Note that this page is incomplete.
Stephanie Seneff, PhD, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, has done a great deal of work on vaccine ingredients and their effects on health, especially with regard to aluminum and glyphosate. Some of her work can be found on her homepage at the MIT website (archived copy).
aluminum
From the article, Empirical Data Confirm Autism Symptoms Related to Aluminum and Acetaminophen Exposure by Stephanie Seneff, PhD, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Jingjing Liu, PhD, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, and Robert M. Davidson, MD, PhD, Independent Physician and Medical Researcher:
Abstract
Autism is a condition characterized by impaired cognitive and social skills, associated with compromised immune function. The incidence is alarmingly on the rise, and environmental factors are increasingly suspected to play a role. This paper investigates word frequency patterns in the U.S. CDC Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) database. Our results provide strong evidence supporting a link between autism and the aluminum in vaccines. A literature review showing toxicity of aluminum in human physiology offers further support. Mentions of autism in VAERS increased steadily at the end of the last century, during a period when mercury was being phased out, while aluminum adjuvant burden was being increased. Using standard log-likelihood ratio techniques, we identify several signs and symptoms that are significantly more prevalent in vaccine reports after 2000, including cellulitis, seizure, depression, fatigue, pain and death, which are also significantly associated with aluminum-containing vaccines. We propose that children with the autism diagnosis are especially vulnerable to toxic metals such as aluminum and mercury due to insufficient serum sulfate and glutathione. A strong correlation between autism and the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine is also observed, which may be partially explained via an increased sensitivity to acetaminophen administered to control fever.
glyphosate
Glyphosate, a carcinogen used heavily in commercial farming and weed control, is everywhere in our environment. It has been found in the air, soil, ground water, drinking water, the food supply, breast milk and vaccines.
From the article, Gut-Wrenching: New Studies Reveal the Insidious Effects of Glyphosate by Pamela Coleman, PhD, a Farm and Food Policy Analyst at The Cornucopia Institute:
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in one of the most heavily used herbicide in the world: Monsanto's Roundup®. The industry claims that Roundup® is quite safe, but authors of a recent article in the scientific journal Entropy reach a very different conclusion:
"Contrary to the current widely-held misconception that glyphosate is relatively harmless to humans, the available evidence shows that glyphosate may rather be the most important factor in the development of multiple chronic diseases and conditions that have become prevalent in Westernized societies."
thimerosal (mercury)
Thimerosal, a powerful neurotoxin, is sometimes used as a preservative or in the manufacturing process of several vaccines. No amount of mercury is safe for human consumption, especially for developing children since it can accumulate in the brain and destroy brain tissue. Vaccines containing thimerosal include the multi-dose influenza vaccines, the tetanus and diphtheria toxoids adsorbed vaccine.
In the article, Thimerosal in Vaccines, the CDC states:
There is no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site.
That statement is a lie. It also ignores the interaction of thimerosal with aluminum which is used as an adjuvant in many vaccines.
From the article, What Causes Autism by the National Autism Association:
A growing number of scientists and researchers believe that a relationship between the increase in neurodevelopmental disorders of autism, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, and speech or language delay, and the increased use of thimerosal in vaccines is plausible and deserves more scrutiny. In 2001, the Institute of Medicine determined that such a relationship is biologically plausible, but that not enough evidence exists to support or reject this hypothesis. Recent studies have confirmed the association between the use of thimerosal and autism has moved from "biologically plausible" to a "biological certainty" (Boyd Haley). Recent work by Dr. Mark Geier and David Geier in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons and Experimental Biology and Medicine have shown strong epidemiological evidence for a causal relationship between thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
The 2000 article, Autism: A Unique Form of Mercury Poisoning, on the Safe Minds website provides a striking list of similarities between the symptoms of mercury poisoning and autism:
| Mercury Poisoning | Autism | |
| Impairments in Sociability | Social deficits, shyness, social withdrawal | Social deficits, social withdrawal, shyness |
| Depression, mood swings; mask face | Depressive traits, mood swings; flat affect | |
| Anxiety | Anxiety | |
| Lacks eye contact, hesitant to engage others | Lack of eye contact, avoids conversation | |
| Irrational fears | Irrational fears | |
| Irritability, aggression, temper tantrums | Irritability, aggression, temper tantrums | |
| Impaired face recognition | Impaired face recognition | |
| Schizoid tendencies, OCD traits | Schizophrenic & OCD traits | |
| Repetitive, penseverative, stereotypic behaviors | Repetitive, penseverative, stereotypic behaviors | |
| Speech & Language Deficits | Loss of speech, failure to develop speech | Delayed language, failure to develop speech |
| Dysarthria; articulation problems | Dysarthria; articulation problems | |
| Speech comprehension deficits | Speech comprehension deficits | |
| Verbalizing & word retrieval problems | Echolalia; word use & pragmatic errors | |
| Hearing loss; deafness in very high doses | Mild to profound hearing loss | |
| Poor performance on language IQ tests | Poor performance on language IQ tests | |
| Sensory Abnormalities | Abnormal sensation in mouth & extremities | Abnormal sensation in mouth & extremities |
| Sound sensitivity | Sound sensitivity | |
| Abnormal touch sensations; touch aversion | Abnormal touch sensations; touch aversion | |
| Vestibular abnormalities | Vestibular abnormalities | |
| Impaired visual fixation | Problems with joint attention | |
| Motor Disorders | Involuntary jerking movements – arm flapping, ankle jerks, myoclonal jerks, choreiform movements, circling, rocking | Stereotyped movements - arm flapping, jumping, circling, spinning, rocking; myoclonal jerks; choreiform movements |
| Deficits in eye-hand coordination; limb apraxia; intention tremors | Poor eye-hand coordination; limb apraxia; problems with intentional movements | |
| Gait impairment; ataxia – from incoordination & clumsiness to inability to walk, stand, or sit; loss of motor control | Abnormal gait and posture, clumsiness and incoordination; difficulties sitting, lying, crawling, and walking | |
| Difficulty in chewing or swallowing | Difficulty in chewing or swallowing | |
| Unusual postures; toe walking | Unusual postures; toe walking | |
| Cognitive Impairments | Borderline intelligence, mental retardation - some cases reversible | Borderline intelligence, mental retardation - sometimes "recovered" |
| Poor concentration, attention, response inhibition | Poor concentration, attention, shifting attention | |
| Uneven performance on IQ subtests | Uneven performance on IQ subtests | |
| Verbal IQ higher than performance IQ | Verbal IQ higher than performance IQ | |
| Poor short term, verbal, & auditory memory | Poor short term, verbal, & auditory memory | |
| Poor visual and perceptual motor skills, impairment in simple reaction time | Poor visual and perceptual motor skills, lower performance on timed tests | |
| Difficulty carrying out complex commands | Difficulty carrying out multiple commands | |
| Word-comprehension difficulties | Word-comprehension difficulties | |
| Deficits in understanding abstract ideas & symbolism; degeneration of higher mental powers | Deficits in abstract thinking & symbolism, understanding other’s mental states, sequencing, planning & organizing | |
| Unusual Behaviors | Stereotyped sniffing (rats) | Stereotyped, repetitive behaviors |
| ADHD traits | ADHD traits | |
| Agitation, unprovoked crying, grimacing, staring spells | Agitation, unprovoked crying, grimacing, staring spells | |
| Sleep difficulties | Sleep difficulties | |
| Eating disorders, feeding problems | Eating disorders, feeding problems | |
| Self injurious behavior, e.g. head banging | Self injurious behavior, e.g. head banging | |
| Visual Impairments | Poor eye contact, impaired visual fixation | Poor eye contact, problems in joint attention |
| “Visual impairments, blindness, nearsightedness, decreased visual acuity | “Visual impairments; inaccurate/slow saccades; decreased rod functioning | |
| Light sensitivity, photophobia | Over-sensitivity to light | |
| Blurred or hazy vision | Blurred vision | |
| Physical Disturbances | Increase in cerebral palsy; hyper- or hypo-tonia; abnormal reflexes; decreased muscle strength, especially upper body; incontinence; problems chewing, swallowing, salivating | Increase in cerebral palsy; hyper- or hypotonia; decreased muscle strength, especially upper body; incontinence; problems chewing and swallowing |
| Rashes, dermatitis/dry skin, itching; burning | Rashes, dermatitis, eczema, itching | |
| Autonomic disturbance: excessive sweating, poor circulation, elevated heart rate | Autonomic disturbance: unusual sweating, poor circulation, elevated heart rate | |
| Gastro-intestinal Disturbances | Gastroenteritis, diarrhea; abdominal pain, constipation, “colitis | Diarrhea, constipation, gaseousness, abdominal discomfort, colitis |
| Anorexia, weight loss, nausea, poor appetite | Anorexia; feeding problems/vomiting | |
| Lesions of ileum & colon; increased gut permeability | Leaky gut syndrome | |
| Inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase IV, which cleaves casomorphin | Inadequate endopeptidase enzymes needed for breakdown of casein & gluten | |
| Abnormal Biochemistry | Binds -SH groups; blocks sulfate transporter in intestines, kidneys | Low sulfate levels |
| Has special affinity for purines & pyrimidines | Purine & pyrimidine metabolism errors lead to autistic features | |
| Reduces availability of glutathione, needed in neurons, cells & liver to detoxify heavy metals | Low levels of glutathione; decreased ability of liver to detoxify heavy metals | |
| Causes significant reduction in glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase | Abnormal glutathione peroxidase activities in erythrocytes | |
| Disrupts mitochondrial activities, especially in brain | Mitochondrial dysfunction, especially in brain | |
| Sensitivity due to allergic or autoimmune reactions; sensitive individuals more likely to have allergies, asthma, autoimmune-like symptoms, especially rheumatoid-like ones | More likely to have allergies and asthma; familial presence of autoimmune diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis; IgA deficiencies | |
| Can produce an immune response in CNS | On-going immune response in CNS | |
| Causes brain/MBP autoantibodies | Brain/MBP autoantibodies present | |
| Causes overproduction of Th2 subset; kills/inhibits lymphocytes, T-cells, and monocytes; decreases NK T-cell activity; induces or suppresses IFNg & IL-2 | Skewed immune-cell subset in the Th2 direction; decreased responses to T-cell mitogens; reduced NK T-cell function; increased IFNg & IL-12 | |
| CNS Structural Pathology | Selectively targets brain areas unable to detoxify or reduce Hg-induced oxidative stress | Specific areas of brain pathology; many functions spared |
| Damage to Purkinje and granular cells, brainstem, corpus callosum, basal glangia, cerebral cortex | Damage to Purkinje and granular cells, brainstem, corpus callosum, basal glangia, cerebral cortex | |
| Accummulates in amygdala and hippocampus | Pathology in amygdala and hippocampus | |
| Causes abnormal neuronal cytoarchitecture; disrupts neuronal migration & cell division; reduces NCAMs | Neuronal disorganization; increased neuronal cell replication, increased glial cells; depressed expression of NCAMs | |
| Progressive microcephaly | Progressive microcephaly and macrocephaly | |
| Abnormalities in Neuro-chemistry | Prevents presynaptic serotonin release & inhibits serotonin transport; causes calcium disruptions | Decreased serotonin synthesis in children; abnormal calcium metabolism |
| Alters dopamine systems; peroxidine deficiency in rats resembles mercurialism in humans | Possibly high or low dopamine levels; positive response to peroxidine (lowers dopamine levels) | |
| Elevates epinephrine & norepinephrine levels by blocking enzyme that degrades epinephrine | Elevated norepinephrine and epinephrine | |
| Elevates glutamate | Elevated glutamate and aspartate | |
| Leads to cortical acetylcholine deficiency; increases muscarinic receptor density in hippocampus & cerebellum | Cortical acetylcholine deficiency; reduced muscarinic receptor binding in hippocampus | |
| Causes demyelinating neuropathy | Demyelination in brain | |
| Neuro-physiology | Causes abnormal EEGs, epileptiform activity | Abnormal EEGs, epileptiform activity |
| Causes seizures, convulsions | Seizures; epilepsy | |
| Causes variable patterns, eg, subtle, low amplitude seizure activity | Variable patterns, eg, subtle, low amplitude seizure activities | |
| Population Characteristics | Effects more males than females | Male:female ratio estimated at 4:1 |
| At low doses, only affects those genetically susceptible | High heritability - concordance for MZ twins is 90% | |
| First added to childhood vaccines in 1930s | First "discovered" among children born in 1930s | |
| Exposure levels steadily increased since 1930s with rate of vaccination, number of vaccines | Prevalence of autism has steadily increased from 1 in 2000 (pre1970) to 1 in 500 (early 1990s), higher in 2000. | |
| Exposure occurs at 0 - 15 months; clinical silent stage means symptom emergence delayed; symptoms emerge gradually, starting with movement & sensation | Symptoms emerge from 4 months to 2 years old; symptoms emerge gradually, starting with movement & sensation |
Following are portions of several papers and studies that are published on the National Institutes of Health website:
Exposure to Mercury and Aluminum in Early Life: Developmental Vulnerability as a Modifying Factor in Neurologic and Immunologic Effects (2015) | National Institutes of Health
Currently, ethylmercury (EtHg) and adjuvant-Al are the dominating interventional exposures encountered by fetuses, newborns, and infants due to immunization with Thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs). Despite their long use as active agents of medicines and fungicides, the safety levels of these substances have never been determined, either for animals or for adult humans—much less for fetuses, newborns, infants, and children.
[...]
Rigorous and replicable studies (in different animal species) have shown evidence of EtHg and Al toxicities. More research attention has been given to EtHg and findings have showed a solid link with neurotoxic effects in humans; however, the potential synergic effect of both toxic agents has not been properly studied.
[...]
The use of Hg [mercury] in pediatrics was broader and left a trail of toxic events of epidemic proportions; first described as “peculiar neurosis of the vegetative nervous system, also known as acrodynia or “pink disease [3]; the wide use of calomel in “worm cures and teething powders [3] made it possible to track and tie acrodynia to Hg toxicity [4]. It is worth mentioning that topical Thimerosal used during pregnancy showed the highest relative risk of malformations compared to other non-mercurial antimicrobials [5]. Despite that, Thimerosal is still used in many pharmaceutical and hygienic products [6]. The continuing use of Thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs) in pediatrics (mostly during infancy) is still a matter of concern. In some developed countries, the use of TCVs is restricted to children six months or older. Thimerosal (used in multi-dose vials as an anti-microbial agent) was reduced in some pediatric vaccines in the USA, but it still remains in the majority of influenza vaccines and, with the influenza vaccine being added to the vaccine schedule, it continues to be given to pregnant women, infants, and children in the USA [7].
[...]
Indeed, May et al. [11] reported that vaccines contain the highest concentrations of Hg and Al among all biological products (allergenic extracts, inactivated bacterial toxins including toxoids, blood, blood derivatives and others) tested. In the last 30 years, not only has the number of pediatric TCVs increased, but also the Al:Hg ratio, rising from around 10-12-fold [11] to 50-fold in some current vaccines that use Thimerosal at 0.01% [12,13,14].
[...]
Although children are more susceptible than adults to toxic effects of heavy metal exposure, fetuses and neonates are even more vulnerable and the least protected by existing regulatory bodies [16]. Therefore, environmental and iatrogenic exposures to neurotoxic chemicals during critical periods of early life—in utero, neonatal and during infancy—are of particular concern. The proper function of the brain depends on the integrity of the whole central nervous system (CNS). Any developmental toxicity capable of affecting optimal development can have life-long consequences [17]; minimal dysfunction can negatively impact quality of life by increasing the risk of health problems and socioeconomic achievements [18]. Subtle neurochemical effects can have a profound and lasting influence on life trajectory [19].
[...]
In addition to the multiple exposure studies in Table 1, a number of epidemiological studies found significant dose dependent relationships between Thimerosal administration and medically diagnosed specific delays in development [86,87,88,89]. Also Gallagher and Goodman [90] reported a significant association between TCV exposure from hepatitis B vaccine and developmental disability in U.S. children aged one to nine years. By contrast, other investigators have failed to find a consistent significant relationship between TCV exposure and subsequent specific delays in development in exposed children [91,92]. However, those studies were recently reviewed and it was concluded that their results were uninterpretable [93].
Safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines: a two-phased study of computerized health maintenance organization databases (2003) | National Institutes of Health
RESULTS:
In phase I at HMO A, cumulative exposure at 3 months resulted in a significant positive association with tics (relative risk [RR]: 1.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-3.38). At HMO B, increased risks of language delay were found for cumulative exposure at 3 months (RR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.01-1.27) and 7 months (RR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.01-1.13). In phase II at HMO C, no significant associations were found. In no analyses were significant increased risks found for autism or attention-deficit disorder.
Thimerosal Exposure in Early Life and Neuropsychological Outcomes 7–10 Years Late (2012) | National Institutes of Health
Results:
The authors found no statistically significant associations between thimerosal exposure from vaccines early in life
and six of the seven latent constructs. There was a small, but statistically significant association between
early thimerosal exposure and the presence of tics in boys.
Thimerosal exposure in infants and developmental disorders: a retrospective cohort study in the United kingdom does not support a causal association (2004) | National Institutes of Health
RESULTS:
Only in 1 analysis for tics was there some evidence of a higher risk with increasing doses (Cox's HR: 1.50 per dose at 4 months; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-2.20). Statistically significant negative associations with increasing doses at 4 months were found for general developmental disorders (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.81-0.93), unspecified developmental delay (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.69-0.92), and attention-deficit disorder (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.64-0.98). For the other disorders, there was no evidence of an association with thimerosal exposure.
CONCLUSIONS:
With the possible exception of tics, there was no evidence that thimerosal exposure via DTP/DT vaccines causes neurodevelopmental disorders.
From the article, The CDC has just published a seismic study linking spontaneous abortions in women to flu vaccines, on the World Mercury Project website:
CDC officially claims that thimerosal is the “safe mercury because it is purportedly excreted quickly from the body. CDC bases this claim solely on its misinterpretation of data from a poorly designed study conducted in the early 2000s by an industry insider, Dr. Michael Pichichero. Subsequent studies have proven that the ethylmercury in thimerosal is actually far more persistent in organs than the methylmercury in fish (Burbacher et al.) (Rodrigues et al.).
Video: How Mercury Causes Brain Neuron Damage | University of Calgary