It's time for a ban

Opponents of legislation making its way through the Missouri Legislature say there is no scientific evidence that mercury preservatives in childhood vaccines cause autism. Two bills, one in the House and another in the Senate, would ban mercury preservatives in vaccine given to children younger than 7 or 8 years old.

Those opponents are right -- and wrong. It depends on what you consider to be "scientific evidence." Government agencies like the National Institutes of Health have officially concluded that there is no proven link. At the same time, considerable documentation has been generated by doctors and other health-care officials who deal with autistic children that there is a definite link.

Opponents also are playing a semantics game. While mercury preservatives are not likely to cause autism in every child who is given a vaccine containing such preservatives, there is a considerable likelihood that some children with certain genetic defects will, indeed, become autistic. This is because the bodies of these genetically defective children are unable to process mercury properly. Most adults -- even those with the genetic defect -- are able to cope with the mercury used in some vaccines, which is why the ban would only apply to vaccines administered during childhood.

As might be imagined, most of the opposition to a ban on mercury preservatives comes from pharmaceutical companies. There are other preservatives that can be used. And many parents who have been made aware of the potential dangers ask their doctors to use vaccines without mercury just to be on the safe side.

That's what the proposed legislation would do: provide a safety cushion for parents who may not even be aware of the controversy over mercury preservatives in vaccines.

In recent months, the Southeast Missourian has reported extensively on this issue. Given what we know, it appears that a ban would be a safeguard that could benefit hundreds of young Missourians. Other states already have the ban. Now it's time for Missouri to act.