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Report: Thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism, a review of recent epidemiologic studies

Why it matters

A concise entry point into the thimerosal literature, useful precisely because it lays out the mainstream epidemiologic findings that reform advocates are contesting.

Vaccine vials

Although epidemiologic evidence has not supported the hypothesis of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism, concerns continue about pediatric exposure to mercury through vaccine administration.

A 1999 statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the US Public Health Service prompted the removal of thimerosal from many vaccines. In 2004, the Immunization Safety Review Committee of the Institute of Medicine rejected the hypothesis of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism.

This review identifies articles from MEDLINE and EMBASE addressing the potential association between thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders, focusing on pharmacokinetic and epidemiologic studies published between 2003 and 2008.

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