However, many children suffering from mercury poisoning have been previously diagnosed with autism due to the similarity of symptoms. Children have been exposed to cumulative levels of mercury from the vaccines that exceed threshold safety levels that have been established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In many instances, children carry unmistakable evidence of mercury poisoning and the symptoms of mercury poisoning were first manifested after receiving vaccines tainted by thimerosal. In many cases, children exhibited normal neurological and other developmental patterns until such time as the cumulative dose of mercury caused irreparable damage to both the neurological and the general developmental process. For example, many children had developed language and other skills that were later lost as the result of the cumulative exposure to mercury.
Thimerosal is a mercury-based additive.