Today Congressman Dan Burton [R-IN-05] was presented with an award by the "Green Our Vaccines" campaign in appreciation for his endless commitment, courage and fight for safer vaccines for all children. 

Burton stated, "As a grandparent of a child with autism, I am proud to be recognized by such well-respected, hard-working organizations like Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), Generation Rescue, the HEAL Foundation, and Mothers Against Mercury. I am proud to join these organizations in their fight to remove all toxins from children’s vaccines. Many in the scientific community believe there is a link between childhood vaccines, especially those containing the mercury-based preservative Thimerosal, and autistic symptoms.  Progress has been made to remove Thimerosal from many children’s vaccines and improve their safety, but more needs to be done." 

 "We need to not only eliminate all toxins from our children's vaccines, but also Congress needs to enact legislation commissioning a Federal study to compare the instance of autism and other neurological disorders in vaccinated versus unvaccinated children.  Let’s make the "Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act" (H.R. 2832) a reality.  The bill is simple and straightforward.  It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct or support a comprehensive study comparing total health outcomes, including risk of autism, in vaccinated populations in the United States with such outcomes in unvaccinated populations in the United States, and for other purposes.  I’d also like to see all children’s vaccinations be available in single-shot vials.  This would remove the need for preservatives, as well as reduce the risk of spreading potential infections.

"Autism is a political issue - not just a scientific and medical one," continued Burton. "Autism is reaching epidemic proportions, and even if starting today there were no new cases of autism diagnosed we still face huge challenges ahead in terms of handling the long-term educational, housing and health care needs of the millions of American kids currently struggling with this condition."

A recent study reports that about one in 150 American children has autism- a fact which shows both how common autism is and why funding is desperately needed for autism research and services. There is currently no known cure for autism, however, better understanding of the disorder has led to the development of better coping mechanisms and strategies for the various manifestations of the disability. 

Concluded Burton, "As long as I am in Congress, I will continue to fight for safer vaccines and more autism research. America’s children deserve nothing less."