274 Vaccines and Autism
life [68]. A subsequent case‐control study in the vaccine safety datalink revealed
that cases diagnosed with ASD were significantly more likely than controls to have
received increased thimerosal‐containing mercury from thimerosal‐containing
vaccines administered within the first month, the first 2 months, and the first
6 months of life [69]. Other case‐control studies in the vaccine safety datalink
revealed dose‐dependent correlation of higher thimerosal‐containing mercury
exposures at specific periods of development within the first 15 months of life
[70,71]. Other investigators examined data from the National Health Interview
Survey (NHIS) of the CDC on the relationship between thimerosal‐containing
HepB vaccination of male neonates and ASD diagnosis. A threefold significantly
increased male gender bias for ASD was observed among boys vaccinated as neo-
nates compared with boys never vaccinated or vaccinated after the first month of
life [72]. Additional investigators recently analyzed data from the Vaccine Adverse
Event Reporting System (VAERS) database of the CDC. It was revealed in a cohort
study [69], and in a case‐control study [73] that administration of additional doses
of thimerosal‐containing mercury vaccine was associated with an increased fre-
quency of autism adverse events reported to the VAERS database. Finally, a meta‐
analysis of environmental epidemiological studies examining the relationship
between prenatal and early infancy thimerosal‐containing mercury exposure and
autism risk found a significant overall relationship [73].
It should be pointed out that not all the studies that have looked at the effects
of thimerosal‐containing vaccines have found the same outcome as described
above, and other epidemiological studies of thimerosal‐containing vaccines
and the risk of ASD have found no correlation or no significant association
between thimerosal‐containing mercury vaccine and ASD [74–79]. Critical
analyses of these reports have found methodological errors and in some cases
lack of transparency [64].How Much Mercury is Given to Children Before the Age of 3 years?
It must be realized that a child receives a large amount of thimerosal‐containing
vaccine exceeding the guidelines according to the US Environmental Protection
Agency or CDC or any governmental agency in the world [59]. How much?
Table 9.3 shows the mercury‐containing influenza vaccines.Why Do Only Small Numbers of Children Develop Regressive Autism
After Vaccination?
Here, we would like to present a hypothesis based on scientific data and con-
firmed by large epidemiologic studies that post vaccine regressive autism is
due to a specific immunological phenomenon. We believe that this type of
ASD can be prevented by a simple, inexpensive test that can be administered
just before vaccination with thimerosal‐containing vaccine.