Family Forum / Parenting / Children's Health / September 2009

The Washington Post confirmed today that the swine flu vaccine, which is set
to be rolled out nationwide this fall in what some fear could ultimately
become a mandatory vaccination program, will contain mercury, a toxin linked
with autism and neurological disorders.

Claims by the CDC and the Institute of Medicine, following a whitewash study
that ignored previously verified evidence, that thimerosal, a mercury based
preservative, has no causal relationship to skyrocketing cases of autism
have been soundly rejected by top doctors and scientists ever since.

Epidemiologist Tom Verstraeten and Dr. Richard Johnston, an immunologist and
pediatrician from the University of Colorado, both concluded that thimerosal
was responsible for the dramatic rise in cases of autism but their findings
were dismissed by the CDC.

Cases of autism in the U.S. have increased by 1,500 per cent since 1991,
which is when vaccines for children doubled, and the number of immunizations
is only increasing. Just one in 2,500 children were diagnosed with autism
before 1991, whereas one in 166 children now have the disease.

A peer reviewed study by Dr. Mark Geier which appeared in the Journal of
American Physicians and Surgeons showed that the IOM research was flawed
because it was largely based on a Danish study by Anders Peter Hviid, which
did not account for the fact that American children have a much higher
mercury burden than children in Denmark.

"At the high levels (of thimerosal exposure), it is undeniable there is a
causal relationship, and we have gone to high levels. Their studies,
therefore are not relevant, I am not saying they are wrong, although there
are many criticisms of it. It is just not relative to the US situation,"
said Geier.

Geier's study concludes that there is an increase of neurodevelopment
disorders following the use of thimerosal containing vaccines.