Thiomersal/Thimerosal & Autism: Fact Versus Fears
While the incidence of autism has been growing over the past decade or so, medical science still has no definitive answer for those seeking to trace its causes-the only hope for parents with autistic children is learning to cope with a new lifestyle and treating some of the symptoms with medical drugs such as antidepressants.
In the absence of a consensus among doctors on the root cause of autism, many parents of autistic children have to rely on their own experiences to explain its cause, and that may lead some individuals to develop general ideas about the disorder distorted by the particulars of their own experience.
The link between autism and vaccines containing thiomersal (also spelled thimerosal) is one such explanation for its cause that is rooted in the personal experiences of a whole group of people, yet not established in medical studies on the subject. Thiomersal is a preservative added to many vaccines to prevent fungal or bacterial contamination, the chemical formula of which contains traces of mercury.
Vaccines containing thiomersal have been the subject of many lawsuits, despite the fact that not only doctors but also major medical organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization all reject the hypothesis of a link between the vaccines and the disorder.
Health officials in the United States may be partially seen as to blame for any public panic over the drug, as they went through a very high-profile process in 1999 of removing thiomersal from vaccines and halting some newborn vaccinations in infants not at risk of certain diseases. This approach was seen by many as an admission of a causal link, when in fact the idea was to simply exercise precautionary measures.
In any case, current vaccines no longer contain thiomersal; if you have young children, you should not let fears of thiomersal prevent you from having them vaccinated, since the risk of contracting a fatal illness is much greater without a proper schedule of vaccinations.
Thiomersal/Thimerosal Lawsuits and Vaccine Court Cases
Thousands of lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. vaccine court seeking compensation for medical expenses and healthcare for to autism and other developmental disorders arising from alleged links to thiomersal in vaccines.
As of May 2008, around 350 cases have been dismissed, and only one has resulted in compensation for the plaintiff. The family of 9-year-old Hannah Poling received an undisclosed amount, though court officials made it clear that they were not establishing a precedent making the unsupported link between exposure to thiomersal and autism. They ruled that a mitochondrial disorder was behind her onset of autism, but that undergoing nine vaccines in one day—two of which contained thiomersal—was a contributing factor to the disorder.
However, despite the unsupported science, legal basis for establishing a link or otherwise between thiomersal and autism will be more definitively made in short order. Recently, a court case using two families as test cases has gone to trial, and could provide the basis for ruling on many of the remaining 5,000 or so thiomersal vaccine cases still pending.
Talk to an Injury Lawyer about Defective Drugs and Vaccines!
If you or someone you know has questions about a possible link in autism to exposure to vaccines with thiomersal, you can speak to a defective drugs lawyer about current developments in federal vaccine court and recent medical studies on the issue. If you find basis for lawsuit, a personal injury attorney can even help you proceed with filing a lawsuit and arguing your case in court.
To speak directly with an injury attorney in your local area about a defective drugs or vaccine case, please fill out our free personal injury case evaluation form or call 1 (877) 288-7564, and we'll get you in touch with a local personal injury attorney as soon as possible.