to argue against. i said "the dose makes the poison", which is the point.

i then tried to show you this by pointing out the fact that for every kilogram of tuna you eat, you eat an equivalent amount of mercury as fourty thimerosal-containing vaccinations.

this is, of course, is a non-starter: nearly all pediatric vaccinations are mercury-free (see fda link).

metal poisoning and autism have the same symptoms.

actually, they don't. there may be a small subset of overlapping neurological symptoms, but mercury poisoning-- both acute and chronic-- have a slew of other clinical manifestations: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/819872-overview

i'm glad you think your link is the truth, but according the the cdc themselves, there's still mercury in some vaccines.....all of those that contain mercury are normally given to babies/toddlers.

i suggest you read your own link closer.

and yes the fact that there's aborted fetal tissue and other animal products is another issue.

there's not aborted fetal tissue in the vaccines. did you even read the link i presented? there are merely two diploid cell lines used to culture some viruses necessary in the production of vaccines.

although they're not chemicals...

everything is chemical. water's a chemical.

.....i personally don't think it's healthy exposing some other foreign dna into my child or even myself for that matter. however, i'm pro-life so that's why i refuse those vaccines.

you would be wise to educate yourself to how these vaccines are made before refusing out of naivety. i once again suggest you read my earlier link on this subject. it is written by a catholic doctor.

My my my....oh well, I'm done arguing about this. I've been researching vaccines since my son was about 18 months old, so that's geee....almost 4 years.....so don't tell me to educate myself! I'm not going to waste my time. Sorry, but I don't look at one link and say that's the fact. If you don't want to trust the CDC on what's in the vaccines, then I don't know what to tell ya. :/ LATER!

Hi pagandeva,

If you're going to be working with kids I would suggest using the American Academy of Pediatrics as your starting point for guidelines and recommendations for parents. Doubtless this is what the physicians/NP's you will be working with will be using. When I was doing rotations in peds I started just about every sentence with

"According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, ...."

They have a section on their website about vaccines and a wealth of other topics. It's a great resource for parents - who often have trouble interpreting what they find on the internet. Sometimes parents think they have "researched" something when really they found some very biased sources.

It was my understanding that it is not good practice to create the presumption that there is a "controversy" surrounding vaccines or that "there is conflicting research and the medical community hasn't made up it's mind" when educating parents about vaccines.

The statements by medical, nursing and public health organizations surrounding vaccines are not ambiguous. Of course parents are free to make up their own minds (as are we as individuals), but as health professionals involved in the care of children reputable organizations should be our resources when working in a professional capacity.

http://www.aap.org/featured/vaccinecourt.htm

Specializes in Critical Care.
My my my....oh well, I'm done arguing about this. I've been researching vaccines since my son was about 18 months old, so that's geee....almost 4 years.....so don't tell me to educate myself! I'm not going to waste my time. Sorry, but I don't look at one link and say that's the fact. If you don't want to trust the CDC on what's in the vaccines, then I don't know what to tell ya. :/ LATER!

Fair enough.

I am telling you to educate yourself because you have a fundamental misunderstanding of several major components of biological science. It's not meant to insult you-- I want to explain to you and any other lurkers why your viewpoint is not shared by that of science's, and it's hard to do that when we aren't speaking the same language, if you will.

Your link from the CDC lists and corroborates with my list from the FDA and other sites. However, you are interpreting what the CDC link says incorrectly. The FDA link is clearer, to that extent. It lists when each vaccine was made thimerosal-free.

You can even see which brands contain which, and then ask for specific brands at the pediatrician. There is no good excuse not to vaccinate due to fear of thimerosal ingestion, when you have the ability and the knowledge to avoid such products.

However, that's only one side of the coin.

The second issue is that we are at an impasse regarding the understanding of dosaging. Once again, I can only reiterate by explaining that you receive many orders of magnitude higher exposure to organic mercury in seafood than you do in the sporifice few thimerosal-containing vaccines available. An adequate analogy is acetaminophen. Everyone knows it can be harmful to your liver, however, while 500-1000mg doses are perfectly safe for most adults, if you were to multiply that by 100 and ingest 50-100 grams instead, you would be facing a painful and likely inevitable death.

Of course, on the contrary, if you were to divide that dose by 100, and take 5-10 mg, you would experience none of the therapeutic effects and your body wouldn't be affected one way or the other, even if your liver function was poor to begin with.

When you divide that dose by 100, you start to get an adequate picture of what we're talking about.

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