More than two decades ago, a little-known mercury-based product, thimerosal, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration to be used as a vaccine preservative. Since then, many parents and scientific studies have questioned whether it’s responsible for the current epidemic of neurological and developmental disorders, such as learning disabilities and autism.
In July 1999, U.S. health agencies and the American Academy of Pediatrics (pdf) reduced or eliminated thimerosal from vaccines as a “precautionary measure.”
