Thimerosal Doesn’t Raise Neurological Risks
32 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // September 26th, 2007 // 6:31 pm
That’s the conclusion of a study published in this week’s edition of The New England Journal of Medicine. And the researchers wrote that the large federally-funded study should reassure parents about the safety of vaccines their kids received a decade or more ago. However, the study didn’t look at autism.
The CDC researchers didn’t find a clear link between early exposure to thimerosal and problems with brain function and behavior in children ages 7 to 10. The results are in line with past research that found no connection between vaccines and neurological problems or autism, the Associated Press writes.
“It’s good news for families,” says Michael Goldstein, vp of the American Academy of Neurology who works in private practice in Salt Lake City. “There’s no evidence that these vaccines have caused injury.”
As with any study, though, there are reasons for pause. For instance, among girls there was a negative association with language development. And among boys there was a detrimental association with behavioral regulation and motor and phonic tics, suggesting the need for further study. So after you’ve read the study (here it is, again), please tell us your reaction. (If you have difficulty voting, simply access a browser other than AOL. Sorry for any inconvenience).
Do you feel reassured by the study?
- No (90%, 287 Votes)
- Yes (10%, 33 Votes)
Total Voters: 320
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Thimerosal, by the way, hasn’t been used in childhood vaccines since 2001, although it’s still in some flu shots. The new findings apply to kids immunized before then, or exposed to the preservative through shots their mothers received while pregnant. (Thimerosal was put in vaccines to prevent contamination from bacteria).
The study involved 1,047 children who were exposed to varying levels of thimerosal while in the womb or after birth in the 1990s. The children belonged to four health maintenance organizations that are part of a federal project to study the side effects of vaccines. Their mercury exposure was determined through medical and immunization records and interviews with parents.
Each child was tested for speech and language skills, motor coordination and intelligence. Parents, teachers and trained specialists also rated stuttering, attention span and tic disorders such as head shaking, eye blinking and neck jerking. A total of 42 neurological problems were analyzed.
On balance, researchers did not find a consistent pattern between increasing thimerosal exposure and the risk of these problems. However, they said one finding merited further study: Boys exposed to higher mercury levels seemed to have more tic problems — a link seen in previous research.
“The doses of mercury that children were exposed to because of immunization doesn’t cause neuropsychological damage,” says Bruce Cohen, a Cleveland Clinic pediatric neurology specialist who had no role in the study.
The CDC study was reviewed by an independent panel of scientists and statisticians who oversaw its design, reviewed results and contributed to writing the report. The panel included one vaccine opponent - Sallie Bernard, executive director of the consumer group SafeMinds. Although she had a role in planning the study, she asked to be listed as a “dissenting member” because she disagreed with the study’s conclusions.
The research was led by William Thompson, a CDC epidemiologist who once worked for vaccine maker Merck. Four other researchers have received fees from drugmakers and one has served as a consultant to a CDC committee on immunization.
The study wasn’t designed to tease out the effects of mercury exposure on autism. Thompson is completing a separate study examining whether thimerosal exposure before or after birth causes autism. The study recruited 1,000 children including 250 with autism. Results are expected next year.
Although past scientific studies have found no link between autism and thimerosal-containing vaccines, the highly charged issue went on trial this summer. A court in Washington, D.C., heard from an Arizona mother who blamed vaccines on her 12-year-old daughter’s severe autism. The case is being followed by about 5,000 families who filed similar claims to receive compensation from a federal vaccine injury fund. The fund so far has not paid out an autism claim.
Jane
It would be interesting to know how many researchers have had their children vac’d with these drugs.
Reality
I’ll save everyone the suspense and tell you that most authors have ties to industry, so the good news is you don’t even need to read the article to vote “No”!
maurine meleck
Somehow the timing is amazing-during the same week that jenny McCarthy is talking about recovering her son–and the dangers of vaccines. This report is another ploy to put money in the pockets of the CDC, the drug companies etc. need I say more?
Reality
Rats! My sarcasm tag didn’t go through on my post…lest anyone think I was being serious.
Lisa
Reality,
You sure have been a “Busy Beaver” Today…..
I take it that “Sales” have been slow…
And Sid..
Before you chime in!!…I left my cave today…had a wonderful outing today in our Nation’s Medicine Chest.Only one complaint..it was a bit hot.
Reality
“Lisa,”
“I” “guess” “2″ “posts” “makes” “me” “a” “busy” “beaver.”
“What” “do” “you” “mean” “by” “sales” “have” “been” “slow”?
Oh, wait, I get it. Because I ask questions that are actually germane to the posts that aren’t automatically antipharma, I MUST be a pharma sales lackey, right? Nice try.
Lisa
Reality,
Have a nice evening.
Bob
Reality-
Everything Lisa posts is anti-pharma. God forbid her or anyone else takes some personal responsibility.
Lisa
Bob,
“Personal Responsibilty”…are you kidding?…or are you just an “ass”?….
Reality
Bob, I’m not even sure what that means. How does being reflexively antipharma regardless of study results equal personal responsibility?
Bob
Reality-
What I mean is, people need to be aware of what they’re taking and putting into their bodies.
This whole country, especially rhe poster above you, is way to sue happy.
Reality
Bob,
I agree with both of those sentiments.
Deborah of Oklahoma
All 3 of my kids have been effected ( neg.) by the Thimerosal in vaccines. My 15 1/2 year old still does some body rocking when he gets excited. I was a nurses aid for just over 15 years, seen enough that I should have known better and not given my babies vaccines. I am thankful that all 3 kids can function but have had to have extra helps in school. I worked hard with each of them. I was able to teach them to be individuals, I figured I might as well. They do not fit into the public school system (clones). I did spare my kids from getting the Chicken pocks vaccine on Dr.’s orders. I am not pleased with this one sided story the media has run. My daughter will have a baby this spring I am asking her to put off all vaccines at least to age 5 or forever!
Laurie
“What I mean is, people need to be aware of what they’re taking and putting into their bodies.”
Hmmm, and how would one know what they are putting in their bodies without complete disclosure of a drugs risks and side effects?
Rita
Is this a joke???
“Dr. Thompson reports being a former employee of Merck; Dr. Marcy, receiving consulting fees from Merck, Sanofi Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline, and MedImmune; Dr. Jackson, receiving grant support from Wyeth, Sanofi Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline, and Novartis, lecture fees from Sanofi Pasteur, and consulting fees from Wyeth and Abbott and serving as a consultant to the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee; Dr. Lieu, serving as a consultant to the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices; Dr. Black, receiving consulting fees from MedImmune, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, and Merck and grant support from MedImmune, GlaxoSmithKline, Aventis, Merck, and Novartis; and Dr. Davis receiving consulting fees from Merck and grant support from Merck and GlaxoSmithKline. No other potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported. “
Teresa Binstock
CDC findings by Verstraeten et al (1999) found significant associations between thimerosal injections and a range of neurodevelopmental problems, including but not limited to tics, attention deficit, language disorders, sleep problems, and autism. The Verstraeten group’s response was to dilute their data so as to make the associations disappear. The formerly respected journal “Pediatrics” rushed to published the altered-data article (Verstraeten et al 2003). The findings announced in NEJM this September are a continuation of the CDC’s efforts to hide the relationship between ethylmercury injections and children with problems that - not coincidentally - are often treated with patented pharmaceuticals.
denise
Sue happy, What are you talking about? Oh yeah - VAERS has been pouring money into the hands of families of children of autism. NOT!
If we wanted money, we could burn ourselves with hot coffee . Instead, my son had a tic that included a loud piercing scream. According to this study that can be linked to mercury. On a nastier day, I would have hoped his mercury induced tic would have shocked you and spilled hot coffee on your lap for implying the tragedy and pain these children are feeling can be summed up by the term “sue happy” parents.
Alas, this will never happen, because my son passed away from a mercury induced seizure earlier this year. How dare you sound trite about children’s lives!
Recovering
Basic science….mercury is toxic….what the hell?
Tina Cuccia
I just can’t believe how they (CDC, FDA,IOM etc…) expect us to buy their theory when we see what happened to our children almost immediately after receiving their vaccines. They don’t understand that we parents are intelligent and we are professionals and to think that we would just lay back and trust what they say would be insane. Mercury nis a known neurotoxin and how on earth could that be a good thing especially when it was directly injected in our babies. They are not asking the important question of why are the autism rates 1 in 150 and add rates 1 in 8. This is an epidemic and yet they still don’t know why, or at least that is their position. I trully believe they DO know why but have to spin it around so people do not panic about vaccines and the current vaccine schedule. I am not a sheep anymore and I will NEVER follow what they say again. I, as well as many other parents, have lost faith in these government agencies because they have shown time and time again that they just do not care about finding the truth.
Cindy
If money is to be thrown around for such studies, why not get them right? Do the feared study on vaccinated versus unvaccinated children and get it over with. The next generation gene tests are now in the process of detecting who will have adverse drug reactions, (http://www.healthanddna.com) but, like everything else I’m sure it will not apply to vaccines. There are too many in the pipeline right now. Wouldn’t want to damage profits! Also, lets combine as many as we can, so, we can fit those vaccines coming soon. Most parents who do their homework will most likely get their information from the CDC web site anyway, so smooth sailing ahead!
Adriana
http://www.putchildrenfirst.org/media/6.14.pdf
Parents really, really should not be reassured.
Deborah Kahn
Look at the chart of the tests that showed effects that might be significant. The two that indicate problems are much larger numbers than the many that indicate “benefits”. I think the data actually in the study doesn’t match the spin being placed on the study. This is actually fairly common in vaccine studies. For example, did you all know that children with health problems are excluded from vaccine safety studies? However, once a vaccine is licensed it is given to almost everyone. Preemies, children with severe health conditions, etc. This study also excluded premature infants from the study. Could this have anything to do with an exceptionally high rate of problems in premature infants who received vaccines containing thimerosal? We will probably never know…
Daniel
How could these agencies and psychiatrists who claim thimerosal is safe be trusted when they are prescribing toxic medications that kills children ?
http://www.ritalindeath.com/
http://www.adhdfraud.org/
Be sure to watch this 100 minute documentary - ”The Tragic Consequences of Drugging Our Children” :
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/09/20/the-tragic-consequences-of-drugging-our-children.aspx
Heraldblog
Thimerosal was gone from scheduled childhood vaccines by 2003. So why isn’t autism declining among today’s 3-5 year olds?
Laurie
According to the FDA there are thimerosol free vaccines “available”, but if one doesn’t request them they may still be getting a thimerosol “reduced” vaccine. The flu vaccines appear to have the most variability in thimerosol content.
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimfaq.htm#q13
Rainmom
Heraldblog- autism rates among 3 to 5 yr olds are not declining, because as soon as they began to dip, the flu shots got pushed on pregnant moms. Another fact- the recent CDC study of “1 in 150″ was 8 year olds- the CDC still can’t count kids in real time. Here’s a great link:
http://www.generationrescue.org/misinformation.html
CDC refuses to do a study on vaccinated vs unvaccinated kids- but Generation Rescue did. They even used a survey that was based on a CDC model of data collection:
http://www.generationrescue.org/survey.html
Generation Rescue chose to use telephone interviews with parents to gather data on children, so as to closely mirror the methodology the CDC uses to establish national prevalence for NDs such as ADHD and autism through their national phone survey of parent responses. Generation Rescue chose to focus on children ages 4-17 to match the age range used by CDC.
Laura
Again, this study DID NOT include any children with low birth weight (preemies) or with neurological problems (Autism for instance). Wow. Kids who are healthy enough to handle all the toxins of vaccines aren’t affected by them. Crazy! But guess what, kids with poor immune systems, like my sons, are affected, with autism and allergies to many foods. Next time they do one of these “studies”, maybe they should include the groups who parents say are damaged by vaccines. But, no, that would make sense, and actually tackle the big question, not sweep it under the rug. Guess what? Parents whose children are vaccine damaged looked under the rug! We know what happened to our children and won’t sit back quietly and let it happen to other kids!
Heraldblog - Is the flu shot still being pushed on pregnant women and children? Yes! Does it still have thimerosal? Yes! In addition to the “trace amounts” of thimerosal, there’s also aluminum in many other vaccines as well. Until mercury and other metals stopped being injected into pregnant women and infants, I don’t think we’ll see a decline in autism.
Dr Sherri Tenpenny
It is shocking that government, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the CDC can blindly ignore hundreds of research papers from industry and medical journals naming mercury among the most toxic substance in the world.
If mercury is so “safe,” then the government and industry could save billions every year by no longer monitering mercury in the air and water. Stop worrying about mercury from burning coal and let pregnant women eat tuna.
If mercury isn’t associated with autism and other neurological disorders, why is medical improvement seen when mercury is removed from the body? For more than 100 years, medicine advanced through Case Reports submitted by physicians to share information about patient responses. Now, those reports are called “anecdotal” and are considered unimportant.
Large epidemiological numbers can be used to prove — or disprove anything. The saying, “Numbers don’t lie but liars use numbers” certainly applies.
TheProbe
It is truly amazing that there is such utter stupidity amongst those who can pound a keyboard. They cannot accept the fact that the mercury myth is just wrong. Get on with your lives and parent your kids. We did, and we are happier for it. Our kids appreciate it, and yours will too.
You people will use any moronic idea to promote your crap. A pox on you all.
Mildos
Promote our crap ?
How could these agencies and psychiatrists who claim thimerosal is safe be trusted when they are prescribing toxic medications that kills children ?
http://www.ritalindeath.com/
http://www.adhdfraud.org/
Be sure to watch this 100 minute documentary - â€The Tragic Consequences of Drugging Our Children†:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/09/20/the-tragic-consequences-of-drugging-our-children.aspx
Mildos
To the moderator !!!
No wonder why you don’t post my post and let idiots like ”the probe insult those who dare say the truth!
Saw the BS all over this site. Hypocrite.
Promote our crap ?
How could these agencies and psychiatrists who claim thimerosal is safe be trusted when they are prescribing toxic medications that kills children ?
http://www.ritalindeath.com/
http://www.adhdfraud.org/
Be sure to watch this 100 minute documentary - â€The Tragic Consequences of Drugging Our Children†:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/09/20/the-tragic-consequences-of-drugging-our-children.aspx
Dylan's mom
Nothing that ANYONE from the pharmacutical industry, the medical industry, the CDC, the FDA, the NIH, the AAP(…I could go on all day) can say will convince me after the fact that mercury and Thimerosal did not cause my son’s autism. Nothing. Now now, not ever. Think Erin Brockvich vs. PG&E and the hexavalent chromium saga.