All That Vaccine Stuff and The Age of Autism

For quite some time, we have all been hearing (and many of us are tired of hearing about) about whether vaccines do or do not cause Autism due to the Mercury and Thimerosal they contain. Actually Thimerosal is an organomercury compound used as a preservative for vaccines. Organomercury meaning that it contains Mercury along with other elements. It is also an antiseptic and anti-fungal agent. Thimerosal is very toxic in large doses. It can cause many neurological conditions. The doses in vaccines are not enough to cause harm. In fact it has been phased out in this country over the years. It is only used in trace amounts, with the exception of one influenza vaccine. And it has been phased out because it's use with all the crap going on about vaccines, it could be damaging to our vaccine program. It all goes back to Andrew Wakefield, a British Surgeon and medical researcher who fraudulently formed the explosive hypothesis in 1998.  He blamed, namely, the MMR vaccine for causing the Autism and colitis or Crohn's Disease. Upon hearing this (and falling for it), many parents of autistic children submitted compensation claims against it. Many Epidemiological studies have been carried out and many medical organizations have reviewed the case. All that can be found is that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has concluded that Vaccines have nothing to do with Autism. And the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention) CDC coincides with them on this one. The MMR, Varicella (Chickenpox), Influenza, Hepatitis A and B, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), Meningococcal, and Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis have all been reviewed and all have been declared safe. But what about the Pneumonia and Whooping Cough (Bordatella) vaccines? I am sure these are just as safe nonetheless. The scientific study even says the vaccine thing is just theoretical and a hypothesis.

Now what if they did find Vaccines to be associated with Autism in some way. The age window in which they thought put children at risk could have been bypassed and the vaccine given at a later age.  The other questions is whether the Autism could have somehow arisen from the genetic stomach condition and not the vaccine at all?

The one thing I do know is that vaccines do wear off over time. I was vaccinated for measles as a baby or toddler and still contracted them at age 14.