Photo: cdc e-health/Flickr

As a parent of a child on the spectrum, I'm strongly in support of the ruling. No study has yet shown a link to thimerosal, many parents mistake correlation with causation. That said, that doesn't mean that there isn't some sort of excessive immuno response that is triggered in susceptible kids by vaccines, there just isn't any science behind it and, if that's the case, we don't know what exactly is causing it.

I think we would be far better along looking at both the genetic component and the impact of other toxins in the environment. It could be that since these kids' body burden of chemicals is already high, even at birth, coupled with genetics, that they are overwhelmed by vaccinations. Or the vaccinations have nothing to do with it? It's a complicated combination of chemistry and, unfortunately, little research has been done. I think we need to stop focusing on thimerosal and start looking at other potential causes, vaccines or otherwise. All that said, I'm pro vax.

I have long thought that we need to stop tying thimerosal to autism mostly because it has been removed from many vaccines but autism rates have not dropped. IMO it is the whole chemical cocktail that are vaccines along with immune supressed children that cause autism. The fact that they are born with hundreds of toxins in their bloodstream already may make autism all the more likely. Then we dose them dozens of times with disease strains and more toxins. I am very anti-vax though. My oldest son had a confirmed (by a neurologist) reaction to a vaccine that caused respiratory arrest and a seizure. The seizure caused brain damage and autism-like syptoms and he ended up with epilepsy ... all because I chose to play russian roulette and vaccinate him. It kind of peeves me when people in general harp on thimerosal or even vaccine induced autism because there are other horrors that lurk at the end of that needle too.