Is this level of uncertainty about adverse effects really supposed to "be reassuring to parents that few health problems are clearly connected to immunizations, and these effects occur relatively rarely," as Ellen Wright Clayton, the committee chair suggests?  Or does the "inadequate research" just lead to more questions?

On the flip side, the evidence of potential environmental causation of autism continues to grow.  Recent research published in Neuroscience Letters from J. Thomas Curtis (Thomas Curtis et al. 2011)[2] provides more evidence from that mercury impacts social behaviors and neuroimmune function.  In the study, prairie voles, which are highly social, were exposed to 10 weeks of low level mercury in their drinking water.  Given exposure to an immune stimulus the mercury-exposed males had significantly elevated levels of TNF alpha, which is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that has been found to be elevated in autism.    In addition, only the mercury-exposed males displayed social withdrawal.  More funding of this type of research is imperative.  

Despite the growing evidence that thimerosal has toxic effects even at low levels, not much is happening at the federal level to reopen investigations.  The research on thimerosal is largely being done overseas.

So, where should we be placing our energy?  In seeking change to the status quo that threatens our capacity as parents to raise healthy children.  We need government action on our behalf to get the answers and end the shift toward pollution and profits instead of people. 

The coming months will be an exciting ride as the presidential debate gets fuelled by the controversies raised.  Join SafeMinds and me in seeking the truth and an end to needless neurological impacts on our children.