Mercury
is Still in Vaccines
The Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) held its meeting in
Atlanta October 16 and 17th. At the end of the session, Marie McCormick of
the Institute of Medicine (IOM) gave a presentation to the Committee on the
IOM report on thimerosal in vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Of special note, in light of ACIP's
refusal since 1999 to give preference to thimerosal-free vaccines, was the
IOM's unequivocal recommendation for
(a)
the exclusive use of thimerosal-free DTaP, Hib, and Hep B vaccines for
infants and children, even if thimerosal-containing versions are still on the
shelves
(b)
for professional societies and government agencies to ensure the removal of
thimerosal-containing vaccines.
A study by the CDC was conducted during
the week of September 10-17, 2001 among a sample of healthcare providers
covering 225 sites in 16 states. The survey asked providers to physically
check their inventory of DTaP, Hib, and Hepatitis B vaccines and to record
the number of doses in the refrigerators, the brand, and the lot numbers.
With the assistance of the vaccine
manufacturers, the lot numbers were matched to production records to
determine whether the vaccine contained thimerosal or not. Nearly 66,000
doses were evaluated.
Among these
doses, 5.5% contained thimerosal.
Welcome news was given by the
representative from GlaxoSmithKline, who announced a voluntary exchange
program for thimerosal-containing vaccines.
Any US
healthcare provider may exchange, for free, their thimerosal vaccine stocks
with thimerosal-free versions upon request.
This program covers the GSK Engerix
Hepatitis B vaccine, in both pediatric and adult versions. Safe Minds urges
pediatricians and family physicians to take advantage of this program.
Parents should ask their doctors to find out about this program and make this
exchange without delay.
The GSK DTaP vaccine, Infanrix, has never
contained thimerosal. Additionally, to preserve high public confidence in
immunization programs, a GSK spokesman has said that GSK will roll out
thimerosal-free vaccines throughout the world, as reformulations pass through
the regulatory process in each country.
The Merck representative at the ACIP
meeting said that a similar exchange program was under consideration but no
decision had been reached. Merck's Recombivax Hepatitis B used to contain
thimerosal but since last year has been made preservative-free in single dose
vials.
Representatives from Wyeth Lederle and
Aventis said their products no longer contain thimerosal. Exchange programs
for remaining thimerosal stocks are not under consideration but have not been
ruled out.
Roger Bernier of the NIP/CDC announced
that a Working Group on Thimerosal had been formed to determine the official
response to the IOM thimerosal recommendations. Six options were under
consideration:
1.
A recommendation for the immediate cessation of use of thimerosal vaccines for infant DTaP, Hib, and Hep B.
2.
A recommendation to state an immediate preference for thimerosal-free infant
DTaP, Hib, and Hep B vaccines.
3.
Establishing a date in the future by which only thimerosal vaccines will be
given.
4.
A recommendation for the primary immunizations (given at 6 months of age or
younger) to be thimerosal free with no preference given for boosters given to
older children until thimerosal stocks are used up.
5.
Stating a preference for the Hib and Hep B vaccines to be only
thimerosal-free, while waiting for the DTaP shortage to resolve before
stating a preference for mercury-free DTaPs.
6.
Making no change to ACIP policy, which was set in 1999 and says that
thimerosal should be removed from vaccines as soon as feasibly possible but
no preference would be given to thimerosal-free formulations.
The recommendation of the Working Group is
to state a preference for thimerosal-free DTaP, Hib, and Hep B vaccines as of
March 31, 2002, which is when the 2002 Routine Infant Immunization Schedule
is scheduled to be announced.
FEAT Daily Newsletter October
18, 2001
DR. MERCOLA'S
COMMENT:
Hard to even imagine that any physician
with half a brain would even consider giving a newborn baby a substance that
is highly toxic to their central nervous system.
I have seen hundreds and hundreds of
autistic children and have reached the conclusion that many, but certainly
not all, had the root cause of their autism from the hepatitis B vaccine they
were given on their first day of breathing air, which was loaded with a
mercury preservative called thimerosol.
The central nervous system of a newborn
infant is particularly susceptible to toxic influences. This is one of the
reasons why the hepatitis B vaccine is such a problem. If it were given later
in life, like many other countries do, it would not be as much of a problem.
Thimerosol is still used as a
preservative in vaccines. You would think that the companies would wake up
and pull it from the vaccines. They have not.
If, for whatever reason, you are not
yet convinced of the value and safety in avoiding vaccines, you should NOT
let your child receive vaccines from the multi dose vials. These vaccines
still have the thimerosol in them.
Inform the physician or nurse that you
want the single dose vaccine container and request that you want to actually
witness them removing it from the vial and would like the empty vial to take
home with you as proof that they did not receive the mercury contaminated
vaccine.
This way you will at least avoid one of
the problems with the vaccines.
Related
Articles:
Autism 'Linked
to Mercury Vaccine'
CDC Issues Recommendations On Use Of Thimerosal -
Mercury- Free Hepatitis B Vaccine
Autism and
Mercury
Vaccine
Fillers and Ingredients
Institute of
Medicine Warns Mercury in Vaccines
Lawsuit Filed
for Mercury in Vaccines Causing Autism
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