Childhood Vaccinations
Personal Injuries Resulting from Childhood Vaccinations. Usually vaccinations do not cause injuries to children. However, because vaccinations sometimes injure children, Congress enacted the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (Program) to compensate children who have sustained injuries resulting from childhood vaccinations. Currently several lawsuits are pending throughout the United States relating to the use of thimerosal in vaccines. Thimerosal is a preservative containing ethyl mercury which was used to kill bacteria and fungus in vaccines. Before its use in vaccines ethyl mercury was not tested for toxicity to human beings. Epidemiological studies are underway to study the relationship between exposure to ethyl mercury and several neurological disorders including but not limited to pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); and autism. In October of 2001 the Institute of Medicine issued a report stating that is ...