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Mercury, vaccines, and autism: One controversy, three histories

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  • Baker, J.P.

Abstract

The controversy regarding the once widely used mercury-containing preservative thimerosal in childhood vaccines has raised many historical questions that have not been adequately explored. Why was this preservative incorporated in the first place? Was there any real evidence that it caused harm? And how did thimerosal become linked in the public mind to the "autism epidemic"? I examine the origins of the thimerosal controversy and their legacy for the debate that has followed. More specifically, I explore the parallel histories of three factors that converged to create the crisis: vaccine preservatives, mercury poisoning, and autism. An understanding of this history provides important lessons for physicians and policymakers seeking to preserve the public's trust in the nation's vaccine system.

Suggested Citation

  • Baker, J.P., 2008. "Mercury, vaccines, and autism: One controversy, three histories," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(2), pages 244-253.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2007.113159_4
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2007.113159
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    Cited by:

    1. Qian, Mengcen & Chou, Shin-Yi & Lai, Ernest K., 2020. "Confirmatory bias in health decisions: Evidence from the MMR-autism controversy," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    2. Laurie A. Drapela & Dana Lee Baker, 2014. "Policy Awareness, Financial Hardship, and Work Impact," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(3), pages 21582440145, September.
    3. Mengcen Qian & Shin-Yi Chou & Ernest K. Lai, 2020. "Confirmatory Bias in Health Decisions: Evidence from the MMR-Autism Controversy," NBER Working Papers 26772, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Vulpe, Simona - Nicoleta & Rughinis, Cosima, 2021. "Social amplification of risk and “probable vaccine damage”:A typology of vaccination beliefs in 28 European countries," MPRA Paper 105949, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Lara Ferreira Azevedo & Nina Karpova & Bruno Alves Rocha & Fernando Barbosa Junior & Glenda Carolyn Gobe & Maria Fernanda Hornos Carneiro, 2023. "Evidence on Neurotoxicity after Intrauterine and Childhood Exposure to Organomercurials," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-19, January.
    6. Vulpe, Simona - Nicoleta & Rughinis, Cosima, 2021. "The alternative fact of “probable vaccine damage”: A typology of vaccination beliefs in 28 European countries," MPRA Paper 105647, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Zhai, Yujia & Sun, Shaojing & Wang, Fang & Ding, Ying, 2017. "Multiplicity and uncertainty: Media coverage of autism causation," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 873-887.

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