In the 1990s reported autism cases among American children
began spiking, from about 1 in 10,000 in 1987 to a shocking
1 in 166 today. This trend coincided with the addition of
several new shots to the nation's already crowded
vaccination schedule, grouped together and given soon after
birth or in the early months of infancy. Most of these shots
contained a little-known preservative called thimerosal,
which includes a quantity of the toxin mercury.
Evidence of Harm explores the heated controversy over what
many parents, physicians, public officials, and educators
have called an "epidemic" of afflicted children. Following
several families, David Kirby traces their struggle to
understand how and why their once-healthy kids rapidly
descended into silence or disturbed behavior, often
accompanied by severe physical illness. Alarmed by the
levels of mercury in the vaccine schedule, these families
sought answers from their doctors, from science, from
pharmaceutical companies that manufacture vaccines, and
finally from the Center for Disease Control and the Food and
Drug Administration-to no avail. But as they dug deeper, the
families also found powerful allies in Congress and in the
small community of physicians and researchers who believe
that the rise of autism and other disorders is linked to
toxic levels of mercury that accumulate in the systems of
some children.
An important and troubling book, Evidence of Harm reveals
both the public and unsung obstacles faced by desperate
families who have been opposed by the combined power of the
federal government, health agencies, and pharmaceutical
giants. From closed meetings of the FDA, CDC, and drug
companies, to the mysterious rider inserted into the 2002
Homeland Security Bill that would bar thimerosal litigation,
to open hearings held by Congress, this book shows a medical
establishment determined to deny "evidence of harm" that
might be connected with thimerosal and mercury in vaccines.
In the end, as research is beginning to demonstrate, the
questions raised by these families have significant
implications for all children, and for those entrusted to
oversee our national health.
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