As a proponent of childhood vaccinations, I can also recognize that more research needs to be done to ensure that the ingredients and preservatives in childhood vaccines do not adversely affect some children with the onset of autism symptoms.
As such, in spite of some professionals who feel the science is already settled in this regard, yesterday’s decision of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) was a real breakthrough for the autism community by including “vaccine research studies in the objectives of the updated Strategic Plan for Autism Research.”
The statement goes on to say that: “The new language, approved unanimously, calls for studies to determine if there are sub-populations that are more susceptible to environmental exposures such as immune challenges related to naturally occurring infections, vaccines or underlying immune problems.”
H/T Harold Doherty at Facing Autism in N.B., who has lobbied very hard for this to happen. Read his post today about those who are of the opposite opinion.
Filed under: Autism Research, Vaccinations | Tagged: IACC
While we’re talking about removing unsafe things from vaccines, let’s start with Thimerosol.
The Thimerosal in vaccines (it is in the H1N1 vaccine) has 45 – 50% mercury and diluted in the vaccine mercury is 0.01% – 0.005%. It sounds small, but consider this. The safety level of mercury in water is 2 parts per billion (PPB) -anything with over 200 PPB is considered toxic waste. For some reason fish is only considered a problem if mercury is over 1450 PPB. However, if you convert the 0.005% mercury found in a most vaccine shots to PPB you get 50,000 PPB. So if you drop the vaccine on the floor and the vial breaks, it is called toxic waste and if you inject it into 20 million Canadians it is called “SAFE”.
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The single-dose formulation is preservative-free; thimerosal, a mercury derivative, is not used in the manufacturing process for this formulation. The multi-dose formulation contains thimerosal, added as a preservative; each 0.5 mL dose contains 24.5 mcg of mercury.
Proponents of the alleged link between vaccines and autism charge that vaccines contain mercury, which in large enough doses, kills cells and causes neurological damage. What some vaccines contain is actually not plain mercury, but the preservative thimerosal. Thimerosal’s main active ingredient is an organic version of mercury called ethylmercury. Ethylmercury is naturally expelled from the body quickly. Methylmercury, on the other hand, is not. It stays in the body. High doses of methylmercury will cause physiological damage. However, ethylmercury and methylmercury are not the same thing, despite the similar names. Methylmercury is not present in thimerosal. In short, vaccines preserved with thimerosal do not even contain the type of mercury that activists say is dangerous. And even if they did, the amount would be too small to be considered a risk.
I’m all for supporting causes, but unbiased, peer reviewed science conducted over the course of decades cannot be ignored because language changes, theorized causation from correlation, or emotional response.
This is way off topic but so important to those of us living with family members with disabilities and living in wheelchairs. Just caught a clip on cbc about a female cdn fashion designer. She has dress movies stars, rock stars and others. She has changed her whole direction and is no designing womens fashions for women/girls in w/chairs. They are fantastic. This has been needed for a long time. She is negotiating with an outlet to have them sold in stores. If it works out (which it will) she will branch out to mens wear. I will be first in line when that happens. Sorry, didn’t catch her name.
Points taken Michael. But, there is emotion on all sides of this debate. If you were to find your child’s behaviour changed over night, sometimes literally, and subsequently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, something that is 24/7 for the rest of their lives, you would not be so dismissive.
My adult son is 44 and has lived with autism his whole life. However, I believe his problem was due to both genetics and a difficult birth. But, there are still too many unanswered questions about the affect vaccines have on “some” children. In my opinion, we need to stop blaming and look at all the whys.
As a former academic and a learning disabilities specialist, I am completely in favour of more research. There are just too many children getting diagnosed as autistic, now 1 in 150 instead of 1 in 500 or more. As I have written before, either the spectrum is getting wider and more are being diagnosed as autistic than used to be diagnosed as LD or there is another reason. Childhood vaccinations, in my view, MUST never be stopped. I am old enough to remember how awful it was to have youngsters die unnecessarily of childhood diseases.
But, that said, we should look at every possible environmental angle and there are plenty of angles that have NOT been examined before — e.g., are their underlying reasons some children react as they do and is there a way to anticipate those causes “before” being vaccinated?
But, many thanks for clarifying the issue of ethylmercury compared to methylmercury. Mind you, I have sensitivities to most medications because I have a special enzyme “p” factor in my liver. and can understand completely that even something that is supposed to be expelled from the body quickly, may not or may adversely affect someone’s liver or immune system before it does.
However, after all is said and done, I would still vaccinate my children. I watched my great-grandson (who is now 14 months old) go through the process. I held my breath every time and am thankful that he was not adversely affected. But, his physician only gives one or two at a time — perhaps another key factor that needs to be researched.
Mary T — I saw that on the National last night too. Amazing! My daughter-in-law is in a wheelchair so I will be waiting for this line too.
Raymond — I didn’t get a chance to thank you for your comment last night. It is just as well, as Michael brings up some issues regarding the various kinds of mercury in Thimerosal.
However, as I told him, even organic chemicals can cause serious reactions in some people — as I know only too well personally with simple everyday aspirin or anything with corn in it (glucose, dextrose) — all natural products. Nor, does it negate the necessity for more research.
As I mentioned in a comment at Facing Autism, even when women were dying in childhood and a physician recommend that attending doctors should be washing their hands between examinations or births, he was ridiculed and laughed at. Change is never accepted by the medical community without a struggle. And so, I’m all for more research on so many fronts.