al ▁relationship ▁between ▁th iom ers al - cont aining ▁v acc ines ▁and ▁aut ism . ▁The ▁concentration ▁of ▁th iom ers al ▁used ▁in ▁v acc ines ▁as ▁an ▁ant im icro b ial ▁agent ▁ranges ▁from ▁ 0 . 0 0 1 % ▁( 1 ▁part ▁in ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ) ▁to ▁ 0 . 0 1 % ▁( 1 ▁part ▁in ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ). ▁A ▁v acc ine ▁containing ▁ 0 . 0 1 % ▁th iom ers al ▁has ▁ 2 5 ▁micro gram s ▁of ▁mer cur y ▁per ▁ 0 . 5 ▁m L ▁do se , ▁roughly ▁the ▁same ▁amount ▁of ▁element al ▁mer cur y ▁found ▁in ▁a ▁three - ounce ▁can ▁of ▁t una . ▁There ▁is ▁robust ▁peer - review ed ▁scientific ▁evidence ▁supporting ▁the ▁safety ▁of ▁th iom ers al - cont aining ▁v acc ines . ▁ ▁M MR ▁v acc ine ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁UK , ▁the ▁M MR ▁v acc ine ▁was ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁controvers y ▁after ▁the ▁publication ▁in ▁The ▁Lanc et ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁paper ▁by ▁Andrew ▁W ake field ▁and ▁others ▁reporting ▁case ▁histor ies ▁of ▁ 1 2 ▁children ▁mostly ▁with ▁aut ism ▁spectrum ▁dis orders ▁with ▁on set ▁soon ▁after ▁administration ▁of ▁the ▁v acc ine . ▁At ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁press ▁conference , ▁W ake field ▁suggested ▁that ▁giving ▁children ▁the ▁v acc ines