▁be ▁false . ▁The ▁scientific ▁cons ensus ▁is ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁relationship , ▁caus al ▁or ▁otherwise , ▁between ▁v acc ines ▁and ▁inc idence ▁of ▁aut ism , ▁and ▁v acc ine ▁ing red ients ▁do ▁not ▁cause ▁aut ism . ▁ ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁anti - v acc ination ▁movement ▁continues ▁to ▁promote ▁myth s , ▁consp i racy ▁theories , ▁and ▁mis information ▁linking ▁the ▁two . ▁A ▁developing ▁t actic ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁" prom otion ▁of ▁irrelevant ▁research ▁[ as ] ▁an ▁active ▁aggreg ation ▁of ▁several ▁question able ▁or ▁peri pher ally ▁related ▁research ▁studies ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁justify ▁the ▁science ▁underlying ▁a ▁question able ▁claim ." ▁ ▁Th iom ers al ▁ ▁Th iom ers al ▁( sp elled ▁" th imer os al " ▁in ▁the ▁US ) ▁is ▁an ▁ant if ung al ▁pres erv ative ▁used ▁in ▁small ▁amounts ▁in ▁some ▁multi - d ose ▁v acc ines ▁( where ▁the ▁same ▁v ial ▁is ▁opened ▁and ▁used ▁for ▁multiple ▁patients ) ▁to ▁prevent ▁cont am ination ▁of ▁the ▁v acc ine . ▁Despite ▁th iom ers al ' s ▁effic acy , ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁th iom ers al ▁is ▁controvers ial ▁because ▁it ▁contains ▁mer cur y ▁( specific ally ▁eth yl mer cur y ). ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the ▁Cent ers ▁for ▁D ise ase ▁Control ▁( CD C ) ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁Academy ▁of ▁Ped iat rics ▁(