Vaccine containing mercury stopped in Britain amid autism fear

Main Category: Autism
Article Date: 07 Aug 2004 - 21:00 PDT

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The UK is scrapping vaccines containing mercury for babies as a result of pressure from many parents and organisations who say that there could be a link between mercury containing vaccines and autism.

When babies are eight weeks old they are given a whooping cough vaccine which contains mercury. The new vaccines will be mercury free. The new vaccine will be a multiple vaccine providing protection from diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hib and polio, said John Hutton, UK Health Minister.

John Hutton said, "Following advice from our expert committees we have decided that at the same time thiomersal, a mercury based preservative, will be removed from the new combined vaccine."

According to an article in the Daily Telegraph (UK broadsheet newspaper), recent US research has indicated that mercury in vaccines (a type of preservative) revealed a link with autism in mice. The preservative, thiomersal, in this research is the same one used in paediatric vaccines.

The UK Dept of Health added that there is no link between the mercury preservative in vaccines and autism.

Many campaigners welcomed this measure. However, some expressed concern at the 5 in 1 multiple vaccine.

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