Help With Autism

In the past, when research was less intensive and could often lead to false results and conclusions, there have been several medical failures. In the early 20th century, for example, the preservative thimerosal was invented to preserve the contents inside vaccinations. The preservative contained a small amount of mercury, which is one of the most volatile substances known to man. When injected into the bloodstream, even a small amount of mercury could wreak havoc on the body’s functions. In fact, even eating fish, which all contain a small amount of mercury, can cause the toxin to build up in the body over time and lead to serious problems. Thimerosal was used for decades until it was discontinued in the 2000s, though some vaccinations still contain the preservative. However, while it was in use, thimerosal was linked to several serious health conditions, often because it was used in childhood vaccinations.

Thimerosal has been linked as a potential risk for causing autism in children. Because all children receive vaccinations after birth, those already at increased risk for developing autism can develop the condition due to the introduction of mercury. 

Since the 1930s, vaccines have contained preservatives designed to eliminate bacteria and fungi that can form in the vaccine. These bacteria and fungi, when injected into the blood, can cause serious problems and are a cause for concern. There have been deaths in the past associated with contaminated vaccines. Thimerosal was one of the first preservatives used in vaccinations. This preservative contains about 50% mercury by weight, and is one of the most popular preservatives to use in vaccinations. While some studies have shown that the micrograms of mercury contained in thimerosal aren’t harmful to humans or animals, others have indicated that this substance is at fault for serious health conditions. Mercury is a volatile and toxic substance that can cause significant damage to the nervous system with high doses. The mercury contained in thimerosal has been linked to conditions of the nervous system like autism.

While thimerosal has been removed from child vaccinations, it is still prevalent in other vaccinations and used in other countries outside of the United States. It’s important to be aware of the dangers of thimerosal and to check the preservatives in both childhood and adult vaccinations.

Vaccines all have the potential to cause side effects, but when these side effects can be life-altering, it’s best to know all the facts before immunization.  Most documented cases of vaccine damage are most often caused by preservatives contained in routine childhood vaccinations.  The United States government instituted a program in 1988 that would cover individuals and families injured by childhood vaccines, and since then the program has paid out more than $903 million dollars.  It’s important to be aware of the preservatives contained in vaccinations to avoid vaccine damage.

While a child might be immune to measles, mumps, and rubella, they might become a victim of a more serious condition like autism if the proper precautions are not taken during vaccination.  No doubt vaccines are necessary to prevent a lot of terrible diseases and illness, but being aware of the potential side effects is always a good idea. 

There are many preservatives in food, drink, and medicine that provide several benefits, but some preservatives, due to their toxic nature, can also cause harm.  Thimerosal, which was used in medicine for several decades, is a volatile substance.  Thimerosal is toxic if inhaled, ingested, or even if it comes into contact with the skin.  You might then think that the last thing you would want to do is inject thimerosal into your bloodstream, but in fact, for a long time, that’s exactly what happened.

Thimerosal was used in all kinds of vaccinations including diphtheria, tetanus, and certain childhood vaccinations.  Thimerosal was also linked as a potential cause of Autism, as signs of autism manifest around the time when childhood vaccinations are identified.  Autism is also triggered by genetic factors, but it is believed by some scientists and doctors that thimerosal exposure can increase the risk of Autism developing. 

Parents like to think of the childhood vaccinations their children receive as protection from future damage.  Childhood vaccinations no doubt provide benefits, as they protect from harmful diseases and illnesses.  But some vaccinations can also contain a dangerous preservative known as thimerosal.  This preservative was invented in the 1920s, and while it does keep vaccinations fresh and free from bacteria, it also contains small amounts of mercury.  Heavy metals like mercury can cause serious damage to the brain, circulatory system, and organ functions.  In addition, mercury and thimerosal have been linked as a potential cause of autism. 

It’s important to double check that your child’s vaccinations don’t contain thimerosal.  The U.S. government mandated that childhood vaccinations containing thimerosal must be phased out, but they’re still in existence in other countries and in certain vaccinations. 

Thimerosal is an antiseptic or antifungal agent that is most commonly used to preserve the condition of vaccines.  It was developed in 1928 from a need to have a preservative that didn’t reduce the potency of the vaccine.  In one incident, a diphtheria vaccine killed 12/21 children inoculated because the vaccine lacked a preservative, and the children contracted Staphylococcus; a bacteria which can be harmful.  Though thimerosal provided a clear benefit when it was conceived, because the substance is almost 50% mercury, it has been indicated as potentially harmful.  Mercury is one of the most volatile and toxic substances known to man. 

Thimerosal has been linked to serious childhood conditions like autism, and the government has begun phasing the substance out. 

Thimerosal, also known as thiomersal, was first added to vaccines as a bactericide in the 1930s.  As of the mid-1980s, thimerosal was used as a preservative in almost all whole-cell DPT vaccines, which children routinely received four times from two months to eighteen months of age.  During the late 1980s, Hib vaccines containing thimerosal are recommended for children at eighteen months of age as well.  In the early 1990s, the Hepatitis B vaccine contained thimerosal; it was routinely administered three times before six months of age and again in a four-dose increment within an eighteen-month period beginning at the age of two years.  By the late 1990s, three of the standard shots to be administered to all children between six and eighteen months of age contained thimerosal.  In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics requested thimerosal removal from all pediatric vaccines. By 2001, the preservative was no longer used in scheduled childhood vaccines in the United States. 

In the years since 2001, many studies and statements have been made by the CDC, FDA, Institute of Medicine, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and others, both supporting and rejecting the plausibility the link between thimerosal and autism.  Further studies have been conducted to explore a connection between chelating agent DMSA, and questions have also been asked regarding ethyl mercury being linked to autism.  The ethyl mercury theory is unsubstantiated at this time, and a 2008 study indicates that further risk assessment will be needed before a definite conclusion can be made.  In 2008, autism rates are rising among children in the United States, and there is still much work to be done.

While preparing for the birth of her daughter, Christy Rue stumbled across a concern that she is now trying to share with every parent.

The 25-year-old mother is one of thousands who have picked up the cause to promote cleaner vaccines.

“The doctors give the shots, you know, so they must be safe,” Rue said.

But the disheartening facts, she said, are children are being disabled and pharmaceutical companies are paying lobbyists to help the vaccines pass through Washington.

“I’m not against vaccines,” Rue said. “I just want them to clean up the stuff they’re putting in there and give them a safer schedule.”

To make her concerns heard, Rue and her children traveled to Washington, D.C., for the “Green Our Vaccines, Too Many, Too Soon” march and rally two weeks ago. The three were among 8,000 people that walked from the Washington Memorial to the Capital Building, holding signs demanding change and pictures of children who lost their lives from reactions to vaccines.

“It was amazing to see how many people have been affected by vaccines and nobody knows about it,” Rue said. “To look around and see all these children, these innocent children who are victims, who now are having severe issues mentally and physically.

“When we walked down Independence Avenue it was a surreal feeling because so many other Americans had done this before for an important cause. But this is not just any old cause that will be forgotten about tomorrow. These are our kids and they are our future.”

The support for clean vaccines – meaning extracting toxins like formaldehyde, aluminum, antifreeze and mercury – has been slow because a majority of the medical community denies a link between vaccines and certain disorders such as autism.

Parents of autistic children believe autism is linked to mercury-based vaccines given to children as infants.

The mercury-based thimerosal was removed from most childhood vaccines in 2001 because of the autism fears. The number of autism cases continue to rise, though, leading health officials to set aside the connection. Today, 1 in 150 children have the disorder.

“Scientist say there’s no link, but who is paying for the research?” Rue said.

One of the main battles green-vaccine promoters face are the special interest and biased ties scientists have, she said.

Along with Mothers Against Mercury, a North Carolina-based organization, Rue is spreading the word about N.C. House Bill 431. The bill, which would limit the amount of thimerosal in vaccines, passed in the N.C. House last year, but failed to make it past the Senate’s Health Committee, Rue said.

Sitting in the pediatricians office last week, Rue said she looked around and wondered how many parents knew what was in the vaccines their children would receive.

“I’m not against vaccines by any means, I just don’t want my child being 1 in 150,” Rue said. “I don’t want anyone’s children.”

During most of his early childhood, Zack Barsamian sat quietly under a table lining up his toys - he didn’t understand how to properly play with them. Often his hands covered his ears. Alone in his world, he didn’t like noise and he didn’t show typical child-like expressions of joy or happiness.

When Zack was 3 years old, doctors diagnosed his condition as “mid-functioning” autism. He also suffered from liver dysfunction and had difficulty digesting food.

Five years later and after his parents spent more than $400,000 out of pocket for Zack’s treatment, the boy smiles, relates and enjoys other children in his second grade class. He plays on a soccer team. He even has a best friend.

The $400,000 paid for conventional autism treatments including speech, occupational and behavioral therapists, and neurologists as well as testing and unconventional treatment to remove heavy metals from Zack’s body, expenses to travel to New York, North Carolina, Texas and Mexico to see specialists and the cost to build an in-home clinic.

Last week the Barsamians, along with 8,500 other parents of children with autism, participated in the Green Our Vaccines Rally, in Washington, D.C.

The participants hoped to raise awareness and push for elimination of toxins in vaccines, and to change children’s vaccination schedules. Some people believe the mercury-based preservative thimerosal found in vaccines is the main cause of autism. But the Institute of Medicine concluded that there is no link between vaccines and autism after examining the results of 19 major studies.

It began with IVs for nutrition and chelation to remove heavy metals from the blood.
 
The detoxifying treatment removes toxins in the body caused by internal factors such as diet and external factors such vaccines, the air we breathe, or the water we drink, said Jennifer.

Zack’s treatment also included oxygen therapy, which increases oxygen and blood flow to the brain. Twice a year Zack and his family travel to North Carolina where Zack receives treatment in a chamber for 100% pure oxygen.

To supplement that treatment, at home Zack receives one to two hours of daily supplemental oxygen therapy in a special chamber his parents built in their basement.

But the cost the Barsamians pay for treatment is high - between $3,000 and $7,000 each month because it is not covered by insurance.

More and more kids are recovering from autism, according Wendy Fournier, president of National Autism Association, a parent-run advocacy organization located in Missouri.

“Doctors are realizing it’s medically based. If you treat them medically - treat them with what’s going on in the body, they get better,” she said. “The problem is the medical community looks at them like they have some incurable mental illness. Autism is thought of as a mysterious mental illness.”

Chelation therapy is the administration of chelating agents to remove heavy metals from the body.

Based on the speculation that heavy metal poisoning may trigger the symptoms of autism, some parents have turned to alternative medicine practitioners who provide chelation therapy. As there are several cases that link the mercury in the vaccine preservative thiomersal causes autism or its symptoms, chelation therapy is a viable treatment for autism.