Help With Autism

Most vaccinations no longer use the preservative thimerosal, with the exception of some flu vaccinations. This makes expectant parents, even those who plan on immunizing their children, wary of getting a flu shot. Research has indicated that it is still advisable for pregnant women to receive a flu shot.

First of all, when an adult gets a flu shot they help protect infants who are two young to receive a vaccination. Secondly, a vaccinated mother can pass along protective antibodies to her unborn child, which has the potential of protecting him or her after birth. Finally, if a woman does get the flu, then she is at higher risk of also contracting pneumonia which lowers blood oxygen levels, thus depriving a developing fetus of an essential component for healthy growth.

Though thimerosal usage in vaccines has largely been discontinued, there are some adult sprays and prescriptions that contain the bacteria killing preservative. Some adults are allergic to thimerosal. Some of the symptoms of a thimerosal allergy include swelling, redness, itching, burning, and discomfort at the site of the injection.

A test known as Thin-Layer Rapid Use Epicutaneous (TRUE) is used to see if an adult has a thimerosal allergy. Topical and oral antihistamines can relieve some of the symptoms. If an adult knows that they have a thimerosal allergy, then they can request alternative vaccines that use Cipro, Afrin or Fluzone.

In the Tampa Bay area, increasingly more parents are claiming religious exemptions to vaccinations required to start school. As a result, seven cases of measles have been reported this year, the most reported in 14 years. In each case, except for one, the child stricken had not been vaccinated.

Many parents who choose the exemption are believed to do so over fears that thimerosal can lead to Autism. What parents fail to realize is that thimerosal has never been used as a preservative in measles vaccine (which also vaccinates against rubella and mumps). Ironically, past vaccinations have worked almost too well, in that many doctors have difficulty diagnosing measles because so few have seen the disease in person. Still, the threat is real and rising; one in 1,000 children who get the measles will develop a brain infection that can be permanent, if the child survives, as one or two in every 1,000 will die. This simply reinforces the case for parents to research vaccinations and determine which ones they are comfortable being administered to their children.

A mercury-containing organic compound, Thimerosal has been used in many vaccines since the 1930s as an agent of preservation. It has also been used in many biological and drug products. The use of this substance is intended to prevent life-threatening contamination, specifically the growth and development of harmful microbes, bacteria and fungi within the vaccine itself.

However, over the past several years there has been an increase in awareness about the theoretical potential for neurotoxicity of even the lowest levels. Debate has occurred over the increase in the number of infant vaccines that contain Thimerosal has also risen with concerned parents that question the effects of this preservation substance in their young children. Nowadays, Thimerosal had been completely removed from vaccinations for children 6 years of age and younger; only trace amounts of this substance could be found in any such vaccine.

The substance thimerosal has been phased out of vaccines given in the U.S. and the European Union as a purely precautionary measure. Many parents have taken this removal to mean that thimerosal is the cause of autism. There is no scientific evidence to back up such claims. The ever increasing rise in reported autism births even after thimerosal has been taken out of the equation is proof positive that there must be some other cause of autism.

Despite the lack of evidence that thimerosal is the culprit, and despite the fact that vaccines no longer use the substance, parents are refusing to vaccinate their children. Now, it is absolutely a parents’ right to make medical decisions concerning their children, but they should be informed decisions. There have been troubling reports of parents turning to unproven, possibly dangerous treatments for autism. Any treatment, from vaccinations to therapies to natural solutions should be thoroughly research. Your child is a person, not a test subject.

Generally, we look to medical associations and scientists when it comes to gauging the effectiveness of medicines and creating links in the health field, but the federal appeals court has recently weighed in on the vaccination debate. A special vaccine court ruled last year that there is little, if any, evidence to support the claim that vaccines—the MMR vaccine in particular—causes autism. When Dr. Wakefield reported the supposed link years ago, more than 5,500 families sought compensation under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. But as we’ve reported before, Dr. Wakefield’s findings have been discredited by virtually everyone in the medical community.

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the lower court’s decision, saying that there was only weak and contradictory evidence to support the claim. The vaccine court also found that thimerosal, an additive in vaccines, was not responsible for causing autism, which many had claimed.

Scientifically, thimerosal is an organomercury compound commonly utilized as an antifungal agent and antiseptic. Many people now know the compound by its trade name Merthioltae, which Eli Lilly and Company gave it in order to market it as a preservative in vaccines, skin test antigens and other medical products. Several interest groups, countries and international organizations have called the use of thimerosal into question.

The concern stems from the fact that thimerosal is mercury-based. This has led many to believe that thimerosal’s presence in vaccines are responsible for the increase in autism cases and instances of other brain development, although there is no scientific evidence. Mercury and other types of heavy metal exposure are associated with several neurological disorders, but a link between thimerosal in vaccines is yet to be found.

The presence of heavy metals in our bodies can wreak havoc on our various systems. Mercury alone can create psychiatric disturbances, speech problems and sensory abnormalities, among others. With the myriad risks associated with heavy metal poisoning and exposure, it seems intuitive that ridding our bodies of these chemicals is imperative.

One of the most efficient and common methods for achieving this is through heavy metal detox. There are several means for performing a detox, but chelation therapy is one of the most readily available. Another option is using a product such as PCA-Rx, which contains microorganisms that purify and detoxify your body by eliminating heavy metals and other pollutants.

In an effort to address the controversy surrounding the contents of childhood vaccinations – most notably the H1N1 vaccine – we went straight to the source. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the government agency tasked with protecting public health and safety, most vaccines contain several key ingredients. There’s a suspending fluid such as water or saline, which is of little interest to us because it is relatively inactive.

Then there are the preservatives or stabilizers of which thimerosal is the most notorious. While it has been removed from most childhood vaccines because of its potential link to the onset of autism, traces of it are present in the H1N1 vaccine. The final important component of a vaccine treatment is the enhancer, which is meant to improve its effectiveness. While vaccine damage is not common, the CDC lists several “common” substances found in vaccines that could be cause for concern.

First and perhaps most troubling, formaldehyde is often used to kill viruses and bacteria that may contaminate the vaccine while it’s being made. Most of us will recognize it as a key embalming agent. Thimerosal is the mercury-based preservative that is meant to stop the contamination and proliferation of harmful bacteria within a vaccine. As documented previously in this blog, mercury is capable of wreaking havoc when exposed to human tissue.

For conscientious parents, the worst fears about swine flu have recently been confirmed. And those fears don’t even relate to the H1N1 virus itself. Rather, they concern the release of the new flu vaccine and its all-too-familiar contents. As it turns out, the vaccine contains trace amounts of thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that has been linked to the onset of autism in a number of cases dating back to the 1990s.

Although the medical establishment prefers to downplay the disastrous effects thimerosal has wrought throughout last decade, the preservative was nonetheless banned in 2001. It’s a shame that it’s making an unwelcome reemergence at a time when many American families will be seeking out early flu shots. There may be a way to receive a vaccination while still forgoing the preservative, however.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, which has been trumpeting the release of the vaccine and the public’s need to use it, a single-dose version doesn’t require a preservative. That means it should be thimerosal-free. In any case, it’s important for parents to do their homework before leaving their children susceptible to mercury exposure.