The great thimerosal cover-up: Mercury, vaccines, autism and your child's health

The great thimerosal cover-up: Mercury, vaccines, autism and your child's health









You have probably seen your nurse insert a syringe into a large vial,
extract some liquid, and then leave a substantial amount of vaccine in
the original container. If you've witnessed this seemingly benign
procedure, you've seen how vaccine manufacturers are saving money at the
expense of public health. In order to store larger amounts of vaccine
at a lower cost, companies began offering "multi-dose units" while
adding preservatives to prevent contaminations. That way doctors can
open and close a vaccine
container, inviting germs into the once-sterile solution, while
assuring the public that those contaminants are quickly killed by the
preservative.


Sound familiar? It's the same story of corporate America's love affair with preservatives. It saves them money, while posing an undue risk to your health. But like many toxic preservatives found in food, a vaccine preservative kills more than just bacteria and fungi; it can lead to extensive neurological damage in your children, and has even been implicated in autism.

Thimerosal

Thimerosal is the preservative of choice for vaccine manufacturers. First introduced by Eli Lilly and Company in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the company began selling it as a preservative in vaccines in the 1940s. Thimerosal contains 49.6 percent mercury
by weight and is metabolized or degraded into ethylmercury and
thiosalicylate. Mercury, or more precisely, ethylmercury, is the
principle agent that kills contaminants. Unfortunately, mercury also
kills much more than that. The Department of Defense classifies
mercury as a hazardous material that could cause death if swallowed,
inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Studies indicate that mercury
tends to accumulate in the brains of primates and other animals after
they are injected with vaccines. Mercury poisoning has been linked to cardiovascular disease, autism, seizures, mental retardation, hyperactivity, dyslexia and many other nervous system conditions. That's why the FDA rigorously limits exposure
to mercury in foods and drugs. Some common sources of mercury include
dental amalgam fillings, various vaccines and certain fish contaminated
by polluted ocean waters.

The toxicity of mercury has never been in question. The real question is precisely how much mercury-laced thimerosal is toxic, and what are the possible consequences for our children at low doses?

Eli Lilly and Co. supposedly answered this question for us back in 1930.
Concluding thimerosal to be of "a very low order of toxicity . . . for
man," the company hired its own doctors
to perform thimerosal experiments in Indianapolis City Hospital on
meningitis patients during a severe outbreak in 1929. This 60-year-old evidence was still quoted on the company's brochures as recently as 1990. Andrew Waters, who is involved in a lawsuit against Eli Lilly, claims that most critical studies on the toxicity of thimerosal were suppressed by the company until now.

Banned around the world, but not in the United States

That might explain why thimerosal was eliminated in many countries 20 years ago. In 1977, a Russian study found that adults exposed to ethylmercury, the form of mercury in thimerosal, suffered brain damage years later. Studies on thimerosal poisoning also describe tubular necrosis and nervous system injury, including obtundation, coma and death. As a result of these findings,
Russia banned thimerosal from children's vaccines in 1980. Denmark,
Austria, Japan, Great Britain and all the Scandinavian countries have
also banned the preservative.

Eli Lilly stuck to its "scientific" facts, but the truth began slipping between the cracks in 1999. After the number of immunizations rose to 12 to 15 per child, the public finally became privy to the possible dangers of thimerosal. One 1999 study revealed that some infants,
due to a genetic or developmental factor, lack the ability to
eliminate mercury. Trace amounts of mercury in these infants, when
accumulated over several vaccines, could pose a severe health risk. Some vaccines, such as vaccines for hepatitis B, contained as much as 12.5 micrograms of mercury per dose. That's more than 100 times the EPA's upper limit standard when administered to infants.

Hepatitis B vaccines aren't the only immunizations under suspicion. According to Burton Goldberg in Alternative Medicine, scientists
are finding stronger and stronger links between thimerosal and
neurological damage. One report by Dr. Vijendra Singh of the Department
of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan found a higher incidence
of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) antibodies in autistic children.

The National Vaccine Information Center in Vienna, Virginia, has noted a strong association between the MMR vaccine
and autistic features. Reporting similar findings, the Encephalitis
Support Group in England claims that children who became autistic after
the MMR vaccine started showing autistic symptoms as early as 30 days after vaccination.
The diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccine (DPT) given at two, four
and six months has triggered autistic symptoms, as well.
When the FDA finally formally released this information in 1999, the news came too little too late for some parents. The damage had already been done.

Links between autism and thimerosal

Autism affects 500,000 to 1.5 million Americans and has grown at an annual rate of 10 to 17 percent since the late 1980s. California found a 273 percent increase in autism between 1987 and 1998. Maryland
reported a 513 percent increase in autism between 1993 and 1998 and
several dozen other states reported similar findings. Some scientists
say the estimated number of cases of autism has increased 15-fold –1,500
percent – since 1991, when the number of childhood vaccinations doubled. Whereas one in every 2,500 children was diagnosed with autism before 1991, one in 166 children now have the disease.
This increase in reported autism cases eerily parallels the increase
in the number and frequency of thimerosal-containing vaccinations
administered to infants. As of today, children are given as many as 21
immunizations in the first 15 months of life. After a number of scientists and concerned activists noticed the correlation, an investigation was launched to get to the heart of the matter.

Statistical evidence links thimerosal with nervous system disorders

In June 2000, federal officials and industry
representatives were assembled by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention to discuss the disturbing evidence. According to Tom
Verstraeten, an epidemiologist who had analyzed the data on the CDC's
database, thimerosal appeared to be responsible for a dramatic increase
in autism and other neurological disorders.
Verstraeten told those at the meeting that a number of earlier studies
indicate a link between thimerosal and speech delays,
attention-deficit disorder, hyperactivity and autism.

Verstraeten offered no possible cause for this correlation, but held
that the statistical evidence linking vaccines and neurological
disorders was strong. Dr. Bill Weil, a consultant for the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Dr. Richard Johnston, an immunologist and pediatrician from the University of Colorado, presented similar concerns to the group. However, given no causal relationship, the CDC and industry representatives were quick to discredit the evidence.

Consequently, the CDC paid the Institute of Medicine
(IOM) to conduct another study on thimerosal. According to Robert F.
Kennedy Jr., this study was fixed in order to "whitewash" previous
findings. In its 2001 report, the IOM's Immunization Safety Review
Committee did conclude that the link between thimerosal and
neurodevelopmental disorders was biologically plausible, though the
evidence neither proved nor negated it. The Committee stated that
phasing out thimerosal from vaccines was “a prudent measure in support
of the public health
goal to reduce mercury exposure of infants and children as much as
possible.” However, these findings offered no imperative. The data
presented at the 2000 meeting was withheld from publication and the link
between thimerosal and autism remained "inconclusive."

But what does "inconclusive" mean? Well, that depends on who you talk
to. According to the FDA, these "inconclusive" findings negate the risk
of a causal relationship between thimerosal and autism. Even Tom
Verstraeten, one of the presenters of epidemiological evidence at the
CDC meeting, seemingly changed his tune a bit. In 2000, Verstraeten
vigorously campaigned against thimerosal based upon his "inconclusive"
correlation, but after he was hired by GlaxoSmithKline, the doctor
changed his position. The same evidence from 2000, in Verstraeten's
eyes, became "neutral" in 2003. After criticism for this apparent
flip-flop, Verstaeten wrote a letter to the editor of Pediatrics in 2004 backing the CDC's actions and his own research methods.

Merck continues selling vaccines with thimerosal

Without
an imperative to eradicate thimerosal immediately, vaccine
manufacturers like Merck & Co. seemingly took their time in reducing
thimerosal levels in vaccines. After a large public outcry in 1999,
Merck & Co. began decreasing or eliminating the amount of thimerosal
in its vaccines. In September 1999, Merck announced that its new line
of vaccines were preservative-free, but still continued to distribute
the remainder of thimerosal-preserved vaccines until 2001. Only after a
congressional inquiry in 2002 did they stop distributing their
stockpile. Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., called Merck's actions
"misleading."

While officials at the Center for Disease Control claim evidence is
lacking to support the possible risks of thimerosal, Dr. Mark Geier, a
Maryland geneticist and vaccinologist, along with his son and research
partner David Geier, says the CDC has chosen to ignore the science.
According to Dr. Geier, more than 5,000 articles have been published
that question the safety of thimerosal in vaccines.

The Geiers analyzed the data and determined that the more thimerosal a
child receives, the greater his or her chances are of being autistic.
The CDC says the Geiers misused information from a CDC database that was
not intended to help prove theories. Given no real causal mechanism
linking thimerosal and autism, the game seems to have become one of
slanting the data to suit the needs of government
and industrial interests. Even Verstraeten has admitted that these
"inconclusive" findings certainly don't rule out the possibility of
finding a link in the future.

Grassroots action against vaccine manufacturers

Given the dearth of health organizations owning up to the dangers of
thimerosal, many parents followed their gut instincts and took legal
action against vaccine manufacturers. More than 4,200 families have
filed lawsuits
claiming thimerosal caused injuries to their children. These lawsuits
often have two goals: First, to seek reparations for the loss of
consortium (basically meaning that an autistic child creates emotional
and psychological burdens on their family life), and second, to ensure that these companies exercise more concern for public health and less concern for their own bottom line.

The lawsuits are slow in producing results.
The first constraint on these lawsuits is the National Childhood
Vaccine Act of 1986. This act stipulates that victims cannot seek
redress in the courts without first filing a claim for recovery in the
federal Vaccine Court. The statute of limitations for this is within
three years of "the first symptom or manifestation of onset or of the
significant aggravation of a [vaccine-related] injury."

In the cases of many thimerosal victims, the link between autism and
vaccines didn't appear until six years after the first vaccine was
administered. While this statute has stopped some claims against vaccine
manufacturers, including such big firms as Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline,
Merck and Johnson & Johnson, many judges are now allowing suits
against Eli Lilly, the maker of thimerosal, to stand. While the Vaccine
Act shields vaccine manufacturers, one judge reasons that the
legislation does not protect the production of thimerosal because it is a
"component."


The burden of proof in court is also extremely problematic for most of
these suits. Given the supposed lack of scientific data, lawyers are
hard-pressed to prove the link between thimerosal and autism. In what
seems like an underhanded move, the CDC sold its data to a private
company, ensuring that lawyers could not access it under the Freedom of
Information Act.
In the past five years, Congress has also aided vaccine manufacturers, supposedly for "security" reasons. In 2002, a mysterious piggyback on the 2002 Homeland Security bill freed drug companies of liability in lawsuits regarding thimerosal.
Called the "Eli Lilly Protection Act" by outraged parents and
activists, the then-House Majority Leader Dick Armey told CBS News he
snuck the amendment in to keep vaccine-makers from going out of
business. Armey claimed it was a matter of national security. "We need
their vaccines if the country is attacked with germ weapons."

Ironically, foreign biological terrorism hasn't been a big problem for
American citizens, but those whose lives (and the lives of their
children) have been affected if not ruined by the harmful effects of
thimerisol would undoubtedly say these potentially harmful vaccines are
indeed a problem. Armey's piggyback bill was repealed in 2003, but that
didn't stop lawmakers from continuing to protect the vaccine industry.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is no stranger to the thimerosal debate, having received $873,000 in contributions from the pharmaceutical industry
and $10,000 from Eli Lilly. Frist's position allowed him to attempt to
help the industry from the inside, according to Kennedy. Kennedy
reports that on five occasions, Frist tried to seal the government's
vaccine-related documents and shield Eli Lilly from subpoenas. Frist
also introduced a provision in the 2005 Senate Bill S-3 called the "Protecting America
in the War on Terror Act," that would effectively insulate the
pharmaceutical industry from liability for thimerosal poisoning.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Aventis,
Weyeth and Eli Lilly, can basically get off scot-free for their
actions, even as more and more evidence suggests that top company
officials were aware of the possible dangers and did nothing.

A secret memo leaked to the Los Angeles Times reportedly implicates one
vaccine manufacturer, Merck & Co., for knowing that thimerosal
could pose serious threats to infants. Allegedly, Dr. Maurice Hilleman,
one of Merck's top scientists, warned the president of Merck of a
possible threat as early as 1991. Dr. Hilleman told executives that
six-month-old children receiving regular immunizations frequently
received mercury doses 87 times higher than guidelines for the maximum
consumption of mercury. Given today's more prudent mercury standards,
those thimerosal doses would be 400 times that of safe levels. Dr.
Hilleman recommended in the memo that thimerosal be discontinued.

Not only do government and industry officials seem to be trying to
downplay the possible harms of thimerosal; the media is also denying the
issue coverage. Just recently, ABC flip-flopped on whether it will air
interviews with Robert Kennedy Jr., a leading critic of thimerosal.
ABC has been accused of suppressing the interviews because of its ties
to the pharmaceutical industry.

The thimerosal debate continues

Along with the enormous amount of controversy surrounding this issue,
the five-year-old plea for "more research" may have finally produced
some results. Burton Goldberg notes that a defect in the myelinization
process (insulation of nerve fibers) could explain mercury's propensity
to cause autism and neurological damage. This may also account for the
frequent development of epilepsy in older autistic children.

Scientists are also working on biological links that support the strong
correlations. Researchers at Northeastern University, working with
scientists from the University of Nebraska, Tufts and Johns Hopkins
University, may have recently found the mechanism by which thimerosal
interferes with brain
activity. If these researchers are right, vaccine manufacturers could
do little to keep the damaging effects of thimerosal hidden.

Pharmacy professor Richard Deth and colleagues found that exposure to
thimerosal potently interrupts growth factor signaling, causing adverse
effects on the transfer of carbon
atoms. These carbon atoms play a significant role in regulating normal
DNA function and gene expression and are critical to proper
neurological development. Additionally, the scientists recently
obtained more insight into the mechanism by which thimerosal interferes
with folate-dependent methylation. The mechanism inhibits the
biosynthesis of the active form of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), a
vitamin now being administered to autistic children.

The experts speak on mercury, vaccines and thimerosal

Now all childhood vaccines
have at least one mercury-free version, and I urge parents to ask for
those versions if they choose to vaccinate their children. Injecting
mercury into children, especially infants whose immune systems are still
underdeveloped (hepatitis B shots are typically given at birth, before the immune system has developed), can be an assault to the immune system.

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Autoimmune Disorders by Stephen B Edelson MD, page 65
In 1999 studies began to surface showing that multi-dose vial vaccines,
such as the MMR and hepatitis B vaccines, contained enough thimerosal
to expose vaccinated children to 62.5 ug of mercury per visit to the
pediatrician. This is one hundred times the dose considered safe by the
Federal Environmental Protection Guidelines for infants! Worse yet,
some infants will receive doses even higher; because thimerosal tends
to settle in the vial. If it is not shaken up before being drawn, the
first dose will contain low concentrations of mercury and the last dose
will contain enormously high concentrations. If your baby is the unlucky one that gets the last dose, serious brain injury can result.

Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 166
Thousands of families say they can demonstrate with videotapes and
photos that their children were normal prior to being vaccinated,
reacted badly to the vaccines, and became autistic shortly thereafter.
The number of vaccines given before age two has risen from 3 in 1940,
when autism occurred in perhaps one case per 10,000 births, to 22
different vaccines given before the age of two in the year 2000.

Building Wellness with DMG by Roger V Kendall PhD, page 104
We know that certain forms of mercury, such as methylmercury and phenylmercury, are highly lipid soluble, which makes the brain
especially susceptible to mercury accumulation. These forms of mercury
are found in vaccines as the preservative thimerosal. Once in the
brain, it tends to attach itself to protein
structures, especially to the cell membrane, where it can disrupt
membrane functions.23 By binding to the cell membrane, mercury changes
the membrane's fluid-like quality, making it stiffer and causing the
cell to age faster.24 The brain is unique in that neurons depend on
special microscopic tube-like structures within the cell, appropriately
called neurotubules, for their function. These neurotubules are
manufactured by the cell from a substance called tubulin. We know that
mercury interacts with tubulin causing it to unravel. Studies in rats
have shown that doses of mercury corresponding to those seen in humans
can cause a 75 percent increase in tubulin inhibition.

Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 53
In the case of the susceptible newborn infant and toddler, multiple
exposures to mercury-containing and multiple antigen vaccines are highly
suspect in the causation of multiple organ injury (Bernard et al.
2000). The GI tract, the liver,
the pancreas, the kidneys, the immune system, and the brain are major
sites of mercury absorption. Researchers have clearly shown a chronic
inflammatory bowel disease due to vaccine strain measles in a subset of
children with autism (Thompson et al. 1995; Wakefield et al. 1995,
1999, 2000a,b; Kawashima et al. 2000; Pardi et al. 2000; Uhlmann et al.
2002).

Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 153
Studies of autistic children have frequently shown very high levels of
mercury, with no other source but vaccines found for the exposure. These
levels are equal to those seen in adults during toxic industrial exposures. Several autism clinics have found dramatic improvements in the behavior
and social interactions in children from whom the mercury was
chelated. Results depended on how soon the mercury was removed
following exposure, but permanent damage can be caused if the metal is
not chelated soon enough. Still, even in cases of severe damage,
because of the infant brain's tremendous reparative ability,
improvements are possible. The problem of autism involves numerous body
systems including the gastrointestinal, immune and nervous systems; as
a result we see numerous infections
and magnified effects of malnutrition. Intrepid workers in the
shadows, that is outside the medial establishment, have worked many
miracles with these children using a multidisciplinary scientific
approach completely ignored by the orthodoxy. Some children have even
experienced a return to complete physiological normalcy.

Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 166
Mercury and autism mercury toxicity is a suspected cause of a steep
rise—a tenfold increase between 1984 and 1994—in diagnosed cases of
autism in children around the world, according to some scientists.
Specifically, the culprit is thimerosal, a mercury-based compound used
as a preservative in vaccines commonly administered to babies and
infants. thimerosal-free vaccines are available. If you have a child who
will be receiving vaccinations, ask for and make sure thimerosal-free
vaccines are used. Kelp, with its essential minerals (especially
calcium and magnesium), helps remove unwanted metal deposits.

Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 198
The pertussis vaccine (DPT) may cause 45,000 cases of autism per year in
America, affecting 15 cases out of 10,000 vaccinations; also caused by
the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) that causes mental impairment,
gastrointestinal damage, and increased mortality in 6-12 months from
impaired immunity; 9 out of 10 cases were not breast-fed; eating dairy products caused parasites in the autistic (take Vermex; contact Dr. Nelson in Mexico for control of parasites
in children with autism). There are now over 500,000 victims of autism
residing in the United States, in 1994. The pertussis vaccination is
not used in Sweden, which has virtually 0 cases of autism, as does
Holland. This mental illness
afflicts environmentally and socially non-reactive persons,
ofwithdrawn personality; with inability to speak, violenttantrums,
insomnia, actions such as bolting across aroad with no regard for the
dire consequences. May be caused infant antibiotic use in ear
infections with subsequent yeast overgrowth, by cumulative genetic
Brain damage, Vitamin deficiencies, or milk and additives allergies.
Immune disorders in autism include white blood cellneutrophil
Myeloperoxidase enzyme deficiency
for insufficient hypochlorite ions to kill yeast - genetic type from
Chromosome 17 mutation or biotinidase deficiency, or acquired type from lead poisoning, Folic acid or B-l 2 deficiency, infection or leukemias.

Anti-Aging Manual by Joseph B Marion, page 450
Multiple vaccinations, especially in newborns, are another major source of childhood
mercury exposure because of the mercury-containing thimerosal
preservative. Over twenty-two vaccinations are now recommended for
children before the age of two!

Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 64
In addition, there is some anecdotal evidence that autism may be tied to diet.
One theory is that, in very rare cases, a child's immune system could
be weakened by the measles-mumps-rubella vaccination (MMR), which is
usually administered before a child turns 2. As a result of this
weakening, the theory goes, the child's digestive system is unable to
break down certain food proteins, leading to abnormal brain development.
Proponents of this theory believe that putting the child on a diet
that eliminates certain foods, such as wheat and dairy products,
could in certain cases reverse the course of the disease. This theory
remains speculative, however, and research needs to be done to
determine its validity. In fact, a 2001 report issued by an Institute
of Medicine committee examining studies about the health effects of the
MMR vaccine in young children suggests that there is no proven link
between the vaccine and autism. The committee recommends that there be
no change in immunization practices that require children to be immunized during early childhood.

The Immune Advantage by Ellen Mazo and Keith Berndtson MD, page 292
Rather than calling for an all-out immediate ban
on thimerosal-containing vaccines, they suggested that parents
continue to have their children vaccinated with mercury-contaminated
vaccines until new stocks of uncontaminated vaccine could be made
available. Here are two doctors' unions that had to be beat over the
head with an overwhelming amount of data that mercury-contaminated
vaccines were harming children far worse than the actual diseases
against which the vaccine was intended to protect them, only to have
them suggest that parents continue to harm their children just to
satisfy their vaccination obsession. Are you surprised to discover that
recent investigations have found that several doctor-members of
vaccine boards were either receiving grants from vaccine manufacturers
or held stock in the companies? They were willing to sacrifice the
health of millions of children just to fill their pockets with cash.
These people should be looking through bars, not serving on boards.

Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 167
Vaccines may afflict 45,000 cases of autism per year in America, which
afflicts 15 victims in every 10.000 births: there are now 5 00,000 of
these victims in the U.S. In Sweden not using the pertussis vaccine,
there is virtually no autism (and likewise in Holland).

Anti-Aging Manual by Joseph B Marion, page 600
Many symptoms of autism are similar to those of mercury poisoning.
Immune dysfunction, visual disturbances, and motor dysfunction are
seen in both. Treating autistic children for removal of mercury and
other heavy metals has shown significant improvement in their autistic symptoms. Most autistic individuals have poor liver detoxification, low antioxidant levels, and low levels of glutathione.
Vaccines are effective, but the production and use of vaccines should
proceed more cautiously. Currently manufactured vaccines still contain
harmful substances like mercury. The link between vaccines and autism
is far stronger than the medical community is willing to admit, and
more research in this area should be an urgent priority.

Building Wellness with DMG by Roger V Kendall PhD, page 105
Studies indicate that autism may be the result of adverse reactions to childhood vaccinations. Dr. Alan Cohen, an environmental
physician from Connecticut, notes that high levels of autism and
attention deficit disorder (ADD) did not occur until the mandatory use
of childhood vaccinations, and suggests that there may be a connection
between certain vaccines and the onset of these conditions.

Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 46
Almost from the inception of vaccination programs, manufacturers added a
mercury preservative called thimerosal to vaccines. The practice
continued until recently, and was stopped only because of the outcry
from thousands of concerned parents and numerous experts in the field.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family
Practice did not warn parents or pediatricians that the mercury was
dangerous until they were forced to. That mercury was toxic to cells had
been known for over sixty years, but manufacturers apparently were
more worried about lawsuits.

Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 165
In fact, a 2001 report issued by an Institute of Medicine committee
examining studies about the health effects of the MMR vaccine in young
children suggests that there is no proven link between the vaccine and
autism. The committee recommends that there be no change in immunization
practices that require children to be immunized during early
childhood. Another disorder affecting the brain, Alzheimer's
disease, may also have an immune connection. Alzheimer's is a
degenerative disease that slowly attacks nerve cells in the brain. It
eventually results in the loss of all memory and mental functioning.
Scientists are currently investigating the role that the immune system
plays in producing an overabundance of the amino acid glutamate, a
powerful nerve-cell killer. Another immune connection that researchers
are investigating is the idea that Alzheimer's might be triggered, in
part, by a virus.

The Immune Advantage by Ellen Mazo and Keith Berndtson MD, page 292
In the past 10 years, the number of autistic children has risen between
200 and 500 per cent in every state in the U.S. This sharp increase in
autism followed the introduction of MMR vaccine in 1975. Representative
Dan Burton's healthy grandson was given injections for 9 diseases in
one day. These injections were followed by autism.

A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products That Work By James Howenstine MD, page 267
"Probably 20% of American children, one in five, suffers from a
"development disability'," according to Harris Coulter, Ph.D., Founder
and Director of the Center for Empirical Medicine, in Washington, D.C.
"This is a stupefying figure and we have inflicted it on ourselves.
'Development disabilities' are nearly always generated by encephalitis.
And the primary cause of encephalitis in the U.S. and other
industrialized countries is the childhood vaccination program. To be
specific, a large proportion of the millions of U.S. children and adults
suffering from autism, seizures, mental retardation, hyperactivity, dyslexia,
and other branches of the hydra-headed entity called 'development
disabilities' owe their disorders to one of the vaccines against
childhood diseases."

Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 1101
Martin noted that the increased incidence of chronic fatigue syndrome,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and other
behavior-linked illnesses "may be an inadvertent consequence of stealth
virus vaccine contaminants."

AIDS And Ebola by Leonard Horowitz, page 493
Just for perspective if we go back to 1971 up to 1980, we see that
California consistently added 100 to 200 new cases a year; but in the
year 2002, California added 3,577 new cases. Since 1980, the documented
start of California's autism epidemic,
the number of new cases has steadily increased. If we break down those
statistics it means that from 1994 to 1995, California only added on
average 2 new autistic children a day into its system. In 2001, it was a
rate of 8 new autistic children added a day; in 2002, it jumped up to
10 children a day. mercury-containing vaccines are still in use today,
including the most recently recommended addition to the childhood
immunization schedule, 2 shots of flu
vaccine for infants, bringing the total number of vaccines up to 41 in
California that a child will receive before the age of two. It will
take a few years to start seeing the effect of the phasing out of the
mercury-containing preservative thimerosal from childhood vaccines on
this autism epidemic. Many symptoms of autism are similar to those of
mercury poisoning. Immune dysfunction, visual disturbances, and motor
dysfunction are seen in both. Treating autistic children for removal of
mercury and other heavy metals has shown significant improvement in
their autistic symptoms. Most autistic individuals have poor liver
detoxification, low antioxidant levels, and low levels of glutathione.

Building Wellness with DMG by Roger V Kendall PhD, page 105
Since the 1990s, there has been a tenfold or 1000-percent increase in
autism, an increase which has been linked by some researchers to the
organic mercury preservative commonly found in baby vaccines. A greatly
increased incidence of juvenile diabetes has been correlated to
specific vaccination sequences and to the number of vaccines given. In
some Australian Aboriginal communities, every second child died shortly
after vaccination.

The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, page 309
The best current estimates are that autism occurs in 40 to 67 children
per 10,000 live births. This means that the prevalence of autism has
increased 1,000 percent in the last decade. According to the latest
figures just released in January 2003 by the California Department of
Developmental Services, California experienced an astounding 31 percent
increase in the number of new children.

Source:-
http://www.naturalnews.com/011764_thimerosal_mercury.html