Thimerosal Timeline: From Patent to Autism Diagnoses

Thimerosal and Autism
Timeline
from AShotOfTruth.org

The 1920s
As the 1920s came to a close, Dr. Morris Kharasch of Eli Lilly
introduced the world to a new mercury compound -- Thimerosal --
and filed a patent for the compound on June 27, 1929. Used by both
consumers and hospitals in everything from their nasal sprays to
eye drops to ointments to vaccines, Thimerosal/Merthiolate became
a dangerous component of everyday life.

June 27, 1929
Thimerosal is patented and
would be used in vaccines
starting in 1931.
Picture of Dr. Morris Kharash

June 27, 1929
Eli Lilly fellow Dr. Morris Kharasch files a patent for a new
mercury compound (Thimerosal). The new mercury
compound, thought to have antiseptic and antibacterial
properties, would first be used by Eli Lilly in vaccines and
many over-the-counter products.
Burton, D. (2003). Mercury in Medicine (Congressional
Report E1011–30).

October 1929
“Eli Lilly and Company registered
Thimerosal under the trade name
Merthiolate. Merthiolate's purported
use was to kill bacteria and prevent
contamination in antiseptic ointments,
creams, jellies and sprays used by
consumers and in hospitals.
Thimerosal was also used in nasal
sprays, eye drops, contact lens
solutions, immunoglobulins and most
importantly here – vaccines.”
(p.3) Burton, D. (2003). Mercury in
Medicine (Congressional Report
E1011–30).
Eli Lilly Door

The 1930s
The 1930’s served to be a lethal building decade for Thimerosal/Merthiolate.
Before testing on the mercury compound began, the United States started
to include Thimerosal/Merthiolate, along with dangerous heavy metal
aluminum, in vaccines. It took until 1937 for the first animal model study to
test the toxicity of thimerosal/Merthiolate to be done. The test resulted in all
guinea pigs inoculated with as low as 0.1 micrograms of
thimerosal/Merthiolate mixtures dying within 24 hours. Despite this
outcome, Thimerosal continued to be included in over-the-counter products
and many childhood vaccines would contain 50 mcg of Thimerosal (25 mcg
of mercury).

1931: One Flawed Study
Over 70 years later, the FDA would
testify before Congress that the only
known Thimerosal “safety testing”
on humans was documented in a
1931 published research paper,
“Merthiolate as a Germicide,” by Eli
Lilly scientists W.A. Jamieson and
H.M. Powell.
Powell, H.M. & Jamieson, W.A.
(1931). Merthiolate as a Germicide.
Am. J. Hyg, 13, 296–310.

1931: One Flawed Study - pt. 2
How Jamieson and Powell reported their findings was part of the controversy:
“During the pre-antibiotic 1920’s, meningitis was a killer. Out of sheer desperation, the treating
physician at a hospital dealing with dozens of patients facing a sure death from meningitis, tested
Thimerosal on about two dozen patients. He injected the Thimerosal intravenously, without
apparent side effects. However, the treatment was not successful and all of the patients died. The
leading industry scientists of that era involved in Thimerosal research published a paper that
made a brief reference to this study: ‘‘Merthiolate was injected intravenously into 22 persons . . .
these large doses did not produce any anaphylactoid or shock symptoms.’’ In the paper, the
authors acknowledge that Dr. K.C. Smithburn, the clinician who treated the meningitis patients,
was not convinced of its efficacy: ‘beneficial effects of the drug were not definitely proven.’ Drs.
Powell and Jamieson also noted in 1930 that a ‘wide range of toxicity and injury tests should be
done.’ There is no evidence that Drs. Powell and Jamieson took their own advice and conducted
studies to address these concerns.” (p. 4)
Burton, D. (2003). Mercury in Medicine (Congressional Report E1011–30).

The dishonest findings of the Eli Lilly scientists, Jamieson and Powell, would
be explained in 2007 by D.A Geier et al.
”First, in their article, Powell and Jamieson (1931) failed to reveal that the subjects evaluated by Smithburn and his
colleagues (1930) had, in fact, had meningitis, and were not healthy, a revelation that would have called into
question Powell and Jamieson’s conclusions regarding the nontoxicity of Thimerosal. It should be noted that
Powell and Jamieson (1931) provided a table in which the 22 subjects injected with Thimerosal were identified.
These subjects, based upon the information provided in the table, received massive doses of mercury from
intravenous administration of Thimerosal. The table notes that approximately one-third of the patients were
followed for only 1d after the therapy. The table failed to note, however, that most probably this follow-up period
was so short because these individuals died. The table also noted only one patient was followed for 62 d. This
maximum follow-up length of 62 d was far too short to accurately discern any chronic damage produced by the
mercury, because mercury toxicity manifests fully only several months after exposure. The study was also flawed
because any neurological and/or other damage observed was likely attributed to the meningitis rather than the
Thimerosal exposure.
Additionally, Powell and Jamieson (1931) specifically commented that they evaluated patients, in particular, for
shock or anaphylaxis-type immediate reactions to the administration of Thimerosal. It is important to note that
these outcomes are not typical of mercury toxicity in humans.”

“Second, it is also apparent that Powell and Jamieson (1931) failed to emphasize their disturbing animal toxicity data. In
fact, Powell and Jamieson (1931) had already determined that administration of low milligram doses of Thimerosal per
kilogram body weight in several different animals was acutely toxic and resulted in significant numbers of animals dying
within days of exposure.”
(p. 577 D.A Geier et al.)

1931: Warnings Be Damned
Thimerosal (mercury) containing vaccines
are first used in the U.S. Another heavy
metal, aluminum, is also being used in
vaccines.

1931 - 1938: Autism is Born
The very first children diagnosed
with autism were born. A
description of the first autism
cases would later be published
by child psychologist Dr. Leo
Kanner.
In his 1943, research paper
Autistic Disturbances of
Affective Contact he would
describe the condition as
“differs so markedly and
uniquely from anything reported

1931 - 1938: Autism is Born - pt 2
Dr. Morris Kharasch who patent Thimerosal would also patent ethyl-mercury
fungicides:
From Dan Olmstead’s 2005 UPI article, The Age of Autism: Mercury Goes to Work.
“Kharasch made pioneering studies on organomercurials important in agriculture (as seed disinfectants) and medicine (the
antiseptic merthiolate).’
We asked Boyd Haley, a professor and former chair of the chemistry department at the University of Kentucky, to look at the
early ethyl mercury fungicide and Thimerosal patents.
‘You're on to something,’ said Haley, who is controversial for his belief that mercury is behind a range of neurological disorders
including autism.
‘The whole problem -- and if you read these patents, it just jumps out at you -- is that ethyl mercury was not water-soluble. You
had no delivery. All Kharasch did was really very simple straightforward chemistry. He coupled ethylmercury to an organic
acid to make it water-soluble.’
Haley speculated that if ethylmercury-based fungicides caused some of the early cases, it might have been because the
fathers got it on their clothes, sprayed it on their gardens or used it in their labs to control fungus.
‘If they ever took any home or got it on their hands, they could end up with big problems,’ Haley said…”

Through the book Age of
Autism and a series of articles
by the same authors explains
the link between mercury
exposure and the first autistic
children. The authors
describe how the first autistic
children came in contact with
the same ethylmercury
patents developed by Dr.
Morris Kharasch.
Donald Gray Triplett, one of the first
children identified with Autism by Dr.
Kanner

First 11 children* diagnosed with Autism
*In his 1943 research paper, Dr. Leo Kanner identified each child with an alias and case number in his research
papers.
DOB Birth Name Alias Case No.
August 29, 1931 Vivian Ann Murdock Virginia S. 6
February 3, 1932 unknown Elaine C. 2
May 1932 David Newcomb Speck Alfred L. 8
September 8, 1933 Donald Gray Triplett Donald T. 1
October 30, 1933 Bridget Muncie Barbara K. 5

DOB Birth Name Alias Case No.
1935 unknown Paul G. 4
May 23, 1936 Frederick Wellman Frederick W. 2
November 16, 1937 John Trevett Herbert B. 7
November 17, 1937 William Ritchey Miller Richard M. 3
September 19, 1937 Lee Ruven Rosenberg John F. 10
August 8, 1938 unknown Charles N. 9

1935: Deemed Unsafe for Dogs
A letter by the Director of Biological Services, Pittman-Moore Company, is
written to Dr. Jamieson of Eli Lilly. In the letter it states, ‘‘we have obtained
marked local reaction in about 50 percent of the dogs injected with serum
containing dilutions of Merthiolate varying from 1 in 40,000 to 1 in 5,000 . . .
no connection between the lot of serum and the reaction. In other words,
Merthiolate is unsatisfactory as a preservative for serum intended for
use on dogs . . .” (p. 9)
Burton, D. (2003). Mercury in Medicine (Congressional Report E1011–30).

1937: Thimerosal Killed Them All
The first animal-model study testing
the toxicity documented, “two sets
of 7 flasks each were treated with
an amount of Merthiolate varying in
dilution from 1 to 100 to 1 in 10
million of the medium in each
series. . . The guinea-pigs
inoculated with 1 c.cm. of the
mixtures after 24 hours all died; the
first of Merthiolate poisoning” (p.
962). Cummins, S. L.
(1937).Merthiolate in the treatment
of tuberculosis. Lancet, 230,962–
963.
S.L. Cummins

The 1940s
Summary: Most of the 1940s focused on Thimerosal use in vaccines and
over-the-counter products. In 1947, it was discovered that there was a direct
correlation between the use of mercury-laced teething powders and the
diagnosis of childhood mercury poisoning also called acrodynia or “pink
disease.” Once the mercury-laced teething powder was no longer given to
children, acrodynia cases declined, showing the very serious dangers of
mercury. It was also proven that mercury compounds were more toxic for
embryonic tissue cells and leukocytes than for bacterial cells. Despite these
discoveries, the Thimerosal-containing pediatric combination vaccine,
diptheria, tetanus and whole cell pertussis (DTP) was licensed in the United
States in 1947.

1947: Acrodynia, Mercury Poisoning
Mercury-laced teething powders are
discovered to be the cause of
acrodynia, a form of childhood
mercury poisoning. Infants and
children who have acrodynia will
often have peeling hands and feet
which look pink so the disease is
also called “pink disease.” In 1947
acrodynia (or pink disease) would
decline after mercury-containing
teething powders are no longer
given to children.

1947: Acrodynia, Mercury Poisoning - pt 2
● In 2001 it would be discovered that the childhood mercury poisoning
disease acrodynia (sometimes referred to as pink disease), would also
share many of the same symptoms as the childhood disorder autism.
Acrodynia comparison combined.

1947: Acrodynia, Mercury Poisoning - pt 3
In their study published in 2011,
Ancestry of Pink Disease
(Infantile Acrodynia) Identified as
a Risk Factor for Autism
Spectrum Disorders, S. Kerrie
and D.W. Austin reveal that pink
disease survivors are much more
likely to have grandchildren with
ASD (autism spectrum disorder),
further helping to unlock the
autism puzzle.

1947: Pediatric Thimerosal Vaccine
The combination vaccine diphtheria and tetanus and
whole-cell pertussis (DTP) is licensed for pediatric use in
the U.S. This vaccine will contain Thimerosal.

1948: Smallpox Vaccine
American children are now required to show proof of only
the smallpox vaccine in order to attend school. This
vaccine does not contain Thimerosal.

1948: Solution Merthiolate
The label on a bottle of ‘Solution Merthiolate,
1:1,000, Stainless’ purchased as recently as
June 1947, states that it is ‘a stable, stainless,
organic mercury compound of high germicidal
value, particular in serum and other protein
media.’
It is not highly germicidal and especially does not
possess high germicidal value in the presence of
serum and other protein mediums. The loss of
antibacterial activity of mercurials in the
presence of serum proves their incompatibility
with serum . . . The comparative in vitro studies
on Mercurochrome, Metaphen and Merthiolate
on embryonic tissue cells and bacterial cells by
Salle and Lazarus cannot be ignored.

1948: Solution Merthiolate - pt 2
These investigators found that Metaphen,
Merthiolate and Mercurochrome were 12, 35 and
262 times respectively more toxic for embryonic
tissue cells than for Staphylococcus aureus.
Nye and Welch also found the same three mercurial
compounds more toxic for leukocytes than for
bacterial cells. Not only is there direct toxic action
of the mercurial compounds on the cellular and
humoral components of the animal body, but there
is also the possibility of sensitization. (p. 41)
Morton, H. E., North, L L., and Engley, F. B. 1948.
The Bacteriostatic and Bactericidal Actions of
Some Mercurial Compounds on Hemolytic
Streptococci: In Vivo and In Vitro Studies. J. Am.
Med. Assoc. 136, 37–41.
Video Interview with Frank B. Engley, Ph.D.

1949: Vaccine Licensed in the U.S.
Pediatric combination vaccine diphtheria and
tetanus toxoids and whole-cell pertussis
vaccine (DTP) is licensed in the U.S. This
vaccine contains Thimerosal.

The 1950s
Summary: In the 1950s, Dr. Frank Engley
determined Thimerosal was significantly toxic
to human tissue culture cells, further proving
that Thimerosal is considerably more
dangerous to healthy cells than bacteria.
Overall, this discovery showed that the
mercury in Thimerosal did more harm than
good.

1956: Thimerosal’s Toxicity
Dr. Frank Engley determines Thimerosal is
significantly toxic to human tissue culture cells
at 10 parts-per-billion (ppb). Engley, F. B.,
(1956). Mercurials as Disinfectants:
Evaluation of mercurial antimicrobic action
and comparative toxicity for skin tissue cells.
Soap & Chemical Specialties, pgs. 199, 201,
203, 205, 223-225.
"Nobody has ever studied Thimerosal, I'm
NOBODY"
–
Dr. Frank Engley, 2007

The 1960s
Summary: The 1960s was a decade of new research, discoveries and ideas.
First, Dr. Bernard Rimland founded the Autism Research Institute and Autism
Society of America. He challenged the notion that autism was caused by
mothers who didn’t bond with their children and informed parents that
autism is a treatable biological disorder. Rimland’s research and discovery
helped many autistic children to greatly improve and recover. Secondly, it
was discovered that the pertussis and Thimerosal-containing vaccines were
more toxic and deadly than beneficial.

1963: Measles Vaccine
Measles vaccine is first made available in the
U.S. This vaccine does not contain
Thimerosal.

1967: Mumps Vaccine
Mumps vaccine is first made available in the
U.S. This vaccine did not contain Thimerosal.

1967: History with Autism
The Autism Research Institute is founded by Dr. Bernard
Rimland, who first challenged the notion that autism was
caused by mothers who did not bond with their children
(a.k.a. refrigerator mothers). In the years to come, Dr.
Rimland will teach parents that autism is a treatable
biological disorder. Many autistic children will greatly
improve and recover due Dr. Rimland’s research and
encouragement. Dr. Rimland also founded the Autism
Society of America in 1965.
Dr. Bernard Rimland discusses his history with Autism (1)

May 1967: Pertussis Vaccines
Researchers found, “Pertussis vaccines preserved with 0.01%
Merthiolate are more toxic for mice than unpreserved vaccines
prepared from the same parent concentrate and containing the same
number of organisms. ...An increase in mortality was observed when
Merthiolate was injected separately, before or after an unpreserved
saline suspension of pertussis vaccine.”
Nelson, E.A. & Gottshall, R.Y. (1967). Enhanced Toxicity for Mice of
Pertussis Vaccines When Preserved with Merthiolate. Applied
Microbiology, 15 (1967), 590-593.

1968: RhoGAM
RhoGAM, made by Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Inc., is the
first licensed Rho(D) immune globulin. RhoGAM
contains 10.5 mcg of mercury from Thimerosal.
RhoGAM will be provided to all Rh-negative pregnant
women after the delivery.

1969: Rubella Vaccine
Rubella vaccine is first made available in the
U.S. This vaccine does not contain
Thimerosal.

The 1970s
Summary: In the 1970s, it was discovered that the
mercury in Thimerosal was able to easily penetrate intact
membranes and cross the blood-brain and placenta
barriers of animals. Reports showed that 10 out of 13
babies who were treated with Merthiolate antiseptic
containing Thimerosal died, further proving the highly
toxic nature of mercury to all. Therefore determining that
Thimerosal/Merthiolate should be heavily restricted or
withdrawn from hospital use.

1971: MMR Vaccine
The combination vaccine of Measles, Mumps
and Rubella is made available in the US. The
combination MMR vaccine does not contain
Thimerosal.

1971: Rho(D) for Pregnant Women
Another Rho(D) immune globulin is licensed
by Bayer Corporation: BayRho-D. Bayer’s
Rho(D) immune globulin will contain 35 mcg.
of mercury from Thimerosal. It will be
provided to pregnant women after the
delivery.

1971: Takahashi Report
Takahashi, et al., report, “A pronounced migration of the radioactivity into the
cortices of cerebrum and cerebellum, especially in the occipital lobe, was
observed in monkey 8 days after receiving 203Hg-ethylmercuric chloride.”
This demonstrated preferential accumulation of ethylmercury in the brain (versus
methylmercury). This is important as ethylmercury is produced by the break-
down of Thimerosal in vivo.
Takahashi, Tadao, et al. Time-Dependent Distribution of 203Hg-Mercury
Compounds in Rat and Monkey as studied by Whole Body Autoradiography.
The Journal of Hygienic Chemistry 17 (2) (1971): 93-107.

1975: Gasset Report
Gasset, et al., report, “A comparison of topical and subcutaneous
administration of Thimerosal to rabbits shows that a substantial
concentration of mercury was present in blood and tissues of the
treated animals and their offspring. Thimerosal was found to cross the
blood-brain and placenta barriers.”
Gasset, A.R., Itoi, M., Ishii, Y. & Ramer, R.M. Teratogenicity of
ophthalmic drugs. II. Teratogenicity and tissue accumulation of
Thimerosal Archives of Ophthalmology, 93 (1975): 52-55.

1977: Heinonen Report
Heinonen, et al., report that topical application of
Thimerosal in pregnant women resulted in a 2.69-
fold greater risk of malformed infants in a large
hospital study. The study authors directly state that
Thimerosal “was associated with malformations
overall, and with uniform malformations.”

1977: D.G. Fagan Report
D. G. Fagan, et al., report 10 out of 13 babies died who
were treated for umbilical hernias with the antiseptic
Thimerosal. The study’s authors recommend, “organic
mercurial antiseptics should be heavily restricted or
withdrawn from hospital use, as the fact that mercury
readily penetrates intact membranes and is highly toxic
seems to have been forgotten."

The 1980s
Summary: The dangers of Thimerosal/Merthiolate became even more apparent in the
1980s. Despite a 22-month-old child dying from mercury poisoning after being treated
with Thimerosal/Merthiolate for an ear infection and the FDA determining Thimerosal
is not an effective treatment option, mercury and Thimerosal remained in infant
vaccines and over-the-counter products for years to come. The 1980s also saw the
passing of the National Childhood Vaccine Act by Congress, which protected vaccine
makers from being sued by those injured from their vaccines. Compensation for
vaccine injuries were paid out of taxes, not by vaccine manufacturers. By 18 months,
U.S. infants born during this decade would receive 100 mcg. of mercury from
vaccines. In 1989, the CDC would recommend a new mercury-containing vaccine
(containing an additional 25 mcg.), which would increase the total amount of mercury
from vaccines to 125 mcg. received by 18-month-old infants.

1980: CDC Vaccine
Following the recommended
CDC vaccine schedule,
children by age 18 months
would receive 100 mcg of
mercury in their vaccines.
Throughout the 1980s Autism
continues to be a rare
childhood disorder with an
autism rate of 1-2 children per
every 10,000.

1982: Dr. Frank Engley Panel Review
Dr. Frank Engley along with other members of an FDA
panel reviewed Thimerosal in over-the-counter products
and noted: “It was found to be 35.3 times more toxic for
embryonic chick heart tissue than for Staphylococcus
aureus.” A 1950 study showed that Thimerosal was no
better than water in protecting mice from potential fatal
streptococcal infection.” They further concluded
“...Thimerosal is not safe for over-the-counter topical use
because of its potential for cell damage if applied to
broken skin and its allergy potential. It is not effective as
a topical antimicrobial because its bacteriostatic action
can be reversed.” However, Thimerosal would remain in
over-the-counter products for another 16 years.
Source: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mercury-
containing drug products for topical antimicrobial over-the-
counter human use: establishment of a monograph. Federal
Register 47 (January 5, 1982); 436–442.
Interview with Frank Engley, PhD, by Ashley Reynolds of
KOMU News

April 20, 1983: Merthiolate Kills
The Ocala Star-Banner reports a 22-month-old dying
from mercury poisoning after her ear infection was
treated with Merthiolate (Thimerosal). This case
was also documented by J. Rohyans et al. (1984).
A 22-month-old girl died of mercury ingestion via ear
irrigations that were subsequently swallowed after
draining through tympanostomy tubes. Her total
exposure to mercury was 40 mg/day over a 30-day
time period. Prior to death, she showed symptoms
typical of autism including unprovoked screaming
episodes accompanied by back arching, staring
spells, lack of voluntary muscle movements,
tremors and inability to feed herself.

1986: National Childhood Vaccine Act
National Childhood Vaccine Act of 1986 is passed by
Congress and provides total liability protection to the
vaccine makers. U.S. citizens are no longer able to sue a
vaccine manufacturer if they are injured by vaccines.
Compensation for vaccine injuries is now paid out of
taxes, not by vaccine manufacturers.

1987: Research Project
The Commission of the European Communities initiated a
research project of 10 known or suspected spindle
poisons including Thimerosal.
Source: Birt, Elizabeth, J.D., L.L.M., & James Moody, J.D.
"Timeline." Letter to Lauren Fuller, Chief Investigative
Counsel, U.S. Senate HELP. July 15, 2005. TS.

1988: Concerns With Thimerosal
Dr. Wolfgang Maurer became concerned with the use of Thimerosal in 1988 when he took the job as head of the
Official Medicines Control Institute, submitting papers to both the New England Journal of Medicine and The
Lancet entitled “Unconsidered Risk Due to Thimerosal in Anti-Lymphocytic Globulin Preparation” (1). These
papers were not accepted for publication. In January of 1992 Dr. Manfred Hause of the Paul-Ehrich-Institut raised
these concerns in an official manner to the Commission of the European Communities, Committee for Proprietary
Medicinal Products (CPMP). In his letter to the CPMP, he makes the following important points, “it is well known
that even low amounts of organic mercury compounds may cause rare untowards reactions in man, mainly allergic
reactions. Other undesired properties have also have been seen in experimental studies or were described in the
scientific literature: mutagenicity, teratogenicity, embryo- and neurotoxicity…Based upon the principle that-
whenever an additive which can be a matter of concern is not necessary to ensure some essential property of a
medicinal product its use should be avoided- in June of 1991 the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute has encouraged
manufacturers to discontinue the addition of organic mercury compounds into immunoglobulins. This initiative has
been generally appreciated and in the meantime nearly all manufacturers have informed our institute on the
measures taken to implement the recommended change. It can be predicted that this will be achieved by the end
of 1992.”
Source: Birt, Elizabeth, J.D., L.L.M., & James Moody, J.D. "Timeline" Letter to Lauren Fuller, Chief Investigative

January 22, 1988
The CDC recommends the newly licensed Haemophilus b
Conjugate vaccine (Hib) be administered one time at 18
months old. This vaccine would contain 25 mcg. of
mercury from Thimerosal. By age 18 months old, U.S.
children will now receive a total of 125 mcg. of mercury
from their vaccines.

The 1990s
The 1990s identified the direct correlation between vaccines with the mercury compound,
Thimerosal, and the increase in autism diagnosis. Starting in 1990, the ACOG recommended
Rho(D) immune globulin, which contained Thimerosal, be given for the first time during
pregnancy. In 1991, during a 9-month period of time the CDC’s recommended vaccine schedule
would go from injecting 125 mcg. to 237 mcg. by age 18 months. In addition to this increase in
mercury given to infants, it was recommended that newborns prior to leaving the hospital receive
a mercury-containing hepatitis B vaccine. All of these firsts would coincide with another first: the
first autism epidemic now emerges.
The FDA reported that over 30 licensed vaccines contained Thimerosal and infants who received
these vaccines at several visits may be exposed to more mercury than FDA guidelines allowed.
This report encouraged the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Public Health Service to
provide a joint statement in 1999 recommending mercury be removed from vaccines. However,
despite these discoveries and statements, the CDC decided vaccines containing Thimerosal are
safe enough to continue to use in infants.

1990: ACOG Recommendation
A mercury-containing injection is recommended for the first time during
pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
would recommend Thimerosal-containing Rho(D) immune globulin during
pregnancy and after the delivery for the first time in 1990. Prior to 1990, the
ACOG recommendation was Rho(D) immune globulin only after the delivery.
Due to this recommendation, the unborn child of mothers who receive Rho(D)
immune globulin will be exposed to high levels of mercury. Pregnant women
could receive more than one mercury-containing injection (amniocentesis or
abdominal trauma).
Source: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (1990). Prevention
of D isoimmunization. ACOGTech Bulletin number 147.

January 1991
A new mercury-containing vaccine (Haemophilus b) is recommended
for the first time. The Advisory Committee for Immunization
Practices (ACIP, the CDC committee which decides the U.S.
vaccine schedule) recommends another three doses of the
Haemophilus b vaccine (Hib). Each dose of this vaccine will contain
25 mcg. With the three newly recommended doses of the Hib
vaccine, U.S. children by 18 months old will be receiving 200 mcg.
of mercury from their recommended vaccines.

1991: Dr. Samuel Katz
Dr. Samuel Katz and his ACIP committee in 1991 would
recommend the largest increase in the amounts of
mercury U.S. children would receive by 18 months old.
Further, this 1991 ACIP committee made a second
detrimental recommendation: newborns prior to leaving
the hospital receive a mercury-containing vaccine
(hepatitis B). In 1999, the CDC will initiate its own study
on the incidence of autism resulting in children exposed to
various levels of mercury in Thimerosal-containing
vaccines. Dr. Thomas Verstraeten is the lead researcher
on the study. In a Dec. 17, 1999 email (entitled “It just
won’t go away!”) to his colleagues in the NIP, Verstraeten
reports "all the harm is done in the first month of life.”

1991: Dr. Samuel Katz - pt 2
From UPI article it is revealed:
“Some of the officials involved in the agency's 1991 decision to recommend that all infants receive the
Hepatitis B vaccine also had close ties to vaccine manufacturers. Dr. Sam Katz was the advisory
committee chairman at the time. A professor at Duke, Katz said 30 percent of children who get the
disease get it from unknown causes, possibly in daycare.
He said the CDC tried to give the shots to teens, but it was hard to get them to show up for all three doses.
’So they said, 'Well, we've got a captive audience and we want to give it to the newborns anyways.'"
Katz developed a measles vaccine now manufactured by Merck, which also manufactures a Hepatitis B
vaccine. Katz said when he was chairman of the committee in 1991 he also worked as a paid consultant
for Merck, Wyeth and most major vaccine manufacturers.”

1991: Mercury-poisoning Symptoms
U.S. children, who are now
receiving the highest levels
of mercury from Thimerosal-
containing vaccines, will
display symptoms that look
identical to mercury
poisoning. These mercury-
poisoning symptoms also
look like symptoms of
autism. The U.S. now
begins to see a new autism
epidemic emerge.
Vaccine Mercury Burden and Autism Risk Graph Source

1991: Mercury-poisoning Symptoms - pt 2
*Note: Mercury was never
totally removed from
vaccines intended for
infants or pregnant
women. In May 2004, for
the first time the CDC
recommended the flu
shot for pregnant women
and infants 6-23 months-
old. Many flu shots in
2004 and today contain
25 mcg of mercury.
Other vaccines still
contain mercury as well.

September 1991
A second mercury-containing vaccine (hepatitis B) is recommended nine
months after the mercury-containing Hib vaccine recommendation. The
CDC for the first time recommends newborns, prior to leaving the
hospital, should receive a mercury-containing hepatitis B vaccine. ACIP
recommends three more Thimerosal-containing vaccines for U.S.
children, the hepatitis B vaccine. This vaccine contains 12.5 mcg. of
mercury. By age 18 months, U.S. children are now receiving 237.5-250
mcg.* of mercury from their vaccines.
*depending on vaccine manufacturer

1991: Reduce Mercury Exposures
Dr. Maurice Hilleman memo. Maurice Hilleman is a well-
known vaccinologist who in his 1991 internal Merck
memo advised his colleagues to reduce Thimerosal
(mercury) exposures especially in pediatric vaccines and
look for alternatives for Thimerosal. This memo was not
heeded by Hilleman’s industry colleagues.
The Merck memo by Dr. Maurice Hilleman would not be
made public until 2005.

1992: Denmark Makes Changes
Denmark phases Thimerosal
(mercury) out of vaccines.
According to a 2000 CDC
report the U.S. autism rate for
children born in 1992 is 1 in
150.

1992-1993: Dangerous Vaccines
Sweden phases Thimerosal out of vaccines.
Which vaccines contain mercury - and how dangerous is it if the vaccine contains mercury?
Mercury compounds, such as Thimerosal, were previously used as preservatives in most vaccines
in the childhood vaccination program. The vaccines used in the Swedish childhood vaccination
program have been free of the mercury-containing preservative (Thimerosal) since 1992-93.
Previously the use of mercury compounds in the vaccines had no detectable adverse effects, but
general environmental considerations have led to the removal of mercury containing preservatives
from the vaccines. Nowadays phenoxyethanol, an organic phenolic compound with low toxicity
that breaks down and disappears quickly from the body, is used as a preservative in vaccines.
Several vaccines are delivered in disposable containers and contain no preservatives at all.

1993: Thimerosal, the Inhibitor
As described in Mutation Research (1993,
287:17) Thimerosal was identified as a strong
inhibitor of microtubular assembly, a process
that is essential for proper neuronal
development.

September 13, 1994
On September 13, 1994 a hearing chaired by Dr. Manfred Hause was held at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut regarding the
use of Thimerosal as a preservative in vaccines. All vaccine manufacturers selling vaccines in Germany were
invited. There was no representative of a US federal health agency at this meeting. This said, representatives of
the following vaccine manufacturers selling in North America were present: 1) Dr. Thomas Eckhardt (Wyeth) 2)
Ron Salerno (Merck Sharpe Dohme) 3) Ricky D. Smith (CLI Swiftwater, PA) and 4) Raafat Fahim (Connaught
Toronto/CLL now Aventis Canada). What is particularly interesting from the minutes of this meeting is the opinion
of Lederle Arneimittel, stating “data from the USA confirm that the risk associated with the use of vaccines
containing Thimerosal is small.” There was no discussion in the minutes of the 1994 meeting of the possible toxic
accumulations of Thimerosal from the increasing number of vaccines being administered. Yet, we do know that
Merck’s chief vaccine scientist, Maurice Hilleman did examine this issue in depth in a memo to R. Gordon
Douglas, the Chief Executive Officer of Merck, in early 1991. Further, this issue was discussed at the World Health
Organization (unknown year but April 15-16) at a meeting that was attended by Dr. William Egan of the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (“FDA”). In addition, according to an email provided to me by Dr. Maurer he did discuss
the issue of Thimerosal-containing vaccines with Dr. Elaine Esber of the FDA in December of 1993 at a meeting in
Vienna, Austria (personal communication between Ms. Liz Birt, Esq. and Dr. Maurer).
Source: Birt, Elizabeth, J.D., L.L.M., & James Moody, J.D."Timeline" Letter to Lauren Fuller, Chief Investigative

1996: Austim Rate for Children
According to a 2004
CDC report, the U.S.
autism rate for children
born in 1996 is 1 in
125.

1997: Vaccines Poisoning Infants
Mr. C. Bruce Pittman informed his superiors at Merck that Thimerosal, as an “intact” molecule, did not have
any anti-microbial properties; in other words, it was the ethyl-mercury that killed the microbes, not
Thimerosal. Mr. Pittman was conducting this research as an employee of Merck and as part of his
dissertation at Lehigh University. He was told by his superiors at Merck he could not publish his work. He
was able to obtain his master's degree at Lehigh, and his paper was read by his professor in a closed
room with the caveat that no copies of the paper were to be made. This research was disseminated to
scientists at Merck as high as the vice president level in 1997. Bruce presented interim results in late
1998 and his final results in March of 1999. In addition, Mr. Pittman told Liz Birt that in his final
presentation in March of 1999 that he informed Merck employees (which included officers of the
company) that between 6 to 8 micrograms of ethyl-mercury were being delivered to an infant’s central
nervous system with each vaccine containing Thimerosal. At the end of this meeting Mr. Pittman walked
out with the female executive director and mentioned that Merck could be poisoning infants with these
vaccines. The individual said nothing.
Source: Birt, Elizabeth, J.D., L.L.M., & James Moody, J.D."Timeline" Letter to Lauren Fuller, Chief
Investigative Counsel, U.S. Senate HELP. July 15, 2005. TS.

November 21, 1997
The Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act
(FDAMA) was signed into law. This act called for a
review of all medicines and biologics that contained
mercury. The FDA Modernization Act will prove to be too
late to save many U.S. children from being overdosed on
a potent neurotoxin -- mercury.

1998: Autism Rate for Children Rising
Children are now
receiving 237.5 mcg.
of mercury from
vaccines by age 18
months. According to
a 2006 CDC report,
the U.S. autism rate
for children born in
1998 is 1 in 110.

June 21, 1998
An email was sent by Roger Williams of the FDA to Peter Cooney
and Joseph De George on June 21, 1998, specifically referring to
the European Medicines Agency/Committee for Proprietary
Medicinal Products (EMEA/CPMP) about “not using Thimerosal in
vulnerable groups such as infants, toddlers and pregnant women.”
Source: Birt, Elizabeth, J.D., L.L.M., & James Moody, J.D."Timeline"
Letter to Lauren Fuller, Chief Investigative Counsel, U.S. Senate
HELP. July 15, 2005. TS.

November 23, 1998
Dr. Leslie Ball of the FDA asked internal reviewers to perform a Medwatch query on
Thimerosal. Medwatch is the FDA’s database for reporting adverse drug events. On
January 7, 1999, Dr. Ball was informed by Fredrick Varricchio of FDA that there were 7,000
reports containing the word Thimerosal on FDA’s Medwatch (18). He stated “I have some
results for you. Problem is that there are 7,000 reports that mention Thimerosal. What to do
now. Obviously looking at all 7,000 is a brute force approach.” On February 16, 1999, an
email was sent to the “Mercury Reviewers” from Steven Aurecchia regarding “Screening
Spreadsheet for Mercury Studies.” This document specifically states “Please make a
reference for each of the references you have received, even if it is not a study per se. Just
specify the nature of the reference in column two, e.g. case report, general or review
article, etc.”
Source:Birt, Elizabeth, J.D., L.L.M., & James Moody, J.D."Timeline" Letter to Lauren Fuller,
Chief Investigative Counsel, U.S. Senate HELP. July 15, 2005. TS.

January 7, 1999
As indicated in an email between FDA officials Frank Varrichio
and Leslie Ball, healthcare workers started to become
concerned about the cumulative Thimerosal exposure to
infants from their vaccinations. In looking at the National
Library of Medicine website (i.e., Pubmed), Varrichio finds
7,000 references to Thimerosal. Rather than examine all of
these references, Varrichio recommends looking at the
summary of every 100th report.

April 14, 1999
The FDA was reading its formal position to vaccine manufacturers. A particularly telling
email from Richard Kenney of FDA summed up the frustration of certain individuals at
FDA dealing with the manufacturers on the Thimerosal issue: “It seems the only way
a letter to industry will have any impact is to impose a requirement (if that can be
done under FDAMA!). I vote to encourage manufacturers to work toward removing
Thimerosal from all products, and require them to formally justify its necessity in any
product under IND. With respect to CDER’s and other’s interest in the issue, we are
the only ones where most of our products are targeted toward infants”.
Source: Birt, Elizabeth, J.D., L.L.M., & James Moody, J.D."Timeline" Letter to Lauren
Fuller, Chief Investigative Counsel, U.S. Senate HELP. July 15, 2005. TS.

May 5, 1999
Tom Clarkson, a methyl mercury expert from University of
Rochester sent the following email to Dr. Leslie Ball:
“Ethylmercury has caused more outbreaks of poisoning
similar to those caused by methylmercury. It is more
rapidly converted to inorganic mercury in the body than is
methylmercury. Thus is may be somewhat less toxic but
is neurological effects are the same. As a first pass one
might use the risk parameters for methylmercury.”
Source: Birt, Elizabeth, J.D.,L.L.M., and James Moody,
J.D. "Timeline." Letter to Lauren Fuller, Chief
Investigative Counsel, U.S. Senate HELP. 15 July 2005.
TS.
Tom Clarkson

June 29, 1999
Fears that the FDA, CDC and vaccine policy makers will appear to have been “asleep at the
switch.”
Peter Patriarca, the then Director of the FDA Office on Vaccine Research and Review, issues an
email to CDC officials (including Roger Bernier, Chief Science Officer of the National
Immunization Program and Jose Cordero, Director of the National Immunization Program)
discussing how to handle the Thimerosal crisis. Patriarca expresses fears that the FDA, CDC and
vaccine policy makers will appear to have been “asleep at the switch” for decades allowing
Thimerosal (a potentially hazardous mercury compound) to remain in childhood vaccines. Further,
there is fear because no one did the calculation of cumulative mercury exposure as the policy
makers continued to recommend more and more vaccines be added to the schedule. Finally, the
email at the top of the page indicates that there had been an “interim plan” in place for many years
to remove Thimerosal from vaccines. Only now that there was public outcry did these officials
consider implementing the plan.

June 30, 1999
Dr. David Blois of Merck called Dr. Kathryn Zoon of FDA and Mr. Mark Elengold;
the teleconference with Merck did not happen until July 1, 1999 at 8:00 A.M.;
notes from this call reflect the following statements by the manufacturers; 1)
transition to a Thimerosal free vaccine would take greater than 6 but less than
24 months; 2) the general consensus was that AAP would not act
independently, clear that Neal Halsey agrees, and that he (Neal Halsey) still
may want AAP to take the lead; 3) Martin Preliminary Draft Meyers from CDC
was on the teleconference as well and the note reflect his concern that the "core
communication message must be continue to vaccinate children."
Source: Birt, Elizabeth, J.D.,L.L.M., and James Moody, J.D. "Timeline." Letter to Lauren Fuller,
Chief Investigative Counsel, U.S. Senate HELP. 15 July 2005. TS.

July 1, 1999
Dr. Elaine Esber and Dr. Norman Baylor of FDA called Dr. David
Williams, President and COO of Pasteur-Merieux-Connaught
("PMC"). Notes taken during this conference call reflect the concern
of PMC of FDA's response to the AAP position and that FDA is
encouraged to "be careful in damning any use of the product
Thimerosal." (emphasis added)
Source: Birt, Elizabeth, J.D.,L.L.M., and James Moody, J.D. "Timeline." Letter
to Lauren Fuller, Chief Investigative Counsel, U.S. Senate HELP. 15 July
2005. TS.

July 2, 1999
Peter Patriarca addresses his colleague at the FDA in a
confidential email, echoing the concerns of his previous email
to CDC officials. He also outlines “talking points” defending
the FDA’s actions and explaining the use of Thimerosal
(mercury) as a preservative in infant vaccines. This email was
leading up to a public announcement by the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Public Health Service
(PHS) regarding Thimerosal containing vaccines on July 7,
1999.

July 2, 1999
Dr. Ruth Etzel, USDA Division of Epidemiology and Risk Assessment,
writes and to the American Academy of Pediatrics team involved
with the July 7, 1999 public announcement. Dr. Etzel recommends a
parallel path to the response of Johnson and Johnson to the 1982
outbreak of tainted Tylenol tablets: (1) act quickly to inform
pediatricians that the products contain more Thimerosal (mercury)
than we realized, (2) Be open with consumers as to why they didn’t
catch this earlier, and (3) show contrition. Dr. Etzel also alludes to
the fact that despite these issues, the PHS will not show a
preference to Thimerosal (mercury) free products.

July 3, 1999
CDC outlines alternative position claiming EPA and WHO
guidelines for cumulative mercury exposures not exceeded.
Ben Schwartz of the National Immunization Program in the
CDC, issues an email outlining an alternative position to Dr.
Etzel, where he claims that EPA and WHO guidelines for
cumulative mercury exposures have not been exceeded. Dr.
Ben Schwartz’s approach “to address the Thimerosal problem”
was to add up daily acceptable amounts of mercury which
infants could receive over a 3 month period of time and use the
3 month total as an acceptable mercury level for infants to
receive in one day. This logic would be no different than a
pediatrician giving an infant 90 days’ worth of allowable Tylenol
doses in one day and trying to convince parents that it was
safe. This approach is nothing but trickery, meant to defend
Thimerosal while sacrificing children.
Dr. Benjamin Schwartz

July 5, 1999
The following medical doctors stated in a letter: We continue to be gravely troubled by the
recommendation to encourage "use (of) vaccines that do not contain Thimerosal.”
Martin Meyers, M.D.
Ragina Rabinovitch, M.D.
Scott Dowell, M.D.

July 5, 1999 - pt 2
Jose Cordero, M.D.
Peter Patriarca, M.D.
Walt Orenstein, M.D.

July 5, 1999
Martin G. Meyers, M.D. NVPO, Regina Rabinovitch, M.D. NIH, Peter Patriarca, M.D.FDA, Jose Cordero, M.D. for
Walt Orenstein NIP/CDC and Scott Dowell, M.D.NCID/CDC "liaison members" to AAP issued a letter that stated
the following: "As your liaison members we do not vote on proposed Academy policy but we would like to
comment on the "final draft" circulated on Saturday. We continue to be gravely troubled by the recommendation to
encourage "use (of) vaccines that do not contain Thimerosal". We believe that this will result in a delay for
many children to get some of their immunization, the development of vaccine shortages, and will place
the pediatrician in the "middle": she will have to choose between giving the less preferred vaccine or no
vaccine. Over the weekend, we and our colleagues have developed the concept of "prudent selection"
which the PHS plans to be its recommendation to accompany the release of our joint statement. This will
outline a series of options within the context of the existing guidelines that permits the pediatrician to use
up their existing supplies of vaccines. We urge you to consider revising your recommendations or at least
taking the time to consider the option we intend to put forth. We would be pleased to allow you to
examine our working paper as soon as it is available (hopefully be Tuesday a.m.). It would be far better
were the Academy and the PHS aligned together in our recommendations." (emphasis added)
Source:Birt, Elizabeth, J.D.,L.L.M., and James Moody, J.D. "Timeline." Letter to Lauren Fuller, Chief Investigative
Counsel, U.S. Senate HELP. 15 July 2005. TS.

July 7, 1999
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF
PEDIATRICS (AAP) RECOMMENDS THAT
MERCURY SHOULD BE OUT OF
VACCINES.

July 7, 1999
U.S. Government health officials responded to the Thimerosal issue, first time. There are a flurry of emails issued in
late June – early July among FDA, CDC and AAP officials. This is the first time that we see U.S. Government
health officials have officially responded to the Thimerosal issue (mercury). This leads to a joint AAP-PHS
statement on Thimerosal, issued on July 7, 1999: Joint AAP – PHS Statement issued re known serious risk by
failure to immunize versus much smaller of exposure to Thimerosal (mercury). Here is an excerpt, which far
minimizes the panic of the associated vaccine policy agencies: "The recognition that some children could be
exposed to a cumulative level of mercury over the first six months of life that exceeds one of the federal guidelines
on methylmercury now requires a weighing of two different types of risks when vaccinating infants. On the one
hand, there is the known serious risk of diseases and deaths caused by failure to immunize our infants against
vaccine-preventable infectious diseases; on the other, there is the unknown and probably much smaller risk, if
any, of neuro-developmental effects posed by exposure to Thimerosal. The large risks of not vaccinating children
far outweigh the unknown and probably much smaller risk, if any, of cumulative exposure to Thimerosal-containing
vaccines over the first six months of life. Nevertheless, because any potential risk is of concern, the Public Health
Service, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and vaccine manufacturers agree that Thimerosal-containing
vaccines should be removed as soon as possible. Similar conclusions were reached this year in a meeting
attended by European regulatory agencies, the European vaccine manufacturers, and the US FDA which
examined the use of Thimerosal-containing vaccines produced or sold in European countries."

July 9, 1999
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the
Public Health Service provide a joint
statement recommending mercury be
removed from vaccines.

July 7 and July 31, 1999
The CDC is provided the opportunity from vaccine makers Merck and
Smithkline Beecham to reduce the cumulative amount of mercury in
vaccines from 237.5 mcg to 100 mcg (by 18 months). If the CDC
had accepted the offers from Merck and Smithkline Beecham infants
born starting in September 1999 would have received the same
amount of mercury from vaccines that children received in the 1980s
when the autism rate was 1 in 10,000. However, the CDC did not
accept this offer and mercury levels in vaccines remained the same.

August 11, 1999
The National Vaccine Program held a conference on Thimerosal in
vaccines. An email was sent from Geoffrey Evans of HRSA
regarding the Lister Hill meeting. This email stated "The purpose of
the meeting was to get everyone "on the same page" regarding the
issue of mercury in vaccines, not to set policy, but to exchange
information. (60)
Source: Birt, Elizabeth, J.D., L.L.M., & James Moody, J.D."Timeline"
Letter to Lauren Fuller, Chief Investigative Counsel, U.S. Senate
HELP. July 15, 2005. TS.

September 24, 1999
Lou Cooper, M.D. of AAP sent the following email to Bruce Gellin, M.D., Sam Katz, M.D. and Walter Orenstein, M.D the then
acting head of CDC. "Ed. Can't say I am pleased about the material you sent, but my response has several parts. 1. I
support states in adjusting immunization policy where appropriate for local circumstances. CDC and AAP committees
generally make room for such adjustments. I am not sure of the data which support a MA variation at this time.; 2) This
particular shift seems first of all to be based on revision of all that was discussed by the PHS including the FDA and CDC
and multiple AAP experts in July and the consensus of what was presented at the broadly-based conference at NIH on Aug
11. So that is troubling.; 3) I agree with you that the timing of a shift back to universal Hep B vaccine in Massachusetts
newborn nurseries BEFORE there is sufficient Thimerosal-free vaccine seems to add an unnecessary element of confusion
for clinicians and the public and fuel for the antivaccine arguments of folks already so inclined.; 4) At this stage of our
knowledge of Hep B vertical transmissions, sophisticated health systems should have well-routinized appropriate serologic
testing for all pregnant women getting prenatal care. There was full agreement about what to do for what should be a small
number of untested women who present higher risks; 5) So for me, bottom line is that it sounds like someone(s) with vested
interests that give perspective different from mine and our AAP COlD is massaging data and reaching a conclusion that I
hope doesn't spread to other states (emphasis added); 6) When sufficient Thimerosal-free vaccine is available this issue will
be moot Democracy is tough. Thanks for letting me comment. I have· shared this with three folks who may have more to
offer and should be alert to what MA is doing." (61) What is interesting about this email is that as earlier as September, only
two months after the joint statement was crafted there was movement AWAY from delaying the birth dose of Hepatitis B until
sufficient Thimerosal free vaccine was available. We are unsure who the individuals with "vested interests" who are
"massaging the data" are but we suspect it was individuals at federal health agencies in concert with individuals at the
vaccine manufacturers.

September 24, 1999 - pt 2
"In order to prepare such a statement that CDC folks can be comfortable with, we
should redraft the notice to readers to contain more information about Hg blood levels
that a pregnant woman might experience as a result of the flu vaccination and why
such levels are judged to be safe. (Bernier for NIP)" (emphasis added). What this
email clearly illustrates is the extent of the CDC "spin" on the entire Thimerosal issue.
Their primary focus is on protecting the integrity of the immunization program not on
safety. Time after time the CDC makes blanket statements regarding the "safety" of
Thimerosal with no data. It is certain individuals at FDA like Dr. Ball who are
consistently attempting to correct the record. It is the FDA that is stating that there is
no science to back up CDC's position.
Source: Birt, Elizabeth, J.D., L.L.M., & James Moody, J.D."Timeline" Letter to Lauren
Fuller, Chief Investigative Counsel, U.S. Senate HELP. July 15, 2005. TS.

October 19, 1999
CDC circulated a "Proposed ACIP Statement on Thimerosal." CDC also prepared a PowerPoint presentation which
is attached to the statement. What is interesting about these documents is the concern at CDC of the cost to the
agency of returning Thimerosal containing vaccines "CDC estimates there is at least $5.9 million in Thimerosal
containing DTaP vaccines purchased through CDC's contracts in state, local and provider's present inventories.
There is no return credit for vaccines not used when supplied through public purchase. The number of vaccine
manufacturers with whom CDC contracts for DTaP would be reduced from 4 to 1. One company would be
excluded entirely from CDC's market. Another company's market share would drop from 44% to 0%. The Hepatitis
B (P & A) vaccine that is preservative-free is no sufficient to meet the national need though consideration of a
combination Hib-Hep B vaccine could reduce this problem. There may be increased risk with respect to vaccine
supply when the U.S. market is totally dependent up<;>n one manufacturer. Sole source contracts eliminate
competitive pricing." In addition to the PowerPoint document a chart was prepared listing the "pros and cons" of
stating a preference for Thimerosal free vaccines. One of the "pros" is listed as "faster potential reduction in
number of infants with exposure" on the next line the "con" listed was "potential liability and loss of confidence if
adverse association is later documented."
Source:Birt, Elizabeth, J.D., L.L.M., & James Moody, J.D."Timeline" Letter to Lauren Fuller, Chief Investigative

1999: It Just Won’t Go Away!
The CDC initiates its own study on the incidence of autism resulting in
children exposed to various levels of mercury in Thimerosal containing
vaccines. Dr. Thomas Verstraeten is the lead researcher on the study.
In a Dec. 17, 1999 email (entitled “it just won’t go away!”) to his
colleagues in the NIP, Verstraeten reports that all the damage is done
in the first month of life. In “Generation Zero” of his data analysis, it
can be seen that the children that receive the highest dose of mercury
in the first month are 7.62 times more likely to get anautism (2990 on
the chart) diagnosis. Also, within a presentation that Verstraeten gave
at the 1999 Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference (an internal
conference at the CDC), showing the autism risk along with a 1.8
times risk for any neurological disorder, 2.1 for speech disorders and
5.0 for non-organic sleep disorders. The [BSH1] Verstraeten study
went through 5 more data iterations, using alternative HMO datasets,
stratification methods and statistical “Olympics” all designed to
obfuscate the 7.62 number seen in the “generation zero” study. This
took over 4 years as the final paper was not published until 2003.
Even then, Verstraeten himself said that the study was “neutral” and
did not exonerate Thimerosal, but indicated that more study was
necessary (as recorded in his 2004 letter to the editor of the Journal

1999: It Just Won’t Go Away! - pt 2
Frank Destefano
Thomas Verstraeten
Robert Davis

November 26, 1999
CDC decides vaccines containing Thimerosal (mercury) are
safe enough to continue to use in infants, despite overtures
by vaccine manufacturers that can supply the U.S. with
entirely Thimerosal-free stock.
Dr. Koplan in his reply to SmithKline Beecham states that the
CDC plans to “continue to provide the States with a choice
among currently licensed brands of the DTaP vaccine.” In
other words, the CDC would NOT provide SmithKline
Beecham with an exclusive contract for DTaP for the first
half of 2000 and further would NOT recommend the Infanrix
formulation over any competitive, Thimerosal-containing
product. Thus, the CDC had already made its decision
regarding Thimerosal-containing vaccines: that they were
safe enough not to make a preference for Thimerosal-free
formulations.
Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, CDC Director 1999

The 2000s
Summary: While the new millennium brought about new evidence and proof that exposure to Thimerosal
(mercury) was directly related to the increase in autism rate, the CDC with the help of the Institute of
Medicine (IOM) will tell the world mercury in vaccines is not linked to autism. The world is never told the
CDC and IOM based their message of “mercury in vaccines is not linked to autism” on fraudulent
epidemiological science. The world is also never told crucial information about the IOM conclusions. In a
paper written by George Lucier, Ph.D., the former Associate Director of the National Toxicology Program,
HHS, he provides these crucial details about the IOM conclusions:
“…..the Committee Chair stated, before any evidence was presented, that the Committee would never
determine that autism was a true side effect. Statements like this would not be made if the deliberations
were intended to be objective and based on scientific facts. The IOM concluded in 2004 that Thimerosal
does not cause autism but this conclusion is tainted because of the prejudicial statements made by the
Committee at the onset of deliberations and the undue reliance on research conducted by scientists who
did not disclose conflicts of interests in their publications. Inexplicably, the IOM Committee seemingly
ignored a vast body of science, including epidemiology studies, indicating that Thimerosal causes
neurodevelopmental disorders.”

The 2000s - pt 2
Despite the first court case filed against mercury poisoning/vaccines and
medical studies proving the dangers of Thimerosal, the 2000s saw a
rise in administering vaccines containing Thimerosal. Even though the
Thimerosal labels read, “Exposure to mercury in utero and in children
may cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor
coordination impairment,” the CDC pushed these mercury-laden
vaccines on pregnant women and infants. Meanwhile, the Journal of
Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry continued to release studies
showing the direct link between Thimerosal (mercury) and autism.

2000: Autism Rate Climbing
According to a 2008
CDC report the U.S.
autism rate for children
born in 2000 is 1 in 88.

June 7, 2000
Quotes from the June 7, 2000 Simpsonwood Meeting
Notes: Emphasis added to quotes. The transcript from this meeting was obtained through a FOIA request by
parents.
Dr. Verstraeten, pg. 40-41: “…we have found statistically significant relationships between the exposure and
outcomes for these different exposures and outcomes. First, for two months of age, an unspecified developmental
delay, which has its own specific ICD9 code. Exposure at three months of age, Tics. Exposure at six months of
age, an attention deficit disorder. Exposure at one, three and six months of age, language and speech delays,
which are two separate ICD9 codes. Exposures at one, three and six months of age, the entire category of
neurodevelopmental delays, which includes all of these plus a number of other disorders."
Dr. Bernier, pg. 113: "We have asked you to keep this information confidential. We do have a plan for discussing
these data at the upcoming meeting of the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices on June 21 and June
22. At that time CDC plans to make a public release of this information so I think it would serve all of our interests
best if we could continue to consider these data. The ACIP work group will be considering also. If we could
consider these data in a certain protected environment. So we are asking people who have a great job protecting
this information up until now, to continue to do that until the time of the ACIP meeting. So to basically consider this
embargoed information.”

June 7, 2000 - pt 2
Dr. Verstraeten, pg. 165: "Personally, I have three hypotheses. My first hypothesis is it is parental bias. The children that are
more likely to be vaccinated are more likely to be picked and diagnosed. Second hypothesis, I don't know. There is a bias
that I have not recognized, and nobody has yet told me about it. Third hypothesis. It's true, it's Thimerosal. Those are my
hypotheses."
Dr. Johnson, pg. 198: "This association leads me to favor a recommendation that infants up to two years old not be immunized
with Thimerosal containing vaccines if suitable alternative preparations are available. I do not believe the diagnoses justifies
compensation in the Vaccine Compensation Program at this point. I deal with causality, it seems pretty clear to me that the
data are not sufficient one way or the other. My gut feeling? It worries me enough. Forgive this personal comment, but I got
called out of an eight o'clock for an emergency call and my daughter-in-law delivered her son by C-section. Our first male in
the line of the next generation, and I do not want that grandson to get a Thimerosal containing vaccine until we know better
what is going on. It will probably take a long time. In the meantime, and I know there are probably implications for this
internationally, but in the meantime I think I want that grandson to only be given Thimerosal-free vaccines."
Dr. Weil of the AAP, pg. 207: "The number of dose related relationships are linear and statistically significant. You can play with
this all you want. They are linear. They are statistically significant. The positive relationships are those that one might expect
from the Faroe Islands studies. They are also related to those data we do have on experimental animal data and similar to
the neurodevelopmental tox data on other substances, so that I think you can't accept that this is out of the ordinary. It isn't
out of the ordinary."

June 7, 2000 - pt 3
Dr. Clements, pg 247- 249: "I am really concerned that we have taken off like a boat going down one arm of the
mangrove swamp at high speed, when in fact there was not enough discussion really early on about which was
the boat should go at all. And I really want to risk offending everyone in the room by saying that perhaps this study
should not have been done at all, because the outcome of it could have, to some extent, been predicted, and we
have all reached this point now where we are left hanging, even though I hear the majority of consultants say to
the Board that they are not convinced there is a causality direct link between Thimerosal and various neurological
outcomes."
"I know how we handle it from here is extremely problematic. The ACIP is going to depend on comments from this
group in order to move forward into policy, and I have been advised that whatever I say should not move into the
policy area because that is not the point of this meeting. But nonetheless, we know from many experiences in
history that the pure scientist has done research because of pure science. But that pure science has resulted in
splitting the atom or some other process, which is completely beyond the power of the scientists who did the
research to control it. And what we have here is people who have, for every best reason in the world, pursued a
direction of research. But there is not the point at which the research results have to be handled, and even if this
committee decides that there is no association and that information gets out, the work that has been done and
through the freedom of information that will be taken by others and will be used in ways beyond the control of this
group. And I am very concerned about that as I suspect it already too late to do anything regardless of any

June 7, 2000 - pt 4
"My mandate as I sit here in this group is to make sure at the end of the day the 100,000,000 are
immunized with DTP, Hepatitis B and if possible Hib, this year, next year and for many years to
come, and that will have to be with Thimerosal containing vaccines unless a miracle occurs and
an alternative is found quickly and is tried and found to be safe."
"So I leave you with the challenge that I am very concerned that this has gotten this far, and that
having got this far, how you present in a concerted voice the information to the ACIP in a way they
will be able to handle it and not get exposed to the traps which are out there in public relations. My
message would be that any other study, and I like the study that has just been described here
very much. I think it makes a lot of sense, but it has to be thought through. What are the potential
outcomes and how will you handle it? How will it be presented to a public and media that is
hungry for selecting the information they want to use for whatever means they in store for
them?…but I wonder how on earth you are going to handle it from here."

June 7, 2000: Simpsonwood
A secret meeting is held between CDC scientists and industry consultants (including representatives
from vaccine manufacturers) at Simpsonwood, Georgia. At this meeting, the scientists and
consultants discuss how to approach the initial data from the Verstraeten et al. (CDC) study
showing a relationship between Thimerosal (mercury) exposure and autism incidence.
It is egregious that vaccine manufacturers would be involved in vaccination policy decisions where
they have potential product liability. Concerning the meeting, Dr. Robert Chen (then head of the
Immunization Safety Office of the CDC) stated, “We have been privileged so far that given the
sensitivity of information, we have been able to manage to keep it out of, let's say, less
responsible hands..." Concerning the data, there was an effort to develop statistical
methodologies that would manipulate the data in such a fashion to remove the statistically
significant relationship between Thimerosal and autism. Specifically, Dr. Philip Rhodes (NIP at the
CDC) states, “So you can push, I can pull. But there has been substantial movement from this
very highly significant result down to a fairly marginal result.” The full Simpsonwood meeting
transcript may be viewed here.

2000: RFK, Jr. and Simpsonwood
RFK, Jr. describing Simpsonwood

June 18, 2000
The first Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on Thimerosal in medical products. Chairman Burton asked
Dr. Egan the following question: "When did the FDA and CDC first start being concerned about mercury in vaccines?" Dr.
Egan responded, "I guess that the major concern started somewhere around May of 1999?" In addition, Dr. Egan was asked
by Congresswoman Chenowith-Hage at the same hearing: "With regards to the introduction of the Hib vaccine and Hepatitis
B vaccine, could you advise the committee on what studies were done with regards to these new vaccines that would prove
Thimerosal safe?" Dr. Egan's response was "There is a long history of the use, the safe use of Thimerosal, you know, in
vaccines since they were-since it was first introduced. And at that time (1990) there was no data to suggest that the added
mercury from the introduction of those vaccines would be harmful." These statements by Dr. Egan either reflect the gross
incompetence of Dr. Egan or are patently false.
Mr. Burton: “And the FDA and CDC are committed to phasing it out. Why not take it out today; 8,000 children are going to be
immunized today. We understand that there is a supply for every child in America of non mercury-orientated drugs. Why is it
that we are not phasing it out today?” Mr. Egan: “There are a couple of things. If l can first address its use as a preservative,
it is an effective preservative, and it is demonstrated to be an effective preservative. All of the preservatives that are used in
vaccines are required to meet the USP definition of a preservative, meaning that the test article, the vaccine with the
preservative in it is taken. There are five challenge organisms that are added, there are three bacteria and two fungi, and
these are added at 0.1 milliliter of each of the bacteria and fungi in a concentration between 100,000 and a million
organisms, and within 14 days the preservative is required to reduce the bacterial count by 99.9 percent."

June 18, 2000 - pt 2
It is clear that Dr. Egan either completely forgot about this
conversation with Mr. Raza and was also unaware of the
problems of abscesses following the administration of
DTP vaccines containing Thimerosal or he committed
perjury.
Source: Birt, Elizabeth, J.D.,L.L.M., and James Moody,
J.D. "Timeline." Letter to Lauren Fuller, Chief
Investigative Counsel, U.S. Senate HELP. 15 July 2005.

September 2000
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences is commissioned for meetings and studies on vaccine
safety. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences is commissioned through an Intra-Agency
Agreement (IAA) between the CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct 8 separate meetings leading to 8
reports on vaccine adverse effects, including a meeting and report on Thimerosal containing vaccines and autism. The IOM
is paid a total of $2,043,000 to conduct these studies. The IOM Immunization Safety Review (ISR) committee is formed to
preside over the meetings and write the subsequent reports. Closed door meeting transcripts of the IOM ISR committee
include statements by the chairperson Dr. Marie McCormick (Harvard School of Public Health) such as “[CDC] wants us to
declare, well, these things [i.e., vaccines] are pretty safe on a population basis” (p. 33, closed door transcripts from
1/12/2001) and “we are not ever going to come down that [autism] is a true side effect” (p. 97, closed door transcripts from
1/12/2001). Transcripts are available for perusal here.
This contradicts Dr. Bill Egan’s testimony before the Committee on Government Reform on July 18, 2000 on this issue. Mr.
Burton: “And mercury is a poison?” Mr. Egan: “Yes, it is. It is neurotoxic.” Mr. Burton: "And the FDA and CDC are committed
to phasing it out. Why not take it out today; 8,000 children are going to be immunized today. We understand that there is a
supply for every child in America of non-mercury-orientated drugs. Why is it that we are not phasing it out today?" Mr. Egan:
"There are a couple of things. If I can first address its use as a preservative, it is an effective preservative, and demonstrated
to be an effective preservative. All of the preservatives that are used in vaccines are required to meet the USP definition of a
preservative, meaning that the test article, the vaccine with the preservative in it, is taken. There are five challenge
organisms that are added, there are three bacteria and two fungi, and these are added at 0.1 milliliter of each of the bacteria

March 23, 2001
First Mercury Poisoning/Vaccine Case Filed
The law firm of Waters & Kraus, LLP, based in Dallas, Texas, announced today that it has filed the first
known civil case alleging that the mercury-based preservative Thimerosal, used recently in more than 30
childhood vaccines, has caused mercury poisoning in many children. Counter, et al v. Abbott
Laboratories, et al, (Case No. GN 100866, 200th District Court - Travis County, Texas). The symptoms of
mercury poisoning are, in many cases, identical to the symptoms of autism, although the suit does not
allege that all persons suffering from the symptoms of autism do so as a result of mercury poisoning.
However, many children suffering from mercury poisoning have been previously diagnosed with autism
due to the similarity of symptoms.
Press Release: First Mercury Poisoning/Vaccine Case Filed
Press Release: Eli Lilly Documents Reveal Dangers of Thimerosal
Legal Matters: Eli Lilly And Thimerosal

April 2001
Autism: a Novel Form of Mercury
Poisoning research paper is
published. Parents begin to learn
autistic symptoms and mercury
poisoning symptoms are identical.
Source: Generation Rescue

June 2001
CDC and the United Kingdom collaborate to investigate any correlation
between Thimerosal (mercury) containing infant vaccines and
neurodevelopmental disorders. A relationship is forged between the Private
Health and Life Science (PHLS) agency in the UK, represented by Dr.
Elizabeth Miller, and the CDC, represented by Dr. Thomas Verstraeten and
Dr. Robert Chen, to investigate any correlation between Thimerosal
containing infant vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders including
autism. The funds for the study were granted by the World Health
Organization, but email correspondences made it clear that Dr. Verstraeten
and Dr. Chen had decision authority on the funds granted.

July 16, 2001
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) holds a meeting on Thimerosal
(mercury) containing vaccines. In this meeting, data are
presented primarily to support at least a correlation between
autism incidence and Thimerosal exposure. At the conclusion
of the meeting, the CDC anticipates that the IOM report will
conclude that a correlation between autism and Thimerosal
containing vaccines cannot be ruled out, due to the
inadequacy of data at the time of the meeting.

August 2001
The CDC, through NIP Deputy Director Dr. Diane
Simpson, contacts research groups in Denmark and
Sweden to initiate studies on the incidence of autism as
related to the phase out of Thimerosal (mercury) in
Denmark in 1992 and in Sweden in 1988. The email
traffic around these correspondences is highly redacted
but is included as an attachment.

October 1, 2001
The IOM ISR committee issues a report stating the
evidence is inadequate to accept or reject a causal
relationship between Thimerosal (mercury)
containing vaccines and autism. By this time,
relationships had been forged in Denmark, Sweden
and the U.K. with the CDC NIP. Relationships with
Denmark and the U.K. were tied financially to the
CDC.

November 2002
Members of Congress insert a “hidden
provision” into the Homeland Security Bill to
prevent any lawsuits over the mercury-based
preservative Thimerosal.

November 26, 2002
The NY Times reports: The Bush administration
asked a federal claims court today to seal
documents relating to hundreds of claims that a
mercury-based preservative in vaccines,
Thimerosal, has caused autism and other
neurological disorders in children.

May 2003
Mercury in Medicine – Taking Unnecessary Risk Congressional
Report is published. After three years of Congressional Hearings
on vaccines the Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness
of the Committee on Government concludes:
“Thimerosal used as a preservative in vaccines is likely related to
the autism epidemic. This epidemic in all probability may have
been prevented or curtailed had the FDA not been asleep at the
switch regarding the lack of safety data regarding injected
Thimerosal and the sharp rise of infant exposure to this known
neurotoxin. Our public health agencies' failure to act is indicative
of institutional malfeasance for self-protection and misplaced
protectionism of the pharmaceutical industry.”
Despite the conclusion of the 2003 congressional report,
“Thimerosal used as a preservative in vaccines is likely related to
the autism epidemic,” the unborn, infants and children are still
receiving Thimerosal (mercury) containing vaccines.
Congressman Dan Burton - Chairman of the
Committee on Government Reform

May 2003 - pt 2
One of several hearings held by Dan Burton:

June 2003
The American public had been told mercury was out of vaccines. The truth:
mercury remained in vaccines.
From Put Children First:
This letter refutes the often-reported fallacy that Thimerosal was removed
from children's vaccines in 1999. In fact, Thimerosal-containing vaccines
were in the market with expiration dates as late as September 2002, as this
letter explicitly states. (It's also worth noting that the FDA has no
mechanism for tracking vaccines on the shelf, so it's plausible that vaccines
were in the supply chain well past their expiration dates).

August 2003
American Journal Preventative Medicine paper uses separate datasets - Sweden, Denmark & California
attempting to deny causal relationship mercury to autism. A publication supporting the use of Thimerosal
(mercury) in vaccines, coauthored by a CDC employee (Diane Simpson) and a CDC consultant (Paul
Stehr-Green) appears in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine (AJPM). This paper compiles
separate datasets from Sweden, Denmark and California to attempt to deny a causal relationship
between Thimerosal and autism. Severe methodological flaws include the use of Denmark data that
exclude key information showing that autism rates actually decreased after the removal of Thimerosal in
vaccines, the use of inpatient cohorts for the data from Sweden (which do not accurately reflect overall
population trends), difficulties in comparing the low Thimerosal exposure levels in Denmark and Sweden
to the much higher levels in the U.S. and misrepresentation of increases in autism rates in California that
mirror the rise in the uptake of Thimerosal containing vaccines in this State. Emails obtained from the
CDC via the FOIA show Dr. Simpson and Dr. Stehr-Green scouring the world for data that would be
“helpful” for publication. Dr. Simpson in an email to Stehr-Green writes, “It is possible that the data won’t
help us at all, but we won’t know until we see it.” One must infer that helpful data would be those that
exonerate Thimerosal.

September 2003
Denmark publication (first) in Pediatrics, “proving mercury safe in
vaccines." This is after the publication was rejected by the Journal of
the American Med Assn (JAMA) and Lancet. In order to get the
publication accepted in Pediatrics, Dr. Jose Cordero (at the request of
Dr. Poul Thorsen) writes a letter requesting expedited review in the
publication. The publication omits key data showing that autism
diagnosis rates in Denmark actually decreased after Thimerosal was
phased out of infant vaccines in 1992. This fraud was perpetrated with
the full knowledge of the CDC.

October 2003
The second Denmark publication appears in the JAMA. This
publication recycles data from the first Denmark publication, uses a
flawed database where 10-25% of the older cohorts disappear from
the records and skews the data to favor younger children that didn’t
receive Thimerosal. Reanalysis of the publication by the group
SafeMinds shows a 2.3 times greater risk in receiving an autism
diagnosis among the children receiving Thimerosal containing
vaccines.

October 21, 2003
Congressman Dave Weldon who is a medical
doctor writes CDC Director Dr. Julie
Gerberding regarding his concerns about the
soon to be published Verstraeten study in
Pediatrics.

November 2003
The CDC’s own publication from the Vaccine Safety Datalink (a compilation of data from 9 separate
U.S. HMOs) appears in the journal Pediatrics. This study represents 5 iterations in which the
relative risk of an autism diagnosis in children exposed to Thimerosal has reduced from 7.62 times
to a level beneath statistical significance. In the actual publication, autism risk data is not shown
but is explained as statistically insignificant. The lead author, Dr. Thomas Verstraeten left the CDC
in July 2001 and at the time of publication was employed by vaccine manufacturer
GlaxoSmithKline. This represents a gross conflict of interest as GSK had produced Thimerosal
containing vaccines implicated in the autism increase worldwide. The CDC has refused to release
email traffic between NIP officials and Dr. Verstraeten relevant to this publication, after the point
where Verstraeten became a GSK employee. Subsequently, in 2004, Dr. Verstraeten, in a letter to
the editor of Pediatrics, explains that this study is a neutral study and cannot be used to rule out a
relationship between Thimerosal containing vaccines and autism. This is despite the fact that the
CDC widely touts the publication as exonerating Thimerosal.

2004: Thimerosal Exposed
Dr. George Lucier former Director, Environmental Toxicology Program National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences, National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, explains how the 2004 IOM outcome was already predetermined by the Center for Disease
Control (CDC).
The IOM 2004 report on Thimerosal-containing vaccines was funded by the CDC. The record shows that the IOM was
inappropriately influenced by the CDC. Transcripts of an early organizational meeting in (IOM transcript Jan 2001)
reveal statements to the effect that the Committee would not conclude that Thimerosal caused neurodevelopmental
disorders because the CDC did not want the IOM to conclude a causal association. This kind of prejudicial push to a
particular conclusion is totally inappropriate for a funding agency requesting an objective evaluation by an IOM
Committee or any Committee for that matter. Moreover, the Committee Chair stated, before any evidence was
presented, that the Committee would never determine that autism was a true side effect. Statements like this would
not be made if the deliberations were intended to be objective and based on scientific facts. The IOM concluded in
2004 that Thimerosal does not cause autism but this conclusion is tainted because of the prejudicial statements made
by the Committee at the onset of deliberations and the undue reliance on research conducted by scientists who did
not disclose conflicts of interests in their publications. Inexplicably, the IOM Committee seemingly ignored a vast body
of science, including epidemiology studies, indicating that Thimerosal causes neurodevelopmental disorders. In fact,
Congressman Weldon (Weldon 2004) expressed concern that the committee members were biased and had conflicts

2004: Pieces to the Autism Puzzle
Pieces to the autism puzzle: Many autistic children have a defect in
the enzyme (MTHFR) that starts the methionine synthase pathway
to make glutathione. Glutathione is a sulfur amino acid needed to
help the body excrete toxins especially toxic metals (mercury,
aluminum).
James et al. study, “We observed a significantly increased frequency
of the homozygous mutation 677CT allele (TT): 23% in the autistic
children compared to 11% in the control population ( <0.0001).
Additionally, the heterozygous 677CT allele (CT) was present in 56%
of the autistic children compared to 41% in the control population
(<0.0001). Somewhat paradoxically, the normal 1298AA allele was
significantly higher in the autistic group, 55%, compared to the
controls, 44% (<0.05). Despite the increased frequency of normal
1298AA alleles, the compound 677CT/1298AC heterozygous
mutations were more prevalent in the autistic population, 25%, than
in controls, 15% (=0.01).”

2004: Pieces to the Autism Puzzle - pt 2
“Overall, the data show an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) associated with
common mutations affecting the folate/methylation cycle. These associations by
themselves may provide a partial explanation for a subgroup of children genomically at risk
for ASD disorders.”
In a related article, Blumkin et al. stated that "MTHFR deficiency was reported as a risk factor
for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder..."
In a later article (James et al. 2006 Am J Med Genet Part B 141B:947), Dr. James and her
team showed that autistic children in general were much more likely to have other genetic
mutations that compromised the methionine synthase pathway. These children possessed
a compromised ability to combat “oxidative stress” caused by environmental toxins.
Extremely low exposure levels of Thimerosal induce an incredibly high level of oxidative
stress as demonstrated by Yel et al. 2005 (Intl J Molec Med 16:971) and Baskin et al. 2003
(Toxicological Sci 74:361), among many others.

2004: U.K. Phase
The United Kingdom phases Thimerosal
out of vaccines.

February 2004
The CDC very hastily commissions the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Immunization
Safety Review Committee (ISR) IOM VSR committee to complete a 9th and final
analysis of “Autism and Vaccines.” This is despite requests from many officials
from the autism community including Dr. David Weldon, a U.S. Congressional
representative from Florida. In the IOM ISR meeting, data is presented from the
4 previously mentioned publications representing epidemiological data only. In
addition, unpublished data from the U.K. are presented to exonerate Thimerosal
(Dr. Elizabeth Miller of the PHLS). In a February 3, 2004 phone call, Dr. Julie
Gerberding (CDC director at the time) indicates to Weldon that the meeting is
preliminary and was NOT to make a final determination on vaccines and autism.

May 14, 2004
The Institute of Medicine, Immunization Safety Review (IOM ISR) committee report on
“Vaccines and Autism” dismisses any link to Autism by Thimerosal. Completely
counter to the words of Dr. Gerberding in her February 3, 2004 phone call to Dr.
David Weldon, The IOM ISR committee report on “Vaccines and Autism” summarily
dismisses any link between Thimerosal exposure, infant vaccines and Thimerosal,
based solely on the five epidemiology studies, each essentially commissioned and
funded by the CDC (only one study considered the more aggressive vaccination
schedule used in the U.S., the Verstraeten et al. 2003 CDC study). The IOM's report
is widely touted to “shut the door” on the Thimerosal/autism debate and is used in
Vaccine Court (NVICP) to deny claims of harm due to Thimerosal exposure. The
conclusions in this report will provide many AAP Pediatricians and the media the
“conclusive evidence” that there is no link between vaccines/Thimerosal and autism.

May 28, 2004
Mercury containing flu vaccines (25 mcg.) are recommended by the
CDC for infants and for the first time the most vulnerable - all the
unborn and infants 6 to 23 months. Thimerosal (mercury)
containing flu shots will begin to be administered to pregnant
women and infants 6 months to 23 months. The CDC does not
recommend a preference for pregnant women and infants to
receive Thimerosal mercury-free flu shots.
So most pregnant women and infants will receive 25 mcg. and 12
mcg. of mercury (respectively) from this vaccine.
Eli Lilly’s Material Safety Data Sheet warns:
Reproduction: Thimerosal - Decreased offspring survival.
Mercury - Changes in sperm production, decreased offspring survival,
and offspring nervous system effects including mild to severe
mental retardation and motor coordination impairment. Read more
here.

August 2004
A consumer advocacy group, HAPI, tests vaccines that made the
claim of being “mercury-free.” Their findings,
“All four vaccine vials tested contained mercury despite
manufacturer claims that two of the vials were completely
mercury free. All four vials also contained aluminum, one nine
times more than the other three, which tremendously enhances
the toxicity of mercury causing neuronal death in the brain.”

September 2004
The Andrews et al. U.K. study, which was presented in
draft form at the Feb. 2004 IOM IVSR committee
meeting, appears in print in the journal Pediatrics. This
study again denies any relationship between Thimerosal
exposure in infant vaccines and neurodevelopmental
disorders, including autism. Funding for the study was
controlled in part by the CDC.

February 8, 2005
'91 Memo Warned of Mercury in Shots
The Merck Memo news story was written by the award winning LA Times
Investigative Consumer Journalist, Myron Levin. Prior to writing the now
famous LA Times Merck Memo story, Myron Leven wrote about the tobacco
industry, auto and tire safety and product liability issues. This story revealed
that Merck in 1991 knew infants who received their shots on schedule would
get a mercury dose up to 87 times higher than guidelines for the maximum
daily consumption of mercury from fish.

February 17, 2005
The Institute of Medicine issues the report, “Vaccine Safety Research, Data Access and Public
Trust.”
This report is essentially a scathing indictment of how the CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) is
operated without any public oversight, despite a project budget that eclipses $190 million taxpayer
dollars. The report’s main recommendation is, “The committee recommends that a subcommittee
of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee that includes representatives of a wide variety of
stakeholders (such as advocacy groups, vaccine manufacturers, FDA and CDC) review and
provide advice to the NIP on the VSD research plan annually. The subcommittee charged with
this role could be the existing Subcommittee on Safety and Communications or a subcommittee
created specifically for the purpose.” The entire report may be read here. The CDC "accepted"
their recommendations but there still is not an oversight committee in place for the VSD.

December 2005
DPT Vaccine maker, Sanofi Pasteur Inc., includes the
following in their package insert (emphasis added):
“Adverse events reported during post-approval use of
Tripedia vaccine include idiopathic thrombocytopenic
purpura, SIDS, anaphylactic reaction, cellulitis, autism,
convulsion/grand mal convulsion, encephalopathy,
hypotonia, neuropathy, somnolence and apnea. Events
were included in this list because of the seriousness or
frequency of reporting.”

December 7, 2005
Autism is not found in unvaccinated
children who are patients of one of the
largest Chicago Pediatric Practices. "We
have a fairly large practice. We have
about 30,000 or 35,000 children that
we've taken care of over the years, and I
don't think we have a single case of
autism in children delivered by us who
never received vaccines," said Dr. Mayer
Eisenstein.
Read more here.
Dr. Mayer Eisenstein

2006: Journal of Toxicology Study
A new study in the Journal of Toxicology and
Environmental Health, Part A (Geier et al. 2006 J Tox
Env Health 69:1481) shows that children receiving
Thimerosal containing DTP and Hib vaccines were 2.6
times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than those
who received the Thimerosal-free DTPH combination
vaccine. This study was completed using the CDC’s
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting Service (VAERS)
database.

July 2006
Eric Fombonne, expert witness for respondents in the
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program,
publishes the paper, “No Evidence of Persisting
Measles Virus in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells
from Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder,”
Pediatrics 118:1664. This paper includes data obtained
without parental consent from 180 children with PDD. In
July 2009, McGill University opens an investigation on
potential research misconduct by Dr. Fombonne, based
on these allegations. Although the results of this
investigation have never been released, Dr. Fombonne
has been recently demoted from his role as Director of
the Child Psychiatry Department at Montreal Children’s
Hospital.
Eric Fombonne

2007: Autism Rate Keeps Climbing
According to a 2013 CDC
report the US Autism rate
for children born in 2007
is 1 in 50.

May 2007
From the research of Geier DA and Geier MR,
it is learned, “Children with ASDs (28.30%)
were significantly more likely (odds ratio 2.35,
95% confidence interval 1.17-4.52, p < 0.01)
to have Rh-negative mothers than controls
(14.36%).”

Summer - Fall 2007
Three test cases in the National Vaccine Injury
Compensation Program are heard in “Vaccine Court”
and a part of the Autism Omnibus Proceedings. Each of
the six cases is dismissed due in part to the five
aforementioned, flawed, fraudulent epidemiological
studies.

November 7, 2007
The U.S. Department of Justice issues the 4C report stating that they
conceded the case of Hannah Poling vs. DHHS. DOJ attorneys stated
“DVIC has concluded that the facts of this case meet the statutory criteria
for demonstrating that the vaccinations Hannah received on July 19, 2000,
significantly aggravated an underlying mitochondrial disorder, which
predisposed her to deficits in cellular energy metabolism, and manifested as
a regressive encephalopathy with features of autism spectrum disorder.
Therefore, respondent recommends that compensation be awarded to
petitioners in accordance with 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-11(c)(1)(C)(ii).” The report
was signed by Peter D. Keisler, Timothy P. Garren, Mark W. Rogers,
Vincent J. Matanoksi, Linda S. Renzi and Lynn E. Ricciardella.

November 30, 2007
Dr. Andrew Zimmerman issues an opinion on the case Hannah
Poling vs. DHHS that states, “The cause for regressive
encephalopathy in Hannah at age 19 months was underlying
mitochondrial dysfunction, exacerbated by vaccine-induced
fever and immune stimulation that exceeded metabolic energy
reserves… Epilepsy is a result of the original brain injury in
Hannah. Its appearance was delayed but was part of the
same pathogenesis that led to autistic encephalopathy.”

May 15, 2008
A new study of the Vaccine Safety Datalink, appearing in
the Journal of the Neurological Sciences (Young et al.
2008 J Neurol Sci 271:110), shows significantly
increased incidences of autism, autism spectrum
disorders, tics, attention deficit disorder and emotional
disturbances with mercury exposure from Thimerosal-
containing vaccines.

September 2008
A new study in the journal Toxicology and Environmental
Chemistry (Gallagher et al. 2008 Tox Env Chem 90:997)
shows that boys who received the full Hepatitis B
vaccine series before 2000 were nine times more likely
to receive a diagnosis of developmental disability than
boys who did not receive the vaccine. This is important
because Thimerosal was not removed from the Hepatitis
B vaccination series until 2002.

2009: Not Your Typical Animal Testing
Rodrigues et al. reports that, in rat studies, “Of the total
mercury found in the brain after TM exposure, 63% was
in the form of Ino-Hg, with 13.5% as Et-Hg and 23.7% as
Met-Hg.” This affirms the previous work of Burbacher et
al. (2005) on macaque monkeys where high levels of
inorganic mercury, recalcitrant to excretion, accumulate
and persist in brain tissues following Thimerosal
exposure.

April 9, 2009
A new study in the journal Cellular Biology and Toxicology (Minami et
al. 2010 Cell Biol Toxicol 26:143) showed that the induction of
metallothionein (MT) messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein was
observed in the cerebellum and cerebrum of mice after Thimerosal
injection, as MT is an inducible protein. Metallothionein is a marker
that would indicate the presence of mercury in these brain tissues as
this study supports the possible biological plausibility for how low
dose exposure to mercury from Thimerosal containing vaccines may
be associated with autism.

June 2009
A new study in the journal Toxicology and Environmental
Chemistry (Geier et al. 2009 Tox Env Chem 91:735)
demonstrates that Thimerosal levels consistent with those
found in Thimerosal containing vaccines causes mitochondrial
dysfunction, impaired oxidative-reduction activity,
degeneration and death in human neuronal and fetal cell
lines. Thimerosal damage was similar to that implicated in
autistic disorders.

December 2009
Dr. Julie Gerberding, CDC Director from 2002-2009, is
named as President of Merck’s vaccine division.
From Dr. Joseph’s Mercola’s article, “….just consider the
fact that Merck makes 14 of the 17 pediatric vaccines
recommended by the CDC, and 9 of the 10
recommended for adults.”

Thimerosal Timeline: From Patent to Autism Diagnoses

Thimerosal Timeline: From Patent to Autism Diagnoses

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Thimerosal Timeline: From Patent to Autism Diagnoses