Autism Prevalence Now At 1 in 91 Children, 1 in 58 Boys
SafeMinds Calls For A Ban on Thimerosal from Seasonal and H1N1 Flu Vaccines In
Pregnant Women and Young Children
Monday, October 5, 2009, Reston, VA - Today the Maternal & Child Health Bureau
of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), US Department of Health
and Human Services released a study evaluating the number of children in the
U.S. who currently have a Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, The
Prevalence of Parent-Reported Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder among
Children in the United States, 2007. The Study evaluated data from a national
Survey of Children's Health andfound that 1 in 91 children between the ages of 3
and 17 currently carry an ASD diagnosis -1 in 58 boys.
Even more alarming, for the subset of children between ages 6 and 14 immunized
during the 1990's the prevalence is actually 1 in 71 children with an autism
diagnosis. This age group represents children in the U.S. with the highest
exposure to thimerosal, the mercury preservative routinely used until CDC, AAP
and industry recommended its removal "as soon as possible" from all childhood
vaccines. Despite this recommendation, mercury, one of the most neurotoxic
substances on the planet, is still used in most seasonal and H1N1 vaccines.
SafeMinds continues to call for a ban on mercury-containing seasonal and H1N1
flu vaccines, for pregnant women and young children. Theresa Wrangham,
President of SafeMinds stated, "We are especially alarmed by these findings
because the seasonal influenza and H1N1 vaccines contain mercury well in excess
of EPA safe exposure guidelines. Pregnant women and young children should not
be given mercury-containing medicines risking such significant side effects. The
precautionary principal demands the removal of thimerosal from all vaccines
pursuant to the now decade-old recommendation. How long must we wait to get a
known neurotoxin out of all vaccines?"
All flu vaccines are categorized by the FDA as Class C drugs, meaning either
studies in animals have revealed adverse effects on the fetus and there are no
controlled studies in women, or studies in women and animals are not
available. In addition, a 2005 study funded by the NIH found that ethyl-mercury
used in vaccines crosses into the brain of infant primates, resulting in
appreciable levels of mercury being trapped in the brain.
Concern over vaccine safety and the use of thimerosal is well established. In
fact the Institute of Medicine, HHS' National Vaccine Advisory Committee,
Congress, Health & Human Service's National Vaccine Advisory Committee, the
American Academy of Pediatrics former President Dr. Lou Cooper, and former
Director of the National Institutes of Health Dr. Bernadine Healy all agree that
current research is inadequate to demonstrate vaccine safety, as required by
law, especially in terms of risk for neurological damage, including autism, in a
genetically susceptible subset of the population. Most have made statements in
support of a study evaluating health outcomes in vaccinated compared with
unvaccinated subjects.
SafeMinds is a charitable non-profit and leader in funding and advancing the
science regarding mercury exposure as it relates to autism. Our expertise
extends beyond mercury-related exposures to broader vaccine safety issues, due
to many Board Members holding government agency committee positions such as the
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, various CDC Vaccine Committees, the
Department of Defense Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Program and the National
Vaccine Advisory Committee's Vaccine Safety Working Group.
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This Statement has been endorsed by National Autism Association, Autism Action
Network/ Formerly ACHAMP,
Talk About Curing Autism, Unlocking Autism and
Autism One