Since the recent announcement that Washington State is lifting the ban on thimerosal in order to vaccinate children against influenza H1N1 otherwise known as swine flu, I have been asked many questions on this topic.
The ultimate question is “is the vaccine safe” and “what about thimerosal”? The quick answer is that getting the H1N1 vaccine is important. The scientific literature does not support an association between thimerosal and autism. When the vaccine becomes available, I have no concerns about my children getting whatever form of the vaccine is available.
Some background on Thimerosal from the CDC and FDA websites. Thimerosal is a mercury-containing preservative used in some vaccines and other products since the 1930s. There is no convincing scientific evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site. However, in July 1999, the Public Health Service agencies, the American Academyof Pediatrics, and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure.
Thimerosal, which is approximately 50% mercury by weight, has been one of the most widely used preservatives in vaccines. It is metabolized or degraded to ethylmercury and thiosalicylate. Ethylmercury is an organomercurial that should be distinguished from methylmercury, a related substance that has been the focus of considerable study.
Evidence from several studies examining trends in vaccine use and changes in autism frequency does not support such an association. Furthermore, a scientific review* by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that “the evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism.” CDC supports the IOM conclusion.
The above is from the FDA website
http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM096228
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/updates/thimerosal.htm
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