To Vaccinate or Not?

‘Recent headlines: Thimerosal did not cause autism, court rules’
This debate, that thimerosal (previously used as a preservative in vaccines) caused autism has long been established as NOT being the culprit. These cases are emotionally charged, and I have great sympathy for the parents raising autistic children. This quote from the advocacy group Autism Speaks, pretty much sums up the situation: “the proven benefits of vaccinating a child to protect them against serious diseases far outweigh the hypothesized risk that vaccinations might cause autism. Thus, we strongly encourage parents to vaccinate their children to protect them from serious childhood diseases.”