JEP mag

Table of Contents
Meet the Author……………………………………….2
Autism Speaks………………………………………….5
Timeline……………………………….……………….7-8
Wakefield Fraud………………………………….9-10
Wakefield Interview…………………………..11-12
A Look Inside………………………………………...13
Myths and Facts………………………………..15-16
Thimerosal in Vaccines…………………………..15
Trump Administration……………………………..17
From the Mailroom………………………………...18
Annotations………………………………………….19+
2 TIME May 31, 2017
Fig 2. Staff, Seattle Times. “Editorial: It’s Time to End All Debate on Vaccines.” The Seattle
Times. The Seattle Times Company, 12 Feb. 2015. Web. 29 May 2017.

Letter From The Editor
Hi and welcome to Time magazine.
Our goal here is to provide you with
the best information possible so you
can make the right choice when it
comes to the important health decisions.
You may be asking yourself
“what makes a Time magazine editor
qualified to be giving out medical advice.”
After ten years as the CEO of
the Center for Disease Control, I know
my way around the health industry,
and will put my knowledge that I have
acquired in that time to work for you.
I have dedicated my life to the wellbeing
of others and holds true especially
when it comes to the carefully chosen
content of this special edition of Time
magazine. I was raised in a small,
medical orented family with both parents
and my brother working in the
medical field, they were what sparked
my interest for the topic and eventually
backed my pursuit to attending Harvard
University, where I earned my
MD. Back in 2001 I was lucky enough
to further my career with the help of
Time magazine. After years of working
with the team I was able to reach
my current position of editor. I have
picked up a few tricks over the years
and have built up . They work tirelessly
to provide vast knowledge to you, the
reader, with what you need to know
going forward in the ever changing
medical field. When taking on new
staff, each candidate is carefully assessed
1 and goes through a trial period
where they get to show how well
Fig 3. “Michael Elliott: TIME International Editor Dies at 65.” Time. Time, n.d. Web. 29 May 2017.
they can work with our team. We do
this so we hire the best of the best. All
the information in our issues is handpicked
by our team of staff, all experts
in their rightful areas. The team’s diversity
allows us to create content that
is accurate and un bias across a vast
array of medical topics so you get the
most for your read here. In order to
not adumbrate 2 any of the information
in this special issue of the magazine,
covering vaccinations and autism, I
have taken it upon myself to call in numerous
experts on the topic throughout
our writing. Such experts include
Bob and Suzanne Wright founders of
Autism Speaks, representatives from
the Center for Diseas Control and Prevention,
as well as represetatives from
the US Food and Drug Administration.
Sincerely,
Michael Elliot
May 31, 2017 TIME 3

Autism Speaks: A Look Inside
Written By: Ben Goldberger
A
utism Speaks, founded by the
vice chairman of General
Electric Bob and his wife Suzanne
Wright is an autism advocacy
organization within the United States
that sponsors autism research and
conducts awareness and outreach
activities aimed at families, governments,
and the public. This organization
was founded in 2005 a year
after their grandson was diagnosed
with autism. Ever since then, they
have done great things, as they “are
dedicated to funding global biomedical
research into the causes, prevention,
treatments and a possible cure
for autism. Although some people
may attack Autism Speaks as a hate
group, or believe that people with
autism do not support the organization,
or that they cater to the parents
of autistic children rather than autistic
children themselves. Some people
even believe they are bad for wanting
to find a cure for autism, but all these
ludicrous claims do not tarnish their
goal. Visiting their website greets you
with the sight of their logo which is a
puzzle piece, although it is controversial.
The origins of the puzzle piece,
trace all the way back to 1963. It was
created by Gerald Gasson, a parent
and board member for the National
Autistic Society, which was formerly
The Society for Autistic Children,
in London. The board believed autistic
people suffered from a ‘puzzling’
condition, hence their decision to take
up a puzzle piece as a logo. They adopted
the logo because it didn’t look
like any other image used for charitable
or commercial use. Included
with the puzzle piece was an image
of a weeping child. The weeping child
was used as a reminder that Autistic
people suffer from their condition.
If you visit their website at www.autismspeaks.org,
you will find information
about the signs to see if your child
has autism spectrum disorder, what
do do if you have recently received
a diagnosis for autism, information on
local fundraiser walks, events, corporate
sponsors you can support, and
most importantly an advocate in your
state. According to the website, “The
2 TIME May 31, 2017 Fig 4: “Autism.” Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2017.

Autism Response Team (ART) is specially
trained to connect people with
autism, their families, and caregivers
to information, tools, and resources.”
This is helpful to those who may have
difficulty fitting into society, as they
may be able to help. “Autism Speaks
is enhancing lives today and accelerating
a spectrum of solutions for tomorrow.”
Building upon the legacy of
three leading autism organizations,
Autism Coalition for Research and Education
(ACRE), the National Alliance
for Autism Research (NAAR) and Cure
Autism Now (CAN), who merged with
the organization, Autism Speaks has
made extraordinary advancements
in the autism community, and has
drawn the support of many prominent
individuals throughout its creation.
Fig 5:“Pequot Library’s Annual Meeting Features Guest Speaker Bob Wright.”
Fairfield Sun. N.p., 19 Oct. 2016. Web. 29 May 2017.
Fig 6: Twittikat. “ALL about Max Restaurant Group.” Champs Et Frites. N.p., 02 Apr.
2017. Web. 30 May 2017.
SUPPORT THE CAUSE TODAY!
EVERY BIT COUNTS AS WE FIGHT
TO RAISE AWARNESS FOR
AUTISM SPEAKS
May 31, 2017 TIME 3

DO YOU KNOW THE
CONSEQUENCES
OF NOT GETTING
VACCINATED?
For more information regarding vaccinations,
please visit www.CDC.gov or call 800-CDC-INFO

Fig 7: “Images by Klinikadiva.” Klinik Pratama Adiva. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2017.

Andrew Wakefield: Fraud
Written By: Jonathan Woods
Andrew Wakefield, now known as
a fraud in the medical field by
many and those who choose to
believe it, and it is for a good reason.
Afterall, he caused a massive spike of
fear within parents throughout the world
in the late 90s about vaccine safety, by
publishing a study that had a “link” between
autism and vaccines. His study was
published in 1998, and has since been
retracted, as many scientists proved that
his data was wrong. 11 out of 12 of the
people that worked with Wakefield on
this study voted to retract the information.
Wakefield got himself into a lot of
legal trouble with his study. The courts of
UK got involved and caused the study to
be retracted and for Wakefield to lose
his medical liscence in the UK. He was
found to have ties with a competing vaccination
company that looked to profit
from the chaos that it created. The problem
with his study was that his sample
size was very small, so the data taken
is not a good representation, especially
when you then try to apply the data that
they found to millions of people. “The
study had an uncontrolled experiment
design, so others who may be looking
to recreate the study would struggle.
Speculative conclusions were also made
by the group, further adding for the decision
to withdraw from the Lancet” (Rao
para 7). Court decisions found Wakefield
guilty of skewing results, on the
grounds of taking money from certain individuals.
They also suspended his medical
license. His study gained so much
attention because parents had fears because
the cause of autism was, and still
remains unknown, and then a study is
Fig 8:“Andrew Wakefield.” Health Impact News. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2017.
10 TIME May 31, 2017

Fig 9: “Vaccines and Diseases.” Vaccines and Disease An Investigative Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2017.
released revealing a link between the
measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine
and autism, naturally parents reacted.
Vaccination rates took a major hit as a
result, and that caused an outbreak of
measles, mumps and rubella. This remains
a concern today because the
same thing would happen if a large number
of people refused to get a certain
vaccination, or if vaccination companies
were not allowed to give vaccinations
anymore because of regulations. If that
were to happen, the results would be catastrophic
and felt worldwide. “Despite
all this, and to no benefit of the public,
he has returned to the spotlight by meeting
with President Donald Trump” (Garrett
para 6), and with his 2016 movie
Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe,
which is an investigation in the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention’s
destruction of a study linking autism to
the MMR vaccine. He is still a vaccine
critic, and continues to push his agenda.
His meeting with Trump at his inaugural
ball raises questions, as he talks
about his call for a overhaul of the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention.
He walked around the ball talking about
looking for important individuals who
he could “prevail upon them to make a
world a better place for children with autism,
a safer place for children” (Garrett
para 2). His return may be problematic
for the vaccine industry, and more importantly,
parents and children. Like the
first time he published a study, an outbreak
of measles, mumps, and rubella
may occur if they were to overhaul the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
like he said. The Trump administration
is a cause for concern throughout
the scientific community because of these
meetings that have been held with these
anti-vaccination people such as Andrew
Wakefield and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
May 31, 2017 TIME 11

The Spread of Preventable Disea
2 TIME May 31, 2017
Fig Doucleff, Michaeleen. “How Vaccine Fears Fueled The Resurgence Of Preventable Diseases.” NPR. NPR, 25 Jan. 2014. Web. 29 May 2017.

ses Caused By Vaccination Fears
May 31, 2017 TIME 3

Fig Handley, Jr. J.B. “’Vaccine Safety Commission’: 50 Studies the AAP Failed to Send President Trump.” Medium. N.p., 14 Feb.
2017. Web. 29 May 2017.

Common Vaccination Myths
Written By: Dan Hirschhorn
Myth #1- Vaccines are a cause of autism.
This false myth is widely circulated
throughout the world over many years,
and “is the cause of a major drop in vaccination
rates, which in turn caused many
virus outbreaks, some more deadly than
others. This myth is widely believed because
of the 1997 study by the notorious
Andrew Wakefield was published in The
Lancet, a prestigious medical journal,
and this study suggested that the measles,
mumps, and rubella vaccine was
the cause of autism” (Abraham para 1).
This led widespread concern from parents
all over the world, causing many to
go unvaccinated. This study was actually
retracted from The Lancet years later,
and among those who voted in favor
of the retraction were 10 of the 12 who
worked on the case. The retraction came
after reputable scientific evidence was
found after that disproved the information
within the study. With the events that
transpired, Andrew Wakefield had his
study removed, and his career ruined.
The many court cases that followed left
Wakefield unable to practice medicine
(legally) once his medical license was
revoked. The courts found him guilty of
committing fraud. We still may not know
what causes autism, but many large scientific
studies have disproved this myth.
Myth #2- Infant immune systems can’t
handle so many vaccines as they are currently
being given.
This myth is also false. A common concern,
and for good reason, is around infants
and whether or not they can handle
so many vaccines. We understand that
as parents it is your responsibility for
the wellbeing of your children. Although
many believe this myth to be true, it is not,
and infants immune systems are stronger
than many believe them to be. “Through
many tests, scientists have found that,
because of the large amount of antibodies
present within the blood of an infant,
they are able to respond to 10,000 vaccines
at one given time (theoretically).
If 14 vaccines were given at once, they
would only use up about 0.1% of the baby’s
immune system” (Abraham para 2).
The amount of vaccines given can never
overwhelm a child’s immune system because
they are constantly replenishing
cells within the immune system, so the
vaccines only benefit them. Vaccinations,
although increased in the number give,
are far more effective at doing their jobs
than they once were. Vaccinations are
carefully crafted and tested by scientists
in order to create a final product that
does not negatively react with humans
and their immune system. The goal of
vaccinations has and always will be to
prevent the acquiration of harmful and
deadly diseases and viruses. This is no
different when it comes to infants. They
to come into contact with harmful bacteria
daily, and the results are just as dead-
6 TIME May 31, 2017
Fig Raptor, The Original Skeptical. “The End of the Vaccines Cause Autism Myth.” Skeptical Raptor. N.p., 17 Apr. 2016. Web. 29 May 2017.

ly, if not worse than the same in an adult.
It is imperative that all infants around the
world receive vaccinations, as there are
benefits to the masses receiving them that
one does not get if they are the only one
with the vaccination. It takes the crowd
to prevent deadly viruses. Most infants
have a really strong and healthy immune
systems that can take the ingredients that
are in vaccines, and come out on top of
the virus strain within the vaccine.
Myth #3- Natural Immunity is better than
vaccine acquired immunity.
Sometimes natural immunity to a disease
results in stronger immunity than vaccines,
but it also produces many dangers. “For
a disease such as measles, natural acquisition
would result in a 1 in 500 chance
of death from the symptoms that would
follow compared to the 1 in a million
chance of having a reaction to the disease”
(Abraham para 3). Vaccines are
specifically designed to build up immunity
within the body against certain bacteria
and viruses making this myth false
in most cases. The vaccines can come in
a variety of ways, but all have a much
greater chance of the immune system
learning to fight it than if it were to encounter
the same bacteria or virus naturally,
where there is a greater chance for
sickness to occur. Natural immunity is in
no way controlled, so there is no way to
tell how the body will react to it, and if it
will be able to fight it off.
Fig “Immunity (medical).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 May 2017. Web. 29 May 2017.
Myth #4- Vaccines contain unsafe toxins.
Concerns of the safety have been about
the use of aluminum, mercury, or formaldehyde
within vaccines. Although it is
true that these substance are toxic to the
human body in high levels of concentration,
vaccines approved by the FDA only
contain trace amounts of these substances”
(Abraham para 4), making this myth
false. According to the CDC and the
FDA, our body actually produces formaldehyde
in rates higher than the vaccine
introduces. No scientific evidence has
proven that low levels of mercury or aluminum
within vaccines is harmful or toxic
to the body. Vaccines follow specific
safety procedures to ensure that nothing
within them will be harmful to someone
who receives it.
Myth #5- Better hygiene and sanitation
are actually responsible for decreased
infections, not vaccines.
Although better hygiene and sanitation
does decrease infections, it is not solely
responsible for doing so and cannot be
May 31, 2017 TIME 7

depended on every single time, thus making
this myth false. Measles in 1963 is
an example of this, with nearly 400,000
infected, it dropped to about 25,000 infected
in 1970 because of vaccines. It is
important to mention that hygiene and
sanitation habits did not change much
over this time period. “Similarly, with the
Hib disease, rates went from 20,000 in
1990 to around 1,500 in 1993 after the
introduction of the vaccine” (Abraham
para 5). If we were to cease giving vaccinations
while keeping good hygiene,
you would see an increase in infections.
That is because vaccines are specially
designed to combat a majority of infections,
many of which are fatal to humans
if they were to get them.
at work is the MMR vaccination. The
Andrew Wakefield case sparked fear in
the people, and that lead to a greatly
reduced amount of the MMR vaccination
being received, and that lead to a measles,
mumps and rubella outbreak within
the United States and the United Kingdom.
Those outbreaks could have easily
been prevented if the people continued
to vaccinate their children. No credible
sources are available today that prove
that vaccinations cause harm to the body,
and are not worth the risk of getting. This
is because the vaccinations are carefully
crafted so that this is avoided.
Myth #6- Vaccines aren’t worth the risk.
Many parents think that vaccines are
not worth the risk, but children have
been vaccinated safely for decades, and
no credible study has linked long term
health conditions to vaccines. “The incidence
of death is so rare from vaccines,
it is about one per every 2 million injections”
(Abraham para 6), making this
myth false. Vaccinations when given to
large populations are effective in preventing
diseases from taking hold and
ravaging the population. Previous strains
of bacteria that killed off or left others
disabled can now be prevented by vaccinations.
An example of vaccinations
Myth #7- Vaccines are something that
can infect children with the disease that
the vaccination is trying to prevent.
In very rare cases, those who are vaccinated
may get the symptoms of the
disease that was trying to be prevented.
“In fact, of the less than one in one million
cases where someone does have the
symptoms, they simply are experiencing
a body’s immune system responding to
the vaccine, not the actual disease itself.
There has only been one recorded instance
where a vaccine was proven to
have caused a disease, and this was with
the Oral Polio Vaccine, a vaccine that is
no longer used today” (Abraham para
7). Vaccinations within the United States
are under the regulation of the Food
and Drug Adminstration.
2 TIME May 31, 2017
Fig :“Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
27 Jan. 2016. Web. 30 May 2017.

Fig : Plait, Phil. “Antivaxxers Take Their Dangerous Message to the Streets.” Slate Magazine. N.p., 15 Mar. 2013. Web. 30 May 2017.
Myth #8- There is no need to get vaccinations because infection rates in the United States
are currently so low.
This is false because infection rates in the United States being so low is caused by the
amount of vaccinations being received. “The more people that receive a vaccination, the
greater the chances are of protecting those who do not get the immunization, through
something called herd immunity” (Abraham para 8). When more and more people opt
out of getting vaccinated, whether it be for them or their children, a collective danger
is created and the opportunity for viruses and bacteria to spread. “With the wide availabilty
and ease of international travel, diseases that may not be a threat within your
area may become one if the disease is carried abroad from an unvaccinated individual”
(Abraham para 8).
Fig :“Vaccinate with Confidence.” Refutation to Anti-Vaccine. N.p., 08 July 2013. Web. 30 May 2017.
May 31, 2017 TIME 3

Importance of Vaccinations
Written By: Dan Hirschhorn
Vaccinations play a very important
role in protecting us, the people
of the world, no matter what your
ethnic, religious, or economic background
is. There are benefits of the masses
getting vaccines, one such benefit is
that even the people that do not receive
immunizations are less likely to contract
it. This is important to keep in mind, as
those who are unable to receive vaccinations
for various reasons such as elderly,
those who are pregnant, and people
with severe allergies are still kept safe
with every other person that is vaccinated.
Gambia was able to get rid of their
Hib disease problem entirely when just
70 percent of their overall population
was vaccinated. The opposite can be
achieved if people decided they did not
need vaccines any more, for whatever
reason they may have. If a large number
of people stop receiving vaccinations,
then the chances of a disease outbreak
increase greatly. “The Andrew Wakefield
study did just that, greatly reducing
the amount of people that got vaccines
by instilling fear in the people, a fear
of autism. His study effectively caused
a measles, mumps, and rubella disease
outbreak, which could have easily been
prevented if they kept on receiving the
proper vaccinations for the disease”
(Rao para 13). The number of people
affected by MMR was just several dozen
in 1997, but that number quickly skyrocketed
to over 2,000 cases in 2011.
Outbreaks of the whooping cough in the
United States have been linked to low
vaccination rates. There are many types
of vaccines that someone can receive,
and each type has certain advantages
and disadvantages that go along with
them. The first type of vaccination that
you can receive is a live attenuated vaccine,
where a weak asymptotic form of
a virus is introduced into the body. This
form will not cause sickness, instead it
will allow the body, specifically the immune
system, to recognize the antigens
that the virus has, and be able to fight
it in the future, if you were ever to encounter
it again. This is good for giving
someone lifelong immunity to a virus, as
it is live and allows the body to adapt
to it. However, this form of vaccination
is not used on people with weakened immune
systems, as that could lead to the
virus causing sickness. Refrigeration is required
to keep the pathogens alive long
enough to be used. Common vaccines
used in this life style are the measles,
mumps, rubella vaccine, the chickenpox
vaccine, influenza vaccine, and the rotavirus
vaccine. Inactivated vaccines are
those where the bacteria or viruses are
killed off with chemicals or heat to accomplish
a similar effect as the live virus
when introduced into the body. The immune
system is still able to learn from the
dead cells, and is able to fight live versions
of the virus or bacteria if it were to
encounter them in the future. This style is
much safer to give, as there is no risk of
the virus or bacteria mutating back into
its disease causing form, and it is able
to be easily stored as there is no risk of
killing the pathogens. Seeing as you are
administering dead versions of the virus
into your body, it takes more doses of
6 TIME May 31, 2017

the vaccine so that the body has a better
chance of later defending against it.
Vaccine that are typically introduced into
the body in this way are the polio vaccine,
the rabies vaccine, and hepatitis A
vaccine. Subunit vaccines are those that
scientists can isolate specific proteins that
when introduced into the body, train the
immune system to react with it, without
provoking sickness. This way has a much
lower chance of a reaction within the patient
happening because scientists only
inject part of the pathogen into the body.
Only certain vaccines can be produced
in this style because it is not always possible
to identify the best antigens in pathogens
that would train the immune system.
Vaccines that are introduced in this style
are pneumococcal, Human papillomavirus,
haemophilus influenza type b, influenza,
hepatitis b, meningococcal, and
pertussis. Another way that vaccines can
be used are toxoid vaccines, where scientists
are able to deactivate some toxins
that bacterial diseases secrete. This
is done with a mixture of formaldehyde
and water. Vaccines used in this way are
tetanus and diphtheria. A conjugate vaccine
is one where scientists link an antigen
from another recognizable pathogen to
a sugary coating of a camouflaged bacteria,
and the immune system is able to
recognize the camouflaged bacteria as
harmful, so it attacks it and the carrier
when it enters the body. Haemophilus Influenzae
Type B, or Hib, is a vaccine used
in this style. DNA vaccines are emerging
more and more today, but they are still
not perfected. This style would potentially
get rid of the need for bacteria or
viruses, instead having an injection of
a few parts of a pathogen’s DNA, and
they would instruct the immune system to
Fig :“Vaccination - PRRS Control.” Vaccination - PRRS.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2017.
produce the antigens for combating the
pathogens. As an added benefit, they
are easy and also cheap to create. Vaccines
for this style are for herpes and
influenza, but they are currently being
tested on humans, and not given to large
amounts of people yet. Another type of
vaccines that is similar to DNA vaccines
is recombinant vector vaccines. The experimental
vaccines introduce DNA from
a harmful pathogen into the body, and
this triggers the immune system to produce
the antigens, and also train itself on
how to identify and combat the disease.
They use a weakened virus or bacteria
that rides DNA, essentially taking harmless
pathogens disguised with the DNA
of a more dangerous disease, and training
the body to recognize it. This style of
vaccines are currently being developed
for HIV, rabies, and measles. Each vaccination
type has its own set of benefits
that come along with, as well as disadvantages.
With that said, they all serve
their own purpose in protecting the masses
from disease outbreaks.
Protect Society. Get Vaccinated.
May 31, 2017 TIME 7

Fig .“HPV Vaccine Is Cancer Prevention.” City of Chicago :: HPV Vaccine Is Cancer Prevention. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2017.

Autism: The Debate Continues
Written By: Belinda Luscombe
T
he autism debate continues
throughout 2017. Sites such as
Focus for Health are in renunciation
of the majority opinion that is backed by
a myriad of scientific evidence. They state
that “many families insist that their child
developed normally, but then regressed
into autism after receiving routine immunizations”
(Mulvihill para 2) but give no
information on how they collected this information.
The scope of the demographics
is not shown by this statement, and
this allows us to come to the conclusion
that the information is not credible. They
base their argument off of the United
States Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
“awarding financial compensation
to parents of autistic children” (Mulvihill
para 3). The USVIC program was created
as a no fault alternative to going
through traditional courts for resolving
disputes against vaccine companies. This
program was created when vaccination
rates were at a low and the vaccination
companies were struggling to survive because
of all the lawsuits that amassed on
them. The program allowed for the companies
to produce vaccinations and not
deal with lawsuits against them. In a rare
case that something were to happen as a
result from the vaccine, such as a severe
allergic reaction, this program allows for
parents to file a petition with the Court of
Federal Claims to start off the process.
From there the petition is reviewed to
see if it meets the proper medical criteria
for compensation from the program,
and they make a preliminary reccomendation.
The U.S. Department of Justice
receives it next and there they develop
it further with medical reccomendations
and the legal analysis, which they go on
to submit to the Court. A special master
appointed by the court then reviews the
petition and decides whether or not there
should be compensation, and if there is
going to be they also decide how much
and how the compensation will come.
This step also often offers a hearing
where both parties in the case can show
their evidence. The final step in the process
is the Court ordering the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services
to award compensation to the victim,
and that is if they decided that it should
be awarded. If they do not come to the
decision, it is also possible for the courts
to order the Department to cover the attorneys’
cost. “In efforts to save vaccine
companies Congress passed a law that
made those harmed or negatively affected
by a vaccine could no longer sue the
vaccine producers” (Mulvihill para 5).
They think that this takes all the pressure
off of the vaccine companies, allowing
them to create vaccines that are less safe
than before, as the companies no longer
have to worry about getting sued if
the product does something it should not
to a user. They state that through 1940-
1980, autism rates remained stable, but
after 1980 is when we saw an increase
in autism because the vaccine schedule
expanded. Not taken into consideration
here is the fact that more parents came
forward to doctors, and the definition for
autism expanded, encompassing more
people that would have been considered
autism free before this time. That, and
6 TIME May 31, 2017
Fig Raptor, The Original Skeptical. “The End of the Vaccines Cause Autism Myth.” Skeptical Raptor. N.p., 17 Apr. 2016. Web. 29 May 2017.

not the use of the preservative thimerosal
in measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine,
is the reason for the increase in autism
rates. They also mention that the “Center
for Disease Control and Prevention
denies the link between the ingredients
within vaccines, thimerosal more specifically,
is a causing factor of autism, and
the Hannah Poling case is evidence of
this” (Mulvihill para 8).
Fig : “Hannah Poling.” AGE OF AUTISM. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2017.
The Hannah Poling case came to trial in
2007, five years after her parents filed
an autism claim in the federal vaccine
court. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation
Program awarded the family
1.5 million dollars for the measles,
mumps and rubella vaccines role in her
autism diagnosis. Hannah is no ordinary
case, as she had an unknow mitochondrial
disorder that was triggered when
she received vaccines for nine diseases,
including measles, mumps and rubella.
The court came to the decision to award
the family money because of this medical
disorder, and made no statement which
would indicate that vaccines cause autisms,
as some believe. This case is a rare
instance where vaccines might be at fault
for causing something such as autism,
and that is only because there were other
medical problems lying under the surface
that reacted with the vaccines. On a
different note, they link the first diagnosis
of autism to vaccinations in the 1930s
that just started to contain the preservative
thimerosal. Again, this is not backed
up by scientific evidence and is just speculation.
It is just a coincidence that both
showed up around the same time, and
are not connected whatsoever. The Environmental
Protection Agency makes
many reccomendations when it comes to
certain substances in the medical field.
They say that “Despite reccomendations
from the Institute of Medicine back in
1999, infants today are still receiving
mercury from multidose vial flu shots”
(Mulvihill para 13). When consulting the
Environmental Protection Agency website
for thimerosal within vaccines, we
are linked to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration website with information
about the use of it in vaccines. There,
they state that “all vaccines routinely reccommended
for children 6 years of age
and younger in the U.S. do not contain
the preservative thimerosal” (FDA para
1). In the past, the preservative was used
to prevent the growth of micribes within
the vaccine, and the use of thimerosal
has decreased because of reformulation
of vaccines, new preservatives becoming
available, and also with the development
of new vaccines that are single
use. Single dose vaccnes do not require
a preservative, while a preservative is required
in a multidose vial of vaccinations.
Organizations such as Focus for Health
bring evidence that is not supported by
facts, scientific evidence, or major organizations
such as the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention, the Environmental
Protection Agency, or the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration.
May 31, 2017 TIME 7

Hi, I am Dawn Guzmann, and I grew up
in a time where autism was the new medical
condition to worry about, as more
and more people were being diagnosed
with autism than ever before. I have always
believed in vaccinations, and I
have always gotten them, as I know the
value that they have for me and even
other people. I received the vaccinations
that contained everything from thimerosal
to iron, even as an infant, and I am
healther now because of it. People in my
community were also receiving vacccinations,
so the effect that they had on
curbing the spreading of diseases were
great. Without the communitys shared
belief in the health benefits that come
from vaccinations viruses and diseases
would be wreaking havoc on the people,
making everyone sick. Vaccinations
work best when everyone gets them,
and I also experienced this firsthand,
as a town about 20 minutes out from
ours were not firm believers in the power
of vaccines, and instead were scared
that they would only urt them and do no
good whatsoever to us. There was about
a handful of people who did receive
vaccinations, and even they they did not
work for most of them. This is because
the community does indeed play a role
in whether or not someone is going to
get a disease. They were not able to gain
immmunity as there was an outbreak of
the disease within the community. This is
excactly the reason as to who I believe in
vaccinations and explain the very same
6 TIME May 31, 2017
A Viewers Story
thing to my friends who do not believe in
vaccinations. The information throughout
this magazine has helped me even further
expand my knowledge that I had
obtained from other sources before this,
and solidified other information as truth
by repeating it.
My name is Kelly Conniff, and I am someone
that whishes that this magazine were
to have come out years ago, because I
feel that it could have caused me to go
through a lot less pain and suffereing.
As I grew up, I was not lucky enough to
have parents that were educated enough
in vaccination areas, and nor could they
afford them at times. If they knew what
information I have now, I know that many
of the diseases that I suffered through as
a child would not have been because of
vaccinations. My parents thought that
they were bad for us so they stayed
away from them at all costs. Because of
this magazine, I am spreading the word
of the benefits of vaccines, and am vaccinating
my children whenever a new one
comes out. I would do anything for my
children, and giving them these vaccinations
allows for them to live a much happier
and healthier life that is almost 100%
disease free. I am now aware of the time
and effort that goes into perfecting the
design of each vaccine so that they are
the most effective that they can be and
so that they do not cause the person who
is receiving the vaccine to become sick.

Thimerosal: A Safe Preservative
Avariety of studies have been conducted
that looked at the different
effects thimerosal had, or were
thought to have had on the body. A look
at 9 of such studies ranging from early
life exposure to thimerosal to ten years
later. The first study looked at the effect
that thimerosal exposure in early life had
on brain functions, language, behavior,
and coordination. It also looked at the
nueropsychological outcomes 7 to 10
years later, and it found that there were
no associations with thimerosal and the
general intellectual functioning, verbal
memory, executive functioning, behavior
regulation, fine motor coordination,
and language in the children that were
exposed to thimerosal. They did however,
find that there was a small association
between the thimerosal exposure and
tics in boys. A second study looked at thimerosal
exposure within the womb and
in infancy. It compared children with and
without autism, and looked at the exposure
that they had to thimerosal from vaccines
in infancy. It found that there was
no difference in the exposure to thimerosal
between the children that had autism
and those that did not have autism. A
third study, which was funded by the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention,
looked at the long term effect of thimerosal
exposure, which compared the neuropsychological
outcomes of the children
they randomly selected to receive a form
of diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussive
vaccine, or DTaP for short, within the first
year of life. One of these contained thimerosal
and the other did not, and ten
years later they were tested for 24 neuropsychocological
outcomes, and the results
did not show that thimerosal in vaccines
were harmful to children. A fourth
study looked at thimerosal in vaccines in
the United States, the United Kingdom,
and Denmark. This was an analysis of
data from “ the US health maintenace
orgainzations, the UK General Practice
Research Database, and the entire country
of Denmark” ( CDC para 4). They all
also failed to find a link between thimerosal
in vaccines and causing autism. A fifth
study looked at thimerosal within childrens
flu shots. This study “measured the
proportion of injection site reactions and
the infections that were reported to the
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
after testing three versions of an inactivated
influenza vaccine in children that
were under the age of 2” (CDC para 5).
The three versions that they tested, which
had thimerosal present within them and
ones which did not contain any thimerosal,
found that there was no difference
between the proportion of ISR, rash or
infections. A sixth study looked at whether
or not thimerosal caused neurodevelopmental
disorders with in children. This
study only found “a few statistically significant
associations between exposer
from thimerosal and nueropsychological
functioning” (CDC 6). The results showed
no link between neurodevelopmental disorders
within children and vaccinations
that contained thimerosal.
May 31, 2017 TIME 7

A History Of Vaccinations
Prior to 15th Century- there is archealogical evidence that the people of this time were
able to see the connection between exposure to diseases and immunity to those diseases.
For example, the Chinese are thought to have mashed up the scabs from people with the
smallpox disease and rubbing that onto the skin of others to get immunity to smallpox.
17th Century- Christopher Columbus and the rest of the people
that came to America with him also brought smallpox, the
whooping cough, measles, the bubonic plague, and typhus,
which effectively wiped out 80 to 95% of the native population,
as they had not had any interaction with these diseases before
hand, so they had no immunity to it.
1908: The word autism is used to describe a subset of schizophrenic
patients who were especially withdrawn and self-absorbed.
16th century- People of this time had to deal
with things such as the whooping cough,
smallpox and measles which would quickly
spread through the crowded conditions that
took place living in the cities. It is estimated
that almost 30% of the children at this time
died before turning 15 from things such as
the whooping cough, smallpox, pneumonia,
dysentry, or the scarlet fever.
2 TIME May 31, 2017
Fig Doucleff, Michaeleen. “How Vaccine Fears Fueled The Resurgence Of Preventable Diseases.” NPR. NPR, 25 Jan. 2014. Web. 29 May 2017.

Fifteenth Century-Today
May 31, 2017 TIME 3

Q: What are some other materials that
have cause worry throughout the public
about their safety?
A: Materials such as aluminum and iron
have also caused much worry throughout
the public as they voiced their concerns
about the health problems some
think they cause. With that said, trenchant
scientific evidence has shown that
they are indeed healthy in vaccines and
do not cause an health problems. They
are within the vaccines for your safety,
and occur naturally in the human body.
Some people often require iron supplements
if their body lacks amounts of it.
They can be harmful to the body in extremely
large amounts, but no vaccination
gets anywhere close to a level that
would cause problems.
Q: Why was thimerosal removed from
vaccines if it was not the cause of autism?
A: Thimerosal amounts were reduced or
completely removed from vaccines because
we are able to create other preservatives
that can do the same job. This
stemmed from a public movement to take
action against the amount of thimerosal
being used, and we listened, but also,
and most importantly, still kept the vaccines
functioning. As far as the autism
claim goes, there is a wealth of scientific
evidence available to anyone who wishes
to see it, and it all proves that there is
no link between vaccines and autism. The
cause of autism is still very much unclear
to us. Thimerosal was used in the first
6 TIME May 31, 2017
From The Mailroom
place to preserve multi dose vaccines so
they were able to be used. Children are
exposed to thimerosal everyday, and it
is within their body, so the amounts within
vaccines such as MMR posed no real
threat to the child, except in rare circumstances
when other factors are in play
within the child.
Q: What makes a vaccination work effectively?
A: In order for a vaccination to work effectively,
multiple things need to occur. First
off, there needs to be a good preservative
so that no bacteria grows within and
ruins the vaccine. Then, it is all about administering
the vaccine worldwide so that
it greatly reduces the chances of what it is
trying to prevent from coming up. Vaccinations
only work in a community effort,
because there is strength in numbers. In
terms of vaccinations themselves, they
are worked on by many scientists who
strive to perfect them through trial and
error to end up with a vaccine that does
not harm the person, just stirring enough
in the body so that the immune system
reacts to the vaccination, and then gaining
immunity to the specific disease it was
designed for. Multi dose vaccinations require
preservatives, such as thimerosal,
to prevent microbial growth that would
render the vaccination useless. Since the
introduction of thimerosal in vaccines in
the 1930s, there have been advancements
in medicine that allow for different
preservatives to be used, ones which do
not use mercury.

Q: Do you think that people like Andrew
Wakefield or Robert Kennedy
will be able to follow through with
their goal of eliminating vaccines?
A: It is very unlikely that Andrew Wakefield
or Robert Kennedy will be able to
cause a stir like the first time his study was
published. At President Trump’s inaugural
ball, Wakefield called for things that
won’t happen, because they would be
devastating to the public if it did. Meetings
between Trump and Kennedy took
place and have stirred up the questions
within the public, but those concerns will
most likely not amount to anything at all,
as the majority of the public still knows
the benefit of vaccinations. There is not
much Wakefield can do as he still lacks a
medical license, so there will not be another
study out from him anytime soon
to stir up controversy as before, so the
only way he would be able to influence
vaccines would be by making powerful
friends to do his bidding for him. That
also seems like a long shot. If these two
individuals were to achieve their goal of
getting rid of vaccinations, the science
community would come together again
to disprove the information.
A: He hopes that he can influence as many
people as he can with the work, and
feels that it’s necessary to get his message
across. In a statemnt to us, he said
that “The longer that we delay in making
changes on our vaccines, the worse that
it will be. The Center for Disease Control
and Prevention is a program that is corrupt
and is all about making money, they
constantly put your health in the backseat
to this. I do not think that my study will
have that much of an impact on others
because of the legal surroundings of it
and the outcome for me. If there was no
legal involvement within, the study could
have had the driving force in preventing
autism that I intended it to have. My
study was a step in the right direction as
it caused many to question vaccinations
and not receive them. The major companies
that control the vaccinations, of
course would not allow for something to
get in the way of them making money, so
they were quickly able to put me under
wraps. I still think is important to get my
message across to the people, as not receiving
the MMR vaccine is the only way
that we will be able to stop autism. The
link that I found between the MMR vaccine
and autism is important and should
be kept in mind by everyone.
Q: Do you think that Andrew’s research
will affect how others will conduct
their research in the future?
Fig :UmHomemZangado. “As Incríveis Fotografias a Bebés De Evan Kafka.” Um Homem Zangado. N.p., 19 Jan. 2017. Web. 30 May
2017.
KNOW WHAT YOU ARE
PROTECTING
May 31, 2017 TIME 7

Prior to 15th Century- there is archealogical evidence that the people of this time were able to see the connection between e
from people with the smallpox disease and rubbing that onto the skin of others to get immunity to smallpox.
16th century- People of this time had to deal with things such as the whooping cough, smallpox and measles which would qu
dren at this time died before turning 15 from things such as the whooping cough, smallpox, pneumonia, dysentry, or the scar
17th Century- Christopher Columbus and the rest of the people that came to America with him also brought smallpox, the wh
as they had not had any interaction with these diseases before hand, so they had no immunity to it.
18th Century-
1908: The word autism is used to describe a subset of schizophrenic patients who were especially withdrawn and self-absorb
1967: Psychologist Bruno Bettelheim popularizes the theory that “refrigerator mothers,” as he termed them, caused autism by
searchers looked solely at the impact of life experiences,” explains Parents advisor Fred Volkmar, M.D., director of the Child
“They didn’t consider the role of biology or genetics, which we now understand to be the main cause.” Autism is also classifie
scientists now know there is no link between the conditions.
1991: The federal government makes autism a special education category. Public schools are now beginning to identify child
1998: A study published in The Lancet by Andrew Wakefield suggests that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine causes
2000: Vaccine manufacturers remove thimerosal (a mercury-based preservative) from all routinely given childhood vaccines
2010: The Lancet completely retracts Andrew Wakefield’s paper, admitting several elements of the paper were incorrect.
2013: The DSM-5 folds all subcategories of the condition into one umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Asp
repetitive behaviors. 2) Impaired social communication and/or interaction.
2 TIME May 31, 2017
Fig Doucleff, Michaeleen. “How Vaccine Fears Fueled The Resurgence Of Preventable Diseases.” NPR. NPR, 25 Jan. 2014. Web. 29 May 2017.

xposure to diseases and immunity to those diseases. For example, the Chinese are thought to have mashed up the scabs
ickly spread through the crowded conditions that took place living in the cities. It is estimated that almost 30% of the chillet
fever.
ooping cough, measles, the bubonic plague, and typhus, which effectively wiped out 80 to 95% of the native population,
ed.
not loving their children enough. “Post-World War II, there was a lot of psychoanalytic work done on autism where re-
Study Center at Yale University School of Medicine and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders.
d under schizophrenia in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, although
ren on the spectrum and offering them special services.
autism. This finding was quickly debunked.
due to public fears about its role in autism--even though, again, the vaccine-autism link has been debunked.
erger’s Syndrome is no longer considered a separate condition. ASD is defined by two categories: 1) Restricted and/or
May 31, 2017 TIME 3