Thimrosal-Autism-Childhood Vaccinations

WalkieTalkie, RN · Feb 8, 2009

There was just another new long-term study out in Italy they did about this. It showed no difference in the kids receiving it vs. ones who didn't in autism rates. I'll see if I can find it.

WalkieTalkie, RN · Feb 8, 2009

Here it is: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-vaccines-mercuryjan26,0,4843274.story

jode · Feb 8, 2009

This is a very controversial topic.

http://www.immunize.org

pagandeva2000, LPN · Feb 8, 2009

Here it is: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-vaccines-mercuryjan26,0,4843274.story

:yeah: :up: Greatly appreciated! I sent a copy to my work email in order to make copies.

BradleyRN · Feb 8, 2009

I believe there is certainly a link between the mercury preservative Thimerosal and autism. Thimerosal began it's widespread use in 1978, and 80% of autism cases were born after 1980. The thousands of parents that have claimed behavior changes in their children shortly after immunizations is enough evidence to warrant caution. Of course there will never be an admission to this link, though they have phased out the use of Thimerosal. If there were truly no issue, why then would they halt it's use?

jode · Feb 9, 2009

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/08/autism_rate_in_calif_increases/

Do you have any studies on this? Autism cases have actually INCREASED since the removal of Thermasol.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2009

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!

Part of me, does think there is a link between childhood vaccinations and autism.

However, on the same side, I can also see where it's also easy to blame the vaccinations as virtually all kids receive them, receive them very often after birth, so when signs pop up, "Yup, it was the vaccine."

When it could have just as easily been...when their personality really started to develop...and that was when they noticed he really wasn't like other babies.

It's really, really hard to tell.

BradleyRN · Feb 9, 2009

Do you have any studies on this? Autism cases have actually INCREASED since the removal of Thermasol.

My research is several years old, and comes only from memory. I condemned Thimerosal then, but today would only suggest listening to the parents who noticed changes in their infants behavior after immunizations. There are THOUSANDS of them. If Thimerosal is not the culprit, perhaps the numerous number of vaccines are. In any case, when i have a child, he/she will neither receive so many immunizations so close together nor Thimerosal.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Feb 9, 2009

So to summarise, Thimerosal is a mercury component that was removed from vaccinations some time ago. Some believe that autism has increased due to how closely the vaccinations are administered as per protocol suggested by the CDC childhood immunization schedule, others believe that they have decreased.

I think that the best thing is to present these facts to the parents and leave it to them, because there are unclear answers from the medical community. It could very well be that these vaccinations are promoted for the pharmaceutical companies profit, who knows? But, I just feel better saying that to them and leaving them to make their own educated guesses.

Jolie, BSN · Feb 9, 2009

Of course there will never be an admission to this link, though they have phased out the use of Thimerosal. If there were truly no issue, why then would they halt it's use?

If it were truly an issue, why didn't rates of autism drop when thimerosal was removed from vaccines?

From WebMD: Thimerosal Down but Autism Rising

Removal of Mercury From Child Vaccines Fails to Halt Autism Increase

Jan. 7, 2008 -- Autism rates continue to go up despite removal of thimerosal, which contains a form of mercury, from nearly all child vaccines, California data show.

The finding adds to a growing body of evidence against the " thimerosal hypothesis." The hypothesis holds that vaccines using thimerosal as a preservative -- given to children or their mothers -- causes autism.

As a precautionary measure, by March 2001 thimerosal was removed (except for trace amounts) from all recommended infant vaccines. The only childhood vaccines that still contain more than trace amounts of thimerosal are multiple-dose vials of some flu vaccines.

An early look at data from California suggested that removal of thimerosal might have led to a decline in autism. But now an updated look at the data by the California Department of Public Health shows that there was no such decline.

"We are reassured that we found no link between routine childhood vaccination and increases in childhood autism in the data," California DPH Medical Officer Robert Schechter, MD, tells WebMD. "But the finding that there are increasing numbers of kids who need services is not reassuring. We support efforts to find preventable causes of autism."...

full article: http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20080107/thimerosal-down-but-autism-rising

luvschoolnursing, LPN · Feb 9, 2009

children's hospital of philadelphia has a vaccine education site www.vaccine.chop.edu they do research about vaccines and do not accept money form drug companies. (not sure why my font changed color) they have some interesting articles and info. i even get a newsletter from them.