The Claim:
AÂ tweeted video features a familiar American environmental lawyer claiming that the Hepatitis B vaccine is largely responsible for an autism epidemic.
The Facts:
Vaccines do not cause autism, but misinformation falsely claiming a link between vaccines and autism persists. First, anti-vaccine activist Wakefield published a fraudulent study that falsely claimed a link between autism and MMR. Now, a well-known anti-vaccine lawyer is claiming that thimerosal in the Hep B vaccine caused a 1995 “explosion” in autism a few years after the vaccine became widely available. Let’s review the problems with this claim.
First, studies show that thimerosal does not increase the risk of autism. In addition, thimerosal has not even been used in childhood vaccines since 2001.
Second, autism diagnoses continued to rise following the 2001 removal of thimerosal from all childhood vaccines. The continued rise of autism diagnoses is, in fact, mostly due to growing awareness and changing diagnostic criteria.
Our anti-vaxxer does allude to a study that was approved by the CDC. This study used Vaccine Safety Datalink data to evaluate the effects of thimerosal in childhood vaccines. The study identified a signal of an increase of autism, but a signal does not necessarily indicate causation between vaccination and side effects. A signal suggests a need for further study. As a cautionary measure, however, the birth dose of the Hep B vaccination was suspended until the thimerosal-free vaccine was available in 1999.
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Glossary words on this page
- Autism
- Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference that affects how autistic people experience the world around them.
- Epidemic
- When a disease spreads beyond what is normal or expected, infecting a lot of people in a specific population or area.
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection passed person-to-person through blood and other bodily fluids.
- Side effect
- A response that happens as a result of a vaccine, such as redness or swelling at the injection site.
- Thimerosal
- A once commonly used preservative in multi-dose vaccine vials, thimerosal breaks down into ethylmercury and is excreted from the body.
Disclaimer
Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.
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