Commentary: A Link Between Mercury Exposure, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders? Implications for Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines.

Autism is a multisystem developmental disorder characterized by dysfunctional immunity and impaired brain function. Although autism is partly determined by genetic susceptibility factors, reported dramatic increases in the prevalence of autism in developed countries have intensified scientific focus on environmental exposures. Pre- and perinatal immunotoxic insults are now strongly suspected as contributors to this increase. Mercury (Hg) is both a neuro- and an immunotoxin and continues to be used in some pediatric vaccines in the form of the preservative thimerosal. Although currently there are no direct human studies on the risks of Hg exposure from thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs), animal studies show that doses relevant to human TCV exposure can result in adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. To date, TCVs continue to be administered on a regular basis to potentially the most vulnerable populations: pregnant women and children. In light of existing experimental evidence, the rationale for using this known immunotoxic and neurotoxic substance in human vaccines should be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]