Thimerisol Study Shows No Links

Posted by Kathy Quan Sep 26, 2007

In a study conducted by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) which will be published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday, September 27, 2007, the results show that thimerisol, the mercury containing preservative used in many vaccines, is not linked to neurological deficits in children.

The purpose of the study of 1107 children aged 7 to 10, was to see if there is a correlation between exposure to thimerisol in vaccines in the 1990's during the first seven months of life and neurological deficits. The children were given 42 tests which measured such things as word recall, stuttering, hyperactivity, intelligence and other neurological disorders as motor and phonic tics.

However, it should be noted that this study did not include children with autism. Parents of children with autism have been quite vocal and recently filed suit against the U.S. government over the use of thimerisol in vaccines. A separate study by the CDC will be conducted to determine any link between thimerisol and autism.

Manufacturers of vaccines removed thimerisol from the vaccines in 1999 after the government was bombarded with complaints by parents about vaccines causing neurological symptoms in their children.

The CDC has promised to continue to study the links between thimerisol, vaccines and neurological diseases such as autism however it also cautions that the vaccines are necessary to prevent diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella; and note that the consequences of contracting these diseases can outweigh the risks of vaccination.

Source: The Wall Street Journal Online