Community Magazine

Community Magazine: "Infants exposed to the highest levels of thimerosal, a mercury-laden preservative that used to be found in many vaccines, were no more likely to develop autism than infants exposed to small amounts, according to a study conducted by the immunization safety office at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in the journal Pediatrics. Thimerosal has been used as a preservative in vaccines since the 1930s. In the last decade, scientists have also presented evidence refuting an earlier claim that the MMR (mumps, measles, rubella) vaccine might trigger autism. In the wake of the latest study, Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for a leading advocacy group, Autism Speaks, urged parents to have their children vaccinated."