Autism not linked to vaccines
Parents and community members sometimes question whether the use of vaccine can lead to the development of autism in children. The purpose of this section is to provide information about autism and to dispel myths about the association between vaccine and autism. Immunizations are an important step to the health of individuals and the community.
Autism can be a devastating disease leading to substantial challenges for the families of affected individuals. Many people with autism remain dependent throughout their lives. Over the past several years, some people have speculated that Thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative used in some vaccines given to children, may be responsible for causing autism. In spite of well-designed scientific studies showing that Thimerosal containing vaccines do not cause autism, many people have decided against vaccinating their children. We are concerned that the decision not to vaccinate children can have significant consequences for the health of our children and communities.
Immunizations are one of the great successes of public health. Before we had routine vaccinations, people suffered from diseases such as polio, diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella and other infectious diseases. Many of these diseases had serious consequences, including pneumonia, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), paralysis and death.
In spite of the absence of any evidence that Thimerosal causes autism, manufacturers have removed it as a preservative from most vaccines.It only remains in small amounts in some influenza vaccines.Most vaccines routinely given to children are now Thimerosal free.
We urge parents to continue to vaccinate their children. In addition, we encourage parents to discuss vaccination with their children’s health care provider or call our immunization program at (360) 397-8403.
- CDC timeline of thimerosal in vaccines, with summaries of studies on the safety of vaccines: http://www.astho.org/pubs/ThimerosalTimeline.pdf
- CDC fact sheet on the safety of MMR vaccine: http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/iso/concerns/mmr_autism_factsheet.htm
Other links you may want to be aware of:
