However, the larger point remains. Thimerosal use in childhood vaccines has been reduced, and more parents are opting out of vaccination, but autism diagnoses continue to rise. If Thimerosal causes autism, how can less exposure to Thimerosal lead to more incidents of autism? Shouldn’t reduced exposure to Thimerosal mean that fewer children get autism?

Since we’re trading links again, here is the ingredient disclosure for the same vaccine in 2006:
“Each 0.5-mL dose contains 10 mcg of hepatitis B surface antigen adsorbed on 0.25 mg aluminum as aluminum hydroxide. The pediatric formulation contains sodium chloride (9 mg/mL) and phosphate buffers (disodium phosphate dihydrate, 0.98 mg/mL; sodium dihydrogen phosphate dihydrate, 0.71 mg/mL).”

http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_engerixb.pdf

_http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/958563/engerixb_hepatitis_b_vaccine_ingredients.html?cat=70

_ http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html

Below is the GlaxoSmithKline 2005 ingredient disclosure for their Engerix-B vaccine. The last sentence is priceless. How much is a ’small’ amount?

INGREDIENTS:
The active ingredient of
ENGERIX-B is the surface protein
of the hepatitis B virus, derived
from genetically engineered yeast
cells. The vaccine is not
infectious, and will not give you
the hepatitis B virus.
Inactive ingredients in the vaccine
are: aluminium hydroxide, sodium
phosphate, sodium chloride (salt),
sodium acid phosphate,
polysorbate 20 and water. A very
small amount of thiomersal may
also be present.

_ http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcmed.nsf/pages/gwcengrv/$File/gwcengrv.pdf

“Ethylmercury vs. Methylmercury

[Ethylmercury is found in vaccines. When the toxicity of Methylmercury is produced vaccinators will usually counter with the comment Ethylmercury is totally different and safer.]

Several pages of the paper examine the toxicity of methylmercury and its past use as a fungicide. We are led to believe that this form of mercury is much different than ethylmercury, the type found in vaccines. This is in spite of the fact that ethylmercury was used for the same purpose. In fact, Ethylmercurric Chloride, the material used as a fungicide (which was banned long ago) is what is used to make thimerosal. This can be easily confirmed by looking in a Merck Index. We now know that this type of mercury deposits twice as much inorganic mercury in the brains of primates as compared to equal doses of methylmercury (4). Inorganic mercury, following the de-methylation of organic mercury, has been identified as the primary neurotoxic agent in primate studies (5). ”

_http://www.whale.to/vaccines/ethyl_vs_methyl.html

Yes, methyl mercury is poisonous. But it’s not instantly deadly. It acts because it builds up in the body over time. However, vaccines have never contained methyl mercury. Thimerosal contains small amounts of ethyl mercury, which the body is able to expel fairly quickly.

I’m not a chemist, though, so I’m not going to wrangle too much on that point. The big thing, though is that Thimerosal hasn’t been used in childhood vaccines in the U.S. since 1997. It’s been more than a decade since the ethyl mercury was removed from the vaccines, yet autism rates continue to climb. That, to me, suggests strongly that there isn’t a connection.

Thanks for the link. Here’s one for you. I hope you enjoy it.
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4055

And, for the record, I wasn’t just questioning the fetal tissue. I asked about all the ingredients claimed by the commenter.

Now, I have another question. What does this have to do with autism, exactly? Is the claim that this component of these vaccines causes autism? Or is it just moral button-pushing, unrelated to the original debate?

…in response to doubt of fetal tissue in vaccines.