The Institute of Medicine held a meeting to review research
that has been found, which links thimerosal, a mercury-based
preservative in vaccines, and neurodevelopmental disorders
such as autism. The panel used data from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccine Datalink, which
concluded that children who are given three thimerosal-containing
vaccines are 27 times more likely to develop autism than children
who receive thimerosol-free vaccines.
Thimerosal has been gradually removed from vaccines since
1999, however it is still present in some vaccinations, including
virtually all flu shots.
During the review, medical experts discussed the results
from a study that showed urinary mercury concentrations were
six times higher in children with autism, as opposed to normal-age/vaccine
matched controls. They also said that they found evidence
that suggested the link between thimerosal-containing vaccines
and autism had a higher risk than that between lung cancer
and smoking cigarettes.
Yahoo!
News February 9, 2004
