In Robert Sears’ The Vaccine Book, he cites a study done by D.A. Geier and M.R. Geier in the 2006 Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, and writes: “We know that the rate of autism has increased dramatically over the past decade or so . . . . Some studies do show a rise in autism starting when the number of vaccines containing mercury was increased in the early 1990s, as well as a decrease in the past few years now that mercury has been removed from vaccines.”

Thimiserol, or mercury, is still an issue because it is in some brands of the flu shot and some tetanus shots. At the same time, parents can now request mercury free shots for their children.

I have not read the Times article that you point to Megan, but based on Geier’s research, it seems that the rates of autism have dropped since mercury was removed from many vaccines.

That particular suspect ingredient, MERCURY, is a cause for concern. The good news is that mercury is no longer in many vaccinations; still parents need to educate themselves about the ingredients in vaccinations and ask their doctors what brand the vaccine is (The Vaccine Book lists the brands with trace amounts of mercury and the full 25 micro-gram dose of mercury).

I think the safe questions to ask are, “What am I putting into my child? What are the risks involved?”