If you investigate the 27 scientific studies that supposedly settle the science that vaccines don't cause autism, you will find that 13 of them look at the thimerosal (mercury) - autism relationship, 10 of them look at the MMR vaccine - autism relationship; and 4 of them are meta-analyses of those 23 studies. One vaccine (MMR) and one ingredient (thimerosal) - that's all that's ever been studied to "prove" vaccines don't cause autism.
But if you look at the ingredient list of vaccines provided by the CDC, you will find 38 separate ingredients. These ingredients are present in two or more vaccines. Heavy metals like aluminum potassium sulfate, aluminum hydroxide, potassium aluminum sulfate, and thimerosal (mercury). Chemicals like ammonium sulfate, 2-phenoxyethanol, detergent, ethanol, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, lactalbumin hydrolysate, monosodium l-glutamate, phenol, phosphate, polymyxin B-sulfate, polysorbate-80, potassium chloride, potassium phosphate monobasic, sodium borate, sodium phosphate dibasic, soy peptone, and sodium choloride. In addition, animal and human components like bovine components, bovine serum albumin, chick embryo cell culture, human embryonic culture (from aborted fetal cells), human components, and vero (monkey kidney cells). Mix in some antibiotics, amino acids, dextrose, mineral salts, enzymes, hydrolyzed gelatin, sorbitol, and sucrose. Inject the aforementioned concoction (multiple times) directly into the bloodstream of infants who have yet to develop a fully functioning immune system.
There are 20 vaccines given to American children before they reach the age of 18 months. The following represents the CDC vaccine schedule: Pregnancy: flu, DTaP; Birth: Hep B; 2 months: Hep B, Rotavirus, DTaP, Hib, PCV, IPV; 4 months: Hep B, Rotavirus, DTaP, Hib, PCV, IPV; 6 months: Hep B, Rotavirus, DTaP, Hib, PCV, IPV, flu; 12 - 18 months: flu, Hib, PCV, MMR, Varicella, Hep A, DTaP, flu, Hep A.
In the previous 2 paragraphs, the bolded ingredient (thimerosal) and the MMR vaccine are the only things from those long lists that have ever been investigated in the 27 scientific studies quoted by Drs. Offit and Hotz. When interviewed, they are exasperated and mystified that anti-vaccine opponents would question vaccine safety. In their minds, the science is settled and only a moron would question it. But David Kirby, former investigative journalist with the New York Times stated, "...it is unscientific and perilously misleading for anyone to assert that "vaccine and autism" have been studied and that no link has been found. That's because the 16 or so studies constantly cited by critics of the hypothesis have examined just one vaccine and one vaccine ingredient...It is illogical to exonerate all vaccines, all vaccine ingredients, and the total US vaccine program as a whole, based solely on a handful of epidemiological studies of just one vaccine and one vaccine ingredient."
J. B. Handley in his book, How to End the Autism Epidemic, states, "Remember that in 1962 the maximum number of vaccines a child would receive by age five was three. In 1983 the maximum number of vaccines a child would receive by age five was ten. Today that number is thirty-eight, which is nearly quadruple what it was in 1983 and more than twelve times what it was in 1962. Today by the time a child is five years old, if his parents follow the CDC's recommended schedule, he will have received the following vaccines, with most being given three to four separate times: (1) hepatitis B, (2) rotavirus, (3) DTP, (4) Hib, (5) pneumococcal, (6) polio, (7) flu, (8) MMR, (9) varicella, (10) hepatitis A, (11) meningococcal...and (12) HPV (teenagers).
Today at his two-month-old "well baby" visit, the average American infant will receive six separate vaccines in about fifteen minutes." In the first 12 months of life a typical American baby will receive 20 vaccines. "Of those first twenty vaccines given to American babies, how many have been studied for their relationship to autism? None." MMR isn't given until month 13.
Pharmaceutical and vaccine spokespeople are not looking out for the public. They are looking out for themselves. It is time for an open discussion about vaccine safety testing - the lives of our children depend upon it. For more information on vaccines, see my book, There's An Elephant in the Room - Exposing Hidden Truths in the Science of Health.