Vaccine Information

A vaccine is an injection of a weakened or killed pathogen, such as a bacterium or virus, or a portion of the pathogen's structure that, once inside the body, stimulates the creation of antibodies or cellular immunity against the particular pathogen. Once an individual has the antibodies for an infectious disease, the person is essentially immune to the disease. Someone can get this immunity through an active or passive “route.” A vaccine is not able to cause sever infection.

Active Immunity

A protection by one’s own immune system that is usually permanent in nature.

Passive Immunity

A protection via products produced by animals or humans and then transferred to another human, typically by injection. Passive immunities are effective but temporary protections. Over time (weeks or months), they will become less effective and eventually disappear completely.

Immune System

The immune system’s primary purpose is to find and destroy antigens, which are the foreign substances in the body. Antigens are either live (as in the case of bacteria or viruses) or inactivated. Once the immune system identifies antigens, it tries to create a defense against them (the immune response). This typically involves the production of antibodies and other cells (known as cell-mediated immunity). These help destroy the antigens.

Effective Vaccinations

The two most important issues to insuring effective vaccines are the timing of antibody-containing blood products and live vaccines, simultaneous and nonsimultaneous administration of different vaccines, and the intervals between subsequent doses of the same vaccine.

In order to get the most out of a vaccine, they should be given very close to the recommended schedule. Vaccines are given in separate doses and the proper spacing between them should be followed. The only exception to this is if a child is not up-to-date with their vaccinations and needs to be accelerated in order to be caught up. If this is the case, it is extremely important to know how closely the doses can be spaced and still remain effective.

Vaccines Containing Thimerosal
The following list is provided by the U.S. Public Health Service and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

• The uproar over a little-known preservative, thimerosal, jostles U.S. hepatitis B vaccination policy.
 

• Washington, DC - In an October 25, 2000 letter to HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN), Chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, requested a recall of all vaccines containing Thimerosal.
 

• Thimerosal in Vaccines: A Joint Statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Public Health Service. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act of 1997 called for FDA to review and assess the risk of all mercury-containing food and drugs.

Thimerosal is an additive that has been used in biologics and vaccines to kill bacteria used in certain vaccines and prevent bacterial contamination in certain containers. Thimerosal contains four main ingredients, ethyl mercuric chloride, thiosalicylic acid, sodium hydroxide and ethanol. Ethyl mercuric chloride is essentially an organic mercury. Some of the vaccines that contain thimerosal include Hepatitis B, diphtheria, pertussis, acellular pertussis, tetanus and Hib vaccines. (For a complete list of thimerosal-containing vaccines, scroll down to the bottom of this webpage.)

Why is it potentially dangerous?

Thimerosal contains some mercury, a toxic element that, if taken in high enough doses, can result in long-term immune, sensory, neurological, motor, and behavioral dysfunctions. Health-related organizations such the National Vaccine Program fear that infants who received up to 15 mercury-containing vaccines by the time they six months old may be exposing themselves to dangerous amounts.

Among the disorders feared may result in are autism, attention deficit disorder, and speech and language deficiencies. One of the biggest concerns for parents and health officials is the link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism.

Click Here to find more Frequently Asked Questions regarding THIMEROSAL.