Vaccine Choice Canada

Your Child. Your Future. Your Choice.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

News Bulletin

  • About Vaccines
    • Vaccination: Basic Concerns
      • Children’s Health in Decline
      • Contraindications to Vaccination
      • Parent’s Guide to Vaccination
      • Adverse Events – Unreported
      • Disease Trends
    • General Issues
      • Informed Consent – Mature Minor – Ethics
      • Politics of Vaccination
      • Healthcare Worker & Student Vaccines
      • Herd Immunity
      • Doctors Speak
      • Parents Speak
      • Reports
    • Specific Vaccines
    • Vaccine Ingredients
  • Health Risks
  • Science
  • Exemptions
    • Legal Exemption Forms
    • Canadian Medical Law
    • Ontario Daycare Exemptions
    • Immunization Not Mandatory in Canada
    • Threats to Exemptions
    • Take Action
  • Personal Stories
  • Alternatives
    • Alternatives – General
    • Alternatives – Specific Infections
  • Articles
  • Resources
    • Resources and General Links
    • Child Health Links
    • Pro-vaccine websites
    • Video & Audio
  • Home
  • About VCC
    • Policy Statement on Vaccination
    • Who We Are & What We Do
    • VCC History
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
  • Join
  • Report a Reaction
  • Bookstore
  • Contact
  • Member’s Area
    • Newsletter Archive
  • Site Map
  • Media
You are here: Home / Health Risks / Brain and Neurological Injuries / IOM Scrutinizes Link Between Vaccines, Neurological Problems

IOM Scrutinizes Link Between Vaccines, Neurological Problems

April 7, 2009 By Vaccine Choice Canada

MedscapeWire

July 19, 2001

By Mindy Hung

New York — Amidst concern about mercury content in vaccines commonly administered to children and a possible link to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the Institute of Medicine convened a meeting of their Immunization Safety Review Committee, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Monday.

The multidisciplinary committee, chaired by Marie McCormick, MD, ScD, of the Harvard School of Public Health, has been charged with assessing a possible causal relationship between inoculations and adverse health consequences, and disseminating the results of the assessment to the public.

Immunizations for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), hepatitis B, diphtheria, and tetanus toxoids with acellular pertussis (DTaP) have been a source of controversy in recent years because they use thimerosal, a preservative containing low levels of ethylmercury (EtHg), which can cause neurological damage. Pregnant women and fetuses are at highest risk from exposure.

The metal is excreted from the body over time. However, according to a review conducted by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000, infants younger than 6 months may accumulate EtHg at levels that exceed federal safety guidelines established for the intake of another highly toxic mercury, methyl mercury, which occurs naturally in seafood.

Exposure to large amounts of metallic, inorganic, or organic mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys, and a developing fetus. Irritability, shyness, tremors, changes in vision or hearing, and memory problems may result.

Although thimerosal has been used in biologics since the 1930s, an increased number of vaccinations combined with a sharp rise in reported autism and ADHD incidence has caused parents and some physicians to question the safety of the inoculations. Preliminary data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, suggests a weak correlation between vaccine-related thimerosal exposure and incidence of language and speech delays, along with other neurological problems.

In a joint statement made in July 1999 and finalized in June 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the US Public Health Service, and others emphasized that the risks of not vaccinating children far outweigh the possible problem of cumulative exposure to thimerosal.

They note, however that “because any potential risk is of concern, and the elimination of exposure to mercury in the form of thimerosal from vaccines is feasible, thimerosal should be removed from vaccines as soon as possible.”

Except for DTaP, thimerosal-free versions of pediatric vaccines are available.

Sincerely, Dawn Richardson

The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, which has been implicated in the rise in cases of autism, does not contain thimerosal.

Share this:

Filed Under: Brain and Neurological Injuries, Chemical Ingredients, Mercury, Vaccine Ingredients Tagged With: Chemical Ingredients, Mercury, Vaccine Ingredients

Articles by Category

  • About Vaccines
    (138)
    • Adverse Events
      (90)
    • Contraindications
      (1)
    • Herd Immunity
      (8)
    • Informed Consent – Mature Minor – Ethics
      (55)
    • Reports
      (8)
  • Disease Trends
    (9)
  • Doctors Speak
    (45)
  • Exemptions
    (74)
    • Take Action
      (34)
    • Threats to Exemptions
      (66)
  • Health Risks
    (129)
    • Anaphylaxis, Allergies, and Asthma
      (25)
    • Autism
      (47)
    • Brain and Neurological Injuries
      (33)
    • Cancer
      (2)
    • Decline in Children's Health
      (20)
    • Gulf War Syndrome
      (4)
    • Infertility
      (1)
    • Obesity and Diabetes
      (4)
    • Pregnancy – Risks to the Foetus
      (4)
    • SIDS-SBS
      (11)
  • Media
    (42)
  • Parents Speak
    (21)
  • Personal Stories
    (21)
  • Politics of Vaccination
    (23)
  • Resources
    (12)
    • Books & Periodicals
      (1)
    • PDF files
      (3)
    • Videos
      (0)
  • Specific Vaccines
    (199)
    • Chickenpox and Shingles Vaccines
      (12)
    • Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, and Hib Vaccine
      (34)
    • Healthcare Worker & Student Vaccines
      (14)
    • Hepatitis-B Vaccine
      (20)
    • HPV Vaccine
      (18)
    • Influenza Vaccine
      (43)
    • Measles, Mumps, & Rubella Vaccine
      (41)
    • Meningococcal Disease Vaccine
      (8)
    • Pet Vaccines
      (1)
    • Pneumococcal Disease Vaccine
      (3)
    • Polio Vaccine
      (12)
    • Rotavirus Vaccine
      (1)
    • Smallpox Vaccine
      (4)
  • Vaccine Alternatives
    (14)
    • Vaccine Alternatives – General
      (8)
    • Vaccine Alternatives – Specific Infections
      (6)
  • Vaccine Ingredients
    (64)
    • Aluminum
      (20)
    • Biological Ingredients
      (15)
    • Chemical Ingredients
      (15)
    • Food Allergens
      (3)
    • Mercury
      (24)
    • Oil-based Adjuvants
      (11)

Join Vaccine Choice Canada

By joining Vaccine Choice Canada, you receive our internationally acclaimed newsletter twice a year as well as privileged access to our newsletter archive.

To support our educational and outreach work , please join Vaccine Choice Canada today. Sign Me Up!

About Vaccine Choice Canada

Vaccine Choice Canada is a federally registered not-for-profit … read more

Our Mission

Vaccine Choice Canada (formerly VRAN) continues the work of … more

Disclaimer

The contents of this website are for informational purposes … more

Vaccine Choice Canada logo

Find More on

  • Decline in Children's Health
    (20)
  • Doctors Speak
    (45)
  • Exemptions
    (62)
  • Health Risks
    (36)
  • Parents Speak
    (21)
  • Personal Stories
    (21)
  • Resources
    (11)
  • Specific Vaccines
    (91)
  • Vaccine Alternatives
    (10)
  • Vaccine Ingredients
    (20)

Personal Stories

Life threatening food allergy after vaccination

Thanks to Tanya for sharing her story with us. My son … [Read More...]

Vaccine Injury Touches Families Throughout the US

From the World Mercury Project In our Campaign to Restore … [Read More...]

Marina’s Story

Marina Jane McQuaig May 14, 2000 – November 26, 2008 I … [Read More...]

First Do No Harm by Ted Kuntz

I am a parent who has made the decision not to vaccinate. … [Read More...]

More Personal Stories

Featured Articles

Life threatening food allergy after vaccination

Thanks to Tanya for sharing her story with us. My son … [Read More...]

Vaccines Given to British Columbia Children Birth-18 Years

Postcard FRONT for printing (JPEG) Postcard BACK for … [Read More...]

V-Bulletin February-March 2018

Click here to sign up for our V-Bulletin! Dear VCC … [Read More...]

More News Articles

Copyright © 2018 Vaccine Choice Canada | Powered by Hwy52 Digital | Log in