Parents continue insisting on link between vaccinations and autism

Alison McKellar

Contributor

1 CommentPrint ArticleSubscribe

This week, the United States Court of Federal Claims began the second hearing in a series of three to determine whether thimerosal, a vaccine additive containing mercury, led to autism in thousands of children.

The New York Times reports that the link between vaccinations and autism has been ruled out by every major study and scientific organization to examine the issue. The most recent of these studies found that removing thimerosal from vaccines did not reduce the number of autism cases in California. Still, parents and other groups, like the National Autism Association, have continued to insist on a connection between the two, and thus, claims are being heard in a special court set up 20 years by Congress to deal with a series of vaccine scares.

Front and center in the case are two boys, William Mead and Jordan King, from Portland, Oregon. According to their attorney, Thomas Powers, the two boys were developing normally until receiving vaccines containing thimerosal, which they contend lead to a buildup of mercury in their brains and subsequent autism.

Those who believe that vaccinations lead to autism argue, like Powers, that certain people may have genes that predispose them to the disease, making them especially vulnerable to the mercury found in thimerosal. The additive has since been removed from the vaccines and over 5000 cases have been brought forward by parents who believe their child’s autism may have been brought on by thimerosal.

A ruling from the court will not be expected until next year.