Do vaccines contain chemicals that may cause autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?

From the Guidelines

No, vaccines do not contain chemicals that cause autism. Multiple studies have thoroughly investigated the ingredients of vaccines, such as thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, and found no link to the development of autism 1.

Key Points

• Vaccines are rigorously tested for safety and efficacy, and their ingredients are carefully selected and monitored to ensure they do not pose a risk to human health.
• The ingredients in vaccines are present in very small amounts, and they serve specific purposes, such as preserving the vaccine or enhancing its effectiveness.
• For example, thimerosal is used in some flu vaccines at a concentration of 0.01% or less, and it has been shown to be safe and effective in preventing bacterial and fungal contamination.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other reputable health organizations have extensively reviewed the evidence and concluded that vaccines are safe and do not cause autism.

Benefits of Vaccination

• The benefits of protecting children against the known risks of influenza are clear, and children should receive any available formulation of vaccine rather than delaying vaccination while waiting for reduced thimerosal-content or thimerosal-free vaccines 1.
• Vaccine manufacturers are delivering increasing amounts of thimerosal-free influenza vaccine each year, and thimerosal-free products can be obtained 1.

Conclusion is not allowed, so the answer is ended here.

From the FDA Drug Label

The 5 mL multi-dose vial presentation contains thimerosal, a mercury derivative, added as a preservative. Each 0.5 mL dose from the multi-dose vial contains 25 mcg mercury.

• Thimerosal is a chemical used as a preservative in some vaccines.
• The vaccine contains mercury, a component of thimerosal, in multi-dose vial presentations. The FDA drug label does not answer the question of whether these chemicals may cause autism spectrum disorder (ASD) 2.

From the Research

Vaccine Components and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• The components of vaccines, such as thimerosal or mercury, have been studied to determine if they are associated with the development of autism or ASD 3, 4.
• Research has shown that there is no relationship between vaccination and autism (OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.92 to 1.06) or ASD (OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.68 to 1.20) 3.
• Specifically, thimerosal-containing vaccines have been found not to be associated with ASD, with epidemiologic studies showing no link between the two 4.

Vaccine Administration and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• The administration of vaccines, including the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, has been studied to determine if it is associated with the development of autism or ASD 3, 5.
• Research has shown that there is no evidence for increased risk of developing autism or ASD following MMR, mercury (Hg), or thimerosal exposure when grouped by condition (OR: 0.90,95% CI: 0.83 to 0.98; p=0.02) or grouped by exposure type (OR: 0.85,95% CI: 0.76 to 0.95; p=0.01) 3.
• The myth that vaccines are associated with autism has been refuted by the great majority of scientists, physicians, and public health researchers, with evidence-based studies showing no link between the two 6, 7.

Public Health Concerns

• The presumed association between vaccines and autism has been a major contributor to parents' refusal to immunize their children, posing a threat to public health 6.
• The rise in autism diagnoses, which is largely due to improvements in diagnostic processes, has fed parental concerns regarding any medical intervention that may be associated with the health of their children 6.
• It is essential to make evidence-based studies relating autism to specific etiologies public and to provide information concerning autism diagnosis and causes through social media and parental organizations to dispel the myth that vaccines are associated with autism 6.