Evidence of Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic: A Medical Controversy (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "LYN REDWOOD KNEW she was pregnant at the first sip of white Zinfandel..." (more)
Key Phrases: thimerosal controversy, vaccine court, thimerosal exposure, Safe Minds, Eli Lilly, New Jersey (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Avoiding hyperbole while writing about a possible medical catastrophe is no easy task, but David Kirby has created a fine balance of investigative and personal detail in Evidence of Harm. Combining stories from the parents of autistic children with reports, speeches and studies from researchers, pediatricians and government officials, he creates a picture that is as terrifying as anything dreamed up by Hitchcock.

The topic at hand is determining whether high levels of organic mercury present in an inexpensive preservative used in vaccinations can cause either autism or autism-like symptoms. Kirby's in a delicate position, searching for the truth between frantic parents (he focuses on the founders of political action group Safe Mind) and the self-protective pharmaceutical industry (the author thanks the nameless person who placed a pro-Eli Lilly litigation rider into the Homeland Security Act of 2002). He's also honest enough of a reporter to admit to the temptation of deciding mercury is the culprit behind a range of disorders, even in light of some inconclusive test results. The ultimate truth isn't clear, and Kirby is direct about each of the reasons his sources have for their biased opinions.

While some of the straight research reports will likely to go over the head of anyone not well versed in the terminology, the book is never dull--there is a continual urgency in the material that resists pedantry. However undecided the experts, readers will likely land firmly in one angry camp or the other. Jill Lightner

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. The first serious journalistic account of a highly controversial topic, Kirby's book addresses the front-page question: has a mercury-containing preservative called thimerosal, commonly used in children's vaccines, caused a national epidemic of juvenile autism? Following the development of the debate through the eyes of a handful of impassioned parents who formed the political action group, Safe Minds, Kirby, an experienced writer for the New York Times, crafts an engrossing David and Goliath story from this controversy, one in which the giant is an amalgamation of big government bureaucrats and corporate pharmaceutical lobbyists. Whether the association between thimerosal and autism is real remains to be seen, as Kirby points out. The evidence, presented here in excruciating detail but clouded by the parents' editorializing, is inconclusive but suggestive. Readers inclined to believe the parents' case will be convinced that there has been a big conspiracy; readers inclined to be skeptical will likely view the parents as self-serving proselytizers who spin each piece of evidence to suit their forgone conclusions. Walking the middle line, Kirby acknowledges that "each side accuses the other of being irrational, overzealous, blind to evidence they find inconvenient, and subject to professional, financial, or emotional conflicts of interest that cloud their judgment." And though Kirby clearly sympathizes with the parents' tragic experience of autism in their families and their inherent desire for justice, and though he occasionally demonstrates a lack of understanding about the politics of scientific publication and the wording of scientific articles, his book remains one of the most thoroughly researched accounts of the thimerosal controversy thus far. This is the book for medical professionals and concerned parents to read. It's accessible in its handling of medical topics and compelling in its recounting of the parents' fight to advance their agenda in the face of both political and scientific roadblocks.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (March 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312326440
• ISBN-13: 978-0312326449
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (116 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #414,477 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book That All Parents Should Read...., April 6, 2005

By	John M. Greene (Gaithersburg, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The pharmaceutical industry, the CDC, the FDA, and a host of other people do NOT want you to read this book - because they are afraid of it. And they should be.

The CDC has already issued a statement on the book, fearing that it will lower vaccination rates. David Kirby is an independent journalist, not the parent of an autistic child, nor a biased observer from the medical, regulatory, public health, or pharmaceutical communities - trying to cover their a**es from lawsuits that could make the tobacco settlements look like pocket change. This well-written book is one that all parents should read - and ask why NO ONE from the above mentioned agencies or industries would talk to David Kirby. What are they hiding???

He is NOT advocating that you shouldn't vaccinate your children - but you should be sure the vaccines do not contain mercury! You can get single dose vaccine vials for your pet - but NOT for your child, unless you specifically demand them. The FDA has recommended removal of mercury preservative from children's vaccines but did NOT mandate it - and existing stocks are still being used.

1 in 166 American children currently suffer from an Autism Spectrum Disorder - an epidemic that will require billions of dollars in care. I am a scientist - a Harvard Ph.D. in Genetics and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of MIT - and although there is indeed no absolute proof that mercury in vaccines has caused this epidemic, neither is there disproof. What is abundant in this book is plenty of reason to believe that there is evidence of harm.

Sean, this book is for you and all the children like you - at last.

John M. Greene, Ph.D.
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Disclaimer - My opinions are my own, as the father of an autistic child and as a scientist since 1980, and do not represent in any way the views of my employers.

40 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for All Parents, May 5, 2005

By	Angry Parent of a Recovering Mercury Poisoned... (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This book is a must read for all parents who are quick to trust what doctors, our government agancies, and the drug companies consider safe. I was one of those parents, and my son suffered because of it.

David Kirby has done some very thorough researh on the subject matter in Evidence of Harm. I had a hard time putting this book down. The 450+ pages is an informative look at why so many kids are "being born" with so many problems. Autism and mercury poisoning have EXACTLY the same symptoms and it is about time somebody has stepped up to the plate to try and get the CDC and the drug companies to take responsibility for the biggest screw up in modern medical history. Who was the genious that thought that adding the second most toxic substance to humans in vaccines was a good idea? I would like to thank them for destroying my son's childhood.

This book tells a story that has not ended yet. It allows the reader to be brought up to date on where this controversy stands, and offers hope for children who were poisoned by vaccines. In a matter of months after enough people read this, the sh-- is going to hit the fan, and everyone will be talking about this.

So buy this book, read it, sell all of the stock you own in the drug companies who created this mess, and boycott Eli Lilly and the other companies who are trying to cover this up instead of taking responsibility for the problems.

Thank you, David, for writing this book. Autism IS mercury poisoning, and when people can be convinced of this, their children may recover also.

Read this book and visit http://www.generationrescue.org if you want to help your child recover.

44 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The consequences are too great for Kirby not to be silenced, June 12, 2005

By	Todd S. Page (Lexington, KY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just finished reading this book over a 2 day period this weekend, and reviewed all the reviews here at Amazon before posting my review. The reviews fall into 2 catagories: parents of autistic children appreciative for Kirby's efforts in exposing the thimerosal controversy, and those, who for various reasons, are opposed to the suggestion that this mercury-based derivitive could have caused or contributed to the autism epidemic. For those who left Kirby with a single star, were you criticizing the book itself or the message conveyed therein? Beause, it is clear that the message in this book is extremely disturbing, and a damning indictment for those in charge of assuring the safety of our children.

While it is true that Kirby paints a very sympathetic picture of those affected by autism, it is also clear from my reading of the book that those in a position to respond to many of the allegations raised were not interested in participating in an open evaluation of this issue. And then, why should they, when the CDC, IOM and FDA have already discounted the evidence that would suggest a link between mercury and autism.

Contrary to what some of this book's detractors would have you believe, Kirby does not suggest that any of the opponents of mercury are opposed to vaccines in general. The book makes it clear that the critics just want their vaccines to be safe, which means removing what can only be considered a neurotoxin from the vaccines. It should be remembered that mercury does not contribute to the efficacy of any vaccine, but only helps the manufacturer extend the shelf life of its product.

Kirby lays out some damning evidence, including the fact that only one repudiated study by Lilly was done in 1930 on the safety of thimerosal, and all the people in the study died of the disease being treated so that researchers could not point to any proof of safety. From that point forward, the question should have been where is the proof that thimerosal is safe, not where is the proof that it is not? Also unanswered by the critics of the autism-mercury connection is the question of what is causing the autism epidemic if not mercury?

Kirby's book raised this and many other critical questions, and is a must read for anyone affected by autism. Unfortunately, the main stream media has to date demonstrated very little interest in this book, so that the only people likely to hear about it or read it are those who have been affected or know someone who has been affected.

Kirby does an excellent job of outlining the issues in this controversy, and also proposed treatment methods for those who believe that their child has been poisoned and could benefit from removing mercury from his/her system. I strongly recommend it.