Thimerosal

[Felly]

Thimerosal has just been withdrawn in the UK because it may be linked to autism.

Thimerosal is a mercury preservative used in the whooping cough vaccine (among others since the 1930s). It is given to babies at 8 weeks old. Now, the UK is always extremely reluctant to withdraw a vaccine, for example despite the pressure from parents and some doctors about the risk of autism from MMR vaccine they have consistently refused to withdraw it and denied any link. So to acknowledge a 'possible' link to autism is unusual. There has to be quite a strong link/evidential base for them to even take this step. Of course at the same time they are saying there is nothing to worry about and that it has been used safely since the 1950s. And that would be round the time that incidents of autism began to rise in the UK? Hmm.

Columbia University have recently carried out studies of mice, specially bred to be vulnerable to developing immune system disorders. They then exposed them to thiomersal and later found autism-like damage in the brains.

Thimerosal is also found in the hepatitis B vaccine. This has always been dismissed as to any links to MS. But what if it is an aggregate affect? By 6 months many children in the west will have been exposed to some 187.5 micrograms of mercury through different immunizations such as Hep B, Whooping cough etc.

If a child is not susceptible to immune system dysfunction it probably has no effect but what if there is already a genetic susceptibility?

I am not saying this is the cause of MS. certainly not for everyone, if anyone, but it is interesting debate and may contribute somewhat to the MS as not having a singular cause argument.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3543900.stm
http://www.healing-arts.org/children/va ... ercury.htm

Felly