Families claiming that a mercury-based preservative in vaccines triggers autism are challenging mainstream medicine as they take their case to a federal court.
Two 10-year-old boys from Portland, Oregon are serving as test cases to determine whether the children and their families should be compensated. Attorneys for the boys will attempt to show the boys were happy, healthy and developing normally until they were exposed to vaccines with thimerosal.
Overall, nearly 4,900 families have filed claims with the U.S. Court of Claims alleging that vaccines caused autism and other neurological problems in their children.