For the sake of children, take time to research effects of vaccinations

EDITOR:
On a recent visit to my hometown of Youngstown, I picked up The Vindicator and read a letter to the editor that prompted me to write to you. The letter was written by a local physician in response to a letter written by a mother of a child with autism. This mother is a nurse by profession, and she spoke of her child's descent into the world of autism after receiving vaccinations.
I can assure you that, unfortunately, her child's story is one that is often told by parents of children who have developed signs of autism after receiving mandatory vaccinations.
Dr. Tolen, who happens to be a pediatrician, is of the viewpoint that terrible diseases and death will befall our loved ones if everyone does not receive every recommended vaccine. Apparently she doesn't realize that autism is a terrible disease, and that rather than denying the many dangers of vaccines (some proven, some not yet proven), she should be joining with parents of children with autism to demand safer vaccines and research to enable us to identify which children may be at a higher risk for side effects.
Dr. Tolen claims to have "exhaustively" researched this topic, and yet she provided many statistics that are totally inaccurate. I can assure Dr. Tolen that living with a child who has been damaged by vaccinations is in itself an exhausting experience, and yet I have taken the time to verify facts that Dr. Tolen did not. Pediatricians who have children with autism in their practices should heed the advice of the mother who wrote the first letter and educate themselves on the DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) protocol and the most up-to-date treatments for autism in order to effectively treat their patients. A helpful tool for interested physicians and parents is a book written by Dr. Jacquelyn McCandless, titled "Children with Starving Brains."
Dr. Tolen claims in her letter that there are around 40 studies that support the safety of thimerosal (the mercury-based preservative used in many children's vaccinations that are produced in multidose vials). I'm sure Indiana Congressman Dan Burton, who has conducted many hearings in Washington, D.C., regarding autism and mercury-laden vaccines, would be happy to hear of these studies. When Burton asked representatives from the Food and Drug Administration where the studies were to show that thimerosal was safe, they admitted there had never been any studies done on the safety of this product. It was determined by Burton's committee that, in fact, the only experiment to date regarding thimerosal's safety was performed in 1929 and was conducted on patients with meningitis. Safety was not established, and the patients later died.
I would like to inform Dr. Tolen that there is a recent epidemiological study published in two different peer-reviewed medical journals that link the use of thimerosal to an increased incidence of neurodevelopment disorders, speech problems and even heart disease in children. To view this study and other facts related to the autism epidemic, visit the Web site www.factsformedia.com.
All parents have a right and a responsibility to research vaccines, their benefits and associated risks. Before having your child vaccinated, do your homework. There are safer ways to vaccinate. A wonderfully informative book regarding vaccinations is "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations," by Dr. Stephanie Cave. For more information about autism and treatments, please visit www.infeat.org.
ANDREA KELLER
Northwest Indiana Families forEffective Autism Treatment
Valparaiso, Ind.