Autism & ThimerosalIn early 2008, a study from California supposedly disproved the link between thimerosal (a mercury-based preservative) and autism. Many groups have been concerned that the presence of thimerosal in vaccinations has helped to drive up the rate of autism, which has skyrocketed in recent years. Thimerosal was removed from vaccines in California in 2001, so by now they say that they would have expected the rates of autism to drop if the link was there. It has continued to climb.
I'm not convinced, only because -- well, let's call a spade a spade -- pharmaceutical companies are somewhat concerned with profits. That's more than a little obvious with the most profitable industry in America. And from what I've studied, if there were batches of vaccinations with thimerosal in them that needed to be used up as of 2001, they weren't going to be thrown away. They would get shipped to third world countries or simply used here with the understanding that as soon as they ran out, they'd be replaced with thimerosal-free versions. SEE THE UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE ABOUT THIS MATTER. (As I understand it, because it's an inactive ingredient, thimerosal does NOT need to be listed in the ingredients of vaccinations, so doctors typically wouldn't know either way.) BUT THAT'S NOT THE STORY We have to remember that it wasn't the vaccinations that were implicated in this autism argument. It was the mercury in those vaccinations. And guess what, folks? Every day, we're poisoning our environment more and more. And while I'm cautious on world agendas being manipulated by environmental rhetoric, I don't think we can deny how many toxins are now present in our soil and our oceans. We're told not to eat TUNA anymore, for heaven's sake, because of the mercury content now stored in its fat. So if mercury is present in our environment, then children are probably getting it while in the womb by what mom eats and/or breathes, and then while drinking mom's milk and who knows where else. (UPDATE: they did some studies of umbilical cords and found high levels of mercury in them; so sure enough, babies are getting mercury before they're ever born.) And while mercury in vaccines may have added to the problem, it may not have been the sole source of the problem. In fact, it may be the shock of getting injected that compromises the immune system and allows for mercury (or other toxins) -- whether from shots or from other sources -- to do its (or their) damage. Thus, the more toxic our environment becomes, perhaps the more cases of autism we'll continue to see. (And remember, most toxins are filtered by our immune system. But in the case of vaccinations, they're injected right into the muscles, bypassing the defenses we're all born with. They can then enter the bloodstream and easily access all of our major organs.) The Role of Other Toxins Of course when we're talking about a toxic environment, we're not just talking about mercury. Any toxin that causes neurological damage could play a part in the autism issue. Do you remember a couple years ago when a story broke about rocket fuel? It was all over the news. Basically, perchlorate -- which is used in rocket fuel, among other things -- has shown up in water supplies all over the U.S. Why? Because the military's been dumping it there for decades without regulation. Ok, now that's not the world's best news, and here's why. Perchlorate inhibits proper thyroid function (ever hear of someone having thyroid problems?), which by the way can lead to obesity (ever hear of anyone in this country being overweight?) and "a serious risk for compromised infant brain development, both in the womb and in the toddler stage." The quote comes from Byron Richards' book Fight for Your Health. Richards further points out that perchlorate is now detectable in human breast milk across the country. So obviously, in terms of autism or any type of neurological condition, perchlorate, mercury, and other toxins may be playing a significant role, and vaccinations may have just been one more source, explaining why autism rates are continuing to climb in California. The Genetic Role in Autism According to an article in the AP (January 9, 2008, by Linda A. Johnson): "Research into the causes of autism has focused on genetic causes because so many families have multiple children with the disorder. Thus far, only about 10 percent of autism cases have a known genetic cause. Boston-area researchers estimate the gene glitch they've identified accounts for another 1 percent of cases." But this doesn't explain the sudden explosion of autism in recent years ... unless they're suggesting that this genetic condition is for some reason spreading. From my point of view, this is entirely possible because genes can be altered from toxins and from even from things like light and sound. (Scientists are currently doing studies in which they're turning on and off genes in insect brains with light and in plants with sound.) Think of all the electromagnetic influences in our lives and consider what kind of game we may be playing with our genes. So when we're talking about autism and other neurological conditions, I think we can indeed point to toxins -- which would include EMFs in addition to perchlorate, mercury, and others -- although they may be causing autism by altering genes themselves. And of course I'll mention again that the shock of the injection itself may have a role. There is evidence, in fact, of shock showing up in brain CT scans in direct correlation with people who are diseased. I leave this up to researchers to pursue, of course, but I don't think the California study at all exonerates the suspected culprit, mercury. I will say, though, that I think the study opens us up to look at the cause on a bigger scale. There are many factors for us to contend with. SPECIAL UPDATE: I spoke with a colleague, Mary Tocco, about this issue and she confirmed my suspicion: they never recalled the mercury-laced vaccines and they were used until as late as 2004 before they were gone. As I understand it, the industry also recognizes that, even now, mercury cannot be fully removed from vaccinations because it's involved in making them. Now, we know that there is still mercury in the flu vaccines, and Mary says that doctors are now telling parents that it's somehow a "safe" form of mercury. I wonder how they define that. Mary's entire vaccine video (more than 2 hours long) is now posted on Dr. Mercola's website here. I also encourage you to visit her site at www.childhoodshots.com where you can purchase the video for viewing on your TV or sharing with others. Join her e-mail list and you'll get updates like the one I have posted below: ________________________________________ [From Mary Tocco] Dear Friends and Supporters, I was able to contact another doctor who is an immunologist/chiropractor to get his opinion on the latest study that came out about "Genetics, autism and vaccines." Let me introduce you to Dr. Stephen Marini, who I reference on my DVD called, "Are Vaccines Safe?" As an immunologist, I believe he will give a different slant or outlook on what these studies really mean. I want to thank Dr. Marini for taking the time to respond to this study and allowing me to share it with my audience. Here is Dr. Marini's comment: We have both good news and bad news regarding the media reports on the genetic link to autism and the thimerosal population study. The good news stems from the acknowledgement that vaccines do contribute to the autism epidemic. The bad news results from attempting to minimize the adverse effects of vaccines by focusing on the minimum. Studies striving to connect genetics to the autism epidemic acknowledge that genetic predisposition can only account for a very small percentage of the total autistic population. Data from the California population study looking at the continuing rise in autism rates even after the removal of much of the thimerosal from the childhood vaccines fails to support the conclusion that mercury containing vaccines do not cause autism. Children used in that study were of an age where they did in fact get the thimerosal vaccines. Both studies miss the big picture of what is occurring to the immune systems of autistic children. Laboratory analyses of the immune systems of autistic children indicate gross imbalances and distortions. T helper cells levels are distorted and out of balance, antibody levels are excessive, nerve cell sensitive cytokine chemicals from the immune system are exaggerated etc.. The numerous vaccine active ingredients as well as adjuvants, preservatives, stealth viruses, contaminants all serve to redirect childhood immune systems to inappropriate patterns. Neuroimmunologists understand and appreciate the interconnection between the immune system and nervous systems of these children. Therefore, imbalances, distortions, exaggerations within the immune systems of these children do generate the same within their sensitive nervous systems. That is the big picture connecting vaccines and autism. Dr. Stephen Marini |
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Essential Guide to Autism Autism, Asperger's, ASD: Help & Advice for Parents The Parenting Asperger's Resource Guide |