Newest Study on Vaccines
A new study recently released should reassure families concerned about vaccines and the questionable links to neurological problems in children.
This new study involved 1,047 children who were exposed to varying levels of thimerosal while in the womb or after birth in the 1990s. These children belonged to four health maintenance organizations that are part of a federal project to study the side effects of vaccines. Their mercury exposure was determined through medical and immunization records and interviews with parents.
Each child was tested for speech and language skills, motor coordination and intelligence. Parents, teachers and trained specialists also rated stuttering, attention span and tic disorders such as head shaking, eye blinking and neck jerking. A total of 42 neurological problems were analyzed.
On balance, researchers did not find a consistent pattern between increasing thimerosal exposure and the risk of these problems. However, they said one finding merited further study: Boys exposed to higher mercury levels seemed to have more tic problems – a link seen in previous research.
This large federal study lends further support and should reassure parents about the safety of shots their kids received a decade or more ago.
A separate study due out in a year will look specifically at any link to Autism directly, but it is unlikely to find anything different from this current report.
This CDC study was reviewed by an independent panel of scientists and statisticians who oversaw its design, reviewed results and contributed to writing the report and the panel included one vaccine opponent – Sallie Bernard, executive director of the consumer group SafeMinds.
Although she had a role in planning the study, she asked to be listed as a "dissenting member" because she disagreed with the study's conclusions.
Although past scientific studies have found no link between autism and thimerosal-containing vaccines, these facts have not hindered the lawsuits and the highly charged issue went on trial this summer.
A court in Washington, D.C., heard from an Arizona mother who blamed vaccines on her 12-year-old daughter's severe autism. This case is being followed by about 5,000 families who filed similar claims to receive compensation from a federal vaccine injury fund but as of this date, the fund so far has not paid out an autism claim.
This new study involved 1,047 children who were exposed to varying levels of thimerosal while in the womb or after birth in the 1990s. These children belonged to four health maintenance organizations that are part of a federal project to study the side effects of vaccines. Their mercury exposure was determined through medical and immunization records and interviews with parents.
Each child was tested for speech and language skills, motor coordination and intelligence. Parents, teachers and trained specialists also rated stuttering, attention span and tic disorders such as head shaking, eye blinking and neck jerking. A total of 42 neurological problems were analyzed.
On balance, researchers did not find a consistent pattern between increasing thimerosal exposure and the risk of these problems. However, they said one finding merited further study: Boys exposed to higher mercury levels seemed to have more tic problems – a link seen in previous research.
This large federal study lends further support and should reassure parents about the safety of shots their kids received a decade or more ago.
A separate study due out in a year will look specifically at any link to Autism directly, but it is unlikely to find anything different from this current report.
This CDC study was reviewed by an independent panel of scientists and statisticians who oversaw its design, reviewed results and contributed to writing the report and the panel included one vaccine opponent – Sallie Bernard, executive director of the consumer group SafeMinds.
Although she had a role in planning the study, she asked to be listed as a "dissenting member" because she disagreed with the study's conclusions.
Although past scientific studies have found no link between autism and thimerosal-containing vaccines, these facts have not hindered the lawsuits and the highly charged issue went on trial this summer.
A court in Washington, D.C., heard from an Arizona mother who blamed vaccines on her 12-year-old daughter's severe autism. This case is being followed by about 5,000 families who filed similar claims to receive compensation from a federal vaccine injury fund but as of this date, the fund so far has not paid out an autism claim.
posted by Anonymous at 6:04 AM
5 Comments:
I thought Thimerosal was taken out of vaccines. If so what are the concerns now?
Thank you for the info. I forwarded it to my children who have avoided vaccinations for my grandchildren because of the scare.
My son's comment was that he may have gone overboard in eliminating all vacinations for his children. He is willing to consider some of the more important ones.
Dr. Dan, what would be the list of the ones you consider to be the most important ones if a parent elects not to get all of the ones offered these days? but wants to get the most critical ones for their children?
Thimerosal has been removed from vaccines, but the fear still guides some irrational thinking and beliefs that are unsupported by the data.
In my opinion, diseases that have potential for high morbidity and/or death and caused from direct contact without control or behaviors of the individual are the most important ones to vaccinate against.
This would include, Diptheria, pertussis, tetnus, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, haemophilus.
Thank you, Dr.Dan. I have forwarded this info to my children for consideration in determining whether to vaccinate my grandchildren. I am extremely grateful for your help. Perhaps now they will at least get vaccinations against these, the most devastatingly morbid diseases.
WOW!!!
What a wonderful benefit to the community! Thank you, Dr D, for you educational info.
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