REP. BURTON AND LEADING SCIENTISTS TO ANNOUNCE FINDINGS OF NEW MERCURY-AUTISM CORRELATION STUDIES:

“A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP APPEARS TO BE CONFIRMED.”

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN), Chairman of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness, confirmed today he would join a panel of scientists, medical researchers, and parents who are convening from across the nation in Chicago, Illinois, this weekend, to present evidence from recently or soon-to-be released studies linking autism with the mercury-based preservative thimerosal.

The press conference is scheduled for this Saturday, May 3, 2003, starting at 12:00 p.m. in the Rubloff Auditorium at Loyola University, Chicago, located at 25 East Pearson Street. Joining Congressman Burton on the panel are Mark Geier, M.D., Ph.D., President of The Genetic Centers of America; Boyd Haley, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Chemistry Department, University of Kentucky; and Professor James Adams, Chemical and Materials Engineering, Arizona State University. Additional speakers include Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and President of the National Vaccine Information Center and Lyn Redwood, R.N., co-founder of the Coalition for Safe Minds.

Said Burton, “Fifteen years ago, one in every 10,000 children in America was autistic. Today, the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that ratio may actually be as high as one in every 150 children. We have an epidemic on our hands. If this trend continues at a constant rate, the number of autistic children could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.”

The study conducted by Dr. Mark Geier, which was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, concludes that there has been a documented increase in neurodevelopmental disorders following the use of vaccines containing thimerosal. According to Dr. Geier, “The amount of mercury in thimerosal in childhood vaccines far exceeds federal safety guidelines.” Continued Dr. Geier, “A causal relationship between childhood vaccines containing thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders and heart disease appears to be confirmed.”

Additionally, Dr. Boyd Haley and Dr. James Adams will present evidence from their studies regarding the biological plausibility of thimerosal being a causal or major risk factor for autism. Independent research conducted by both Dr. Haley and Dr. Adams leads to the same conclusion; autistic children represent a subpopulation that cannot effectively excrete mercury from their bodies and are therefore very susceptible to the toxic ethyl-mercury exposure presented during routine childhood vaccinations.

The 2003 Physicians’ Desk Reference shows that there are three vaccine manufacturers who are still making childhood vaccines with full doses of thimerosal. These are as follows: the Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular-Pertussis (DTaP) manufactured by Aventis-Pasteur in multi-dose vials contains 25 micrograms of mercury; the Haemophilus-influenza-Type b (Hib TITER) in multi-dose vials manufactured by Wyeth contains 25 micrograms of mercury; and the pediatric hepatitis B vaccine manufactured by Merck contains 12.5 micrograms of mercury. These vaccines represent approximately half of the childhood vaccines currently available for use in the United States.

During his tenure as Chairman of the Full House Government Reform Committee (1997-2002), Congressman Burton held multiple hearings to investigate the possible causal relationship between mercury in childhood vaccines and autism. Additionally, on March 19, 2003, Chairman Burton introduced the “National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Improvement Act of 2003,” which seeks to amend the current Vaccine Injury Compensation Program by extending the statute of limitations, increasing the base amount of funding available to those injured, and providing for a critical two-year “look back” provision for families who previously missed filing deadlines.

For more information on Chairman Burton’s investigative and legislative efforts, please go to the Government Reform Committee website at www.house.gov/reform and click on the link to the 107th Congress.