Help With Autism

Contact:
Rita Shreffler, NAA (Nixa, MO) 401-632-6452
Wendy Fournier, NAA (Portsmouth, RI) 401-835-5828

NAA Calls for Immediate Recall of All Mercury-Containing Vaccines
Government Concession of Injury Confirms Risks to Children from Vaccines with Mercury 

Nixa, Mo – A press conference yesterday in Atlanta has prompted parents of children diagnosed with autism to again call upon the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove all mercury-containing vaccines from the shelves.  Parents of children diagnosed with autism have been saying for years that their normally-developing children sustained injuries from vaccines containing thimerosal, a preservative that is nearly 50% ethyl-mercury by weight. The Poling family of Athens, Georgia told the media that their daughter Hannah was healthy and developing normally until she received nine vaccines on the same day and later regressed into autism.  The Department of Health and Human Services concluded the family is entitled to compensation from the federal vaccine injury fund.

“We thank the Poling family for coming forward with their daughter’s story which echoes those of children diagnosed with autism around the country,” said Ann Brasher, vice president of the National Autism Association (NAA).  “The government continues to allow the use of thimerosal in vaccines, even after recommending its removal back in 1999.  An estimated 90% of flu vaccines still contain 25 micrograms of mercury, and just last month the CDC recommended annual flu shots for all children up to age 18.  Flu shots are also recommended for pregnant women, causing prenatal exposure.  Our children’s level of exposure to mercury through vaccines is going up when it should have been removed entirely years ago.”

NAA is asking federal health agencies to learn from this case and protect America’s children from further injury.  “First and foremost, it’s time to get the poison, including mercury and aluminum, out of our vaccine supply,” said NAA president Wendy Fournier. “Secondly, we must seriously consider the recommended immunization schedule. Are we over-vaccinating our children with so many shots in such a short period of time?   We now have one in 150 children diagnosed with autism and one in six diagnosed with a learning or behavior disorder.  There have been absolutely no safety studies on the cumulative effects of giving so many vaccines to young children.”