Autism And Vaccinations

Autism and vaccinations have been a debate for some years now. People are always needing somewhere to put the blame. In the early years of autism research, the blame was solely on mothers who were thought to have damaged their children by not displaying love and affection to their child causing them to withdraw and never come back. That theory was soon replaced with one involving genetics: Some families are susceptible to autism, and it's just going to happen no matter what. The damage was done in the womb and in the genes. While this theory technically shifts the blame from bad parenting to bad genes, it still keeps responsibility all in the family.

When many started to notice that the rise of autism seemed to occur simultaneously with the increased use of vaccines, they shifted the blame away from family and into medical science. In the case of autism, research shows that a high percentage of those affected are victims of massive chemical toxicity. The neurological damage that is characteristic with autism is strikingly similar to the well-established side effects of mercury, aluminum and formaldehyde toxicity. These neurotoxins are common vaccine ingredients.

During the time period from 1980 to 2000, the number of mandated vaccines gradually increased from 8 in 1980 to 22 in 2000. Since the federal government made vaccinations a mandatory requirement for the younger population, most of the 22 childhood vaccines are administered before the age of 18 months. It was after these developments, autism started to rise.

Just about all leading health organizations including the CDC and the NIH say that there is no relationship between Autism and vaccinations. Yet many parents and smaller research groups are convinced otherwise.

In 1979, the mercury-containing MMR was added to the vaccine schedule. MMR vaccine is a three part vaccine that contains the three different sets of viruses, given by injection, which is to protect against measles, mumps and Rubella. In the UK it is given to children at 12 to 15 months, with a reinforcing dose before school, usually between 3 and 5 years. It is also given to children when they are at the age when autism is most likely to become evident.

Between the late 1980s and 2003, there was the use of thimerosal. Thimerosal is a preservative that was used in many vaccines. Thimerosal contains ethyl mercury, which some suspect may cause mercury poisoning and autism in children. The type of mercury used in thimerosal is generally cleared from the body within six weeks, which in theory would render it harmless. A good thing is that thimerosal has now been removed from most vaccines -- and thimerosal-free vaccines are available across the board.

Also included in these mercury-containing vaccines would be the HIB vaccine that was added in 1988, and the Hepatitis B for newborns was added in the early 1990s.

No matter what experts say about the connection with Autism and vaccinations, the fact still remains, that most vaccines do contain toxic mercury, many of them grossly in excess of EPA permissible standards for adults. Children receive all these mercury-containing vaccines in three to four doses during the first year and a half of their lives. Along with the fact, the vaccines are usually administered simultaneously in the same day.