PAPERZILLA
Crunching Academic Papers into Bite-sized Insights.
About
Sign Out
← Back to papers
Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology
A two-phase study evaluating the relationship between Thimerosal-containing vaccine administration and the risk for an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in the United States
★
★
☆
☆
☆
SHARE
Overview
Paper Summary
Conflicts of Interest
Identified Weaknesses
Rating Explanation
Good to know
Topic Hierarchy
File Information
Paper Summary
Paperzilla title
Does Thimerosal in Vaccines Cause Autism? This Study Says Maybe, But It Has Some Problems.
This two-phase study suggests an association between childhood vaccines containing thimerosal and autism. However, limitations include reliance on databases with potential underreporting, lack of control for other mercury exposures, and the inability to definitively establish causation. The study found varying levels of increased risk depending on the vaccine and timing of administration.
Possible Conflicts of Interest
All of the investigators on the present study have been involved in vaccine/biologic litigation.
Identified Weaknesses
Data limitations
The study relies on databases that may have underreporting or misclassification of cases, which could affect the results.
Confounding factors
Other environmental sources of mercury were not considered, which could confound the relationship between vaccines and autism.
Correlation vs. causation
The study found an association, but this does not prove causation. Other factors could be contributing to the development of autism.
Small effect size in some cases
Although statistically significant in some analyses, the actual increased risk observed in some instances was relatively small, suggesting that other factors could play larger roles.
Rating Explanation
The study suggests a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism, but there are serious methodological limitations, including reliance on potentially flawed databases, lack of control for confounding factors, and the inherent problem of proving causation from correlation. The declared conflict of interest further reduces the rating.
Good to know
This is our free standard analysis. Paperzilla Pro fact-checks every citation, researches author backgrounds and funding sources, and uses advanced AI reasoning for more thorough insights.
Explore Pro →
Topic Hierarchy
File Information
Original Title:
A two-phase study evaluating the relationship between Thimerosal-containing vaccine administration and the risk for an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in the United States
File Name:
paper_83.pdf
[download]
File Size:
0.22 MB
Uploaded:
August 11, 2025 at 07:48 PM
Privacy:
🌐 Public
© 2025 Paperzilla. All rights reserved.