Posted on 02/24/2005 6:28:14 AM PST by CraigG
For Immediate Release: Contact: Jaillene Hunter,
(202) 225-3671; (202)-577-5285 February 17, 2005 Jaillene.Hunter@mail.house.gov
Weldon/Maloney Introduce Legislation Banning Mercury From Vaccines Legislation Eliminates This Exposure For Children and Pregnant Women
(Washington, D.C.) - U.S. Reps. Dave Weldon, M.D. (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) reintroduced H.R. 881 today eliminating mercury from vaccines. Given increasing concerns about mercury exposures and the body's ability to eliminate mercury, this bill will virtually eliminate the mercury exposure from vaccines.
In 1999 the Public Health Service and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended removal of thimerosal from child vaccines. Five years later, thimerosal (50% mercury) remains in childhood vaccines. Last year, the CDC recommended that children receive the flu vaccine without recommending that infants and pregnant women get only the mercury-free dose.
"Our bipartisan legislation is necessary to stop CDC from rolling back the clock when it comes to eliminating this mercury exposure to for infants and pregnant women," said Rep. Weldon, a physician. "Our bill sets in place a law giving vaccine manufacturers and public health officials a realistic but firm timetable for elimination of mercury."
"It's a simple concept: kids shouldn't be given anything that's toxic. The pharmaceutical industry is starting to get the mercury out, but we need to know that it's gone without any doubt," said Maloney.
Mercury is a neurotoxin and is harmful to the developing central nervous system of fetuses and infants. The EPA found that 1-in-6 infants are born with a blood mercury level above the level considered safe by the EPA. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration and the EPA have warned pregnant women and young children to limit their consumption of certain fish in order to reduce mercury exposures.
The Legislation:
Requires that beginning with the 2006/07 flu season, the flu shots for children under age three and pregnant women may not contain more than 1 microgram (mcg) of mercury; Requires that beginning with the 2007/08 flu season, the flu shots for children under age six and pregnant women may not contain more than 1mcg of mercury; Requires by July 1, 2006, all other routinely administered childhood vaccines, may not contain more than 1mcg of mercury and on Jan 1, 2009, all pediatric, adolescent and adult vaccines that contain more than 1mcg of mercury are banned; Expresses the Sense of the Congress that the CDC should incorporate into its vaccine promotion messages, a recommendation against administering a mercury-containing vaccine to pregnant women.
...and watch the autism cases drop
This must be Banday the 24th of Banuary, Year of Our Ban 2005.
Personally, I always order my vaccines with EXTRA MERCURY. Supersize me, baby.
I guess the question is: why is it there in the first place? For what reason is it used in creating medicines?
Mercury is allegedly very effective against syphillus. Not that you necessarily need that, but hey ... better safe than sorry, right?
"why is it there in the first place? For what reason is it used in creating medicines?"
Great questions. It's there as a preservative only. It has no place in medicine. It's one of the most toxic substances on the planet.
Check out my post with evidence that mercury in vaccines has caused the autism epidemic: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/1349360/posts?page=20
There is a ton of coverage right now on autism which is a great thing. Parents like me (with an autistic child) are screaming to get the truth out there. But the drug companies that made and use thimerosal and the FDA & CDC that allowed it to be used under their watch do not want the truth to be known. So they refer to a handful of reports that indicate there is no link between mercury and autism. All of these reports are seriously flawed (my post linked above goes into this detail) and there is a mounting body of evidence showing a clear link.
There is a great book coming out called Evidence of Harm (www.evidenceofharm.com) that presents both sides and will really blow your mind. I attended an early presentation given by the author, David Kirby, and the evidence for the link is just staggering.
Forget vaccines. Get the mecury out of our TOOTH FILLINGS.
"Forget vaccines. Get the mecury out of our TOOTH FILLINGS"
I don't disagree about the dental amalgams. My wife and I had ours removed (without coverage from insurance of course) because we'd like to try and have another baby.
But don't discount the impact of injecting mercury right into your blood.
Thanks! I'll have a look during lunch.
Thimerosol has been out of most childhood vaccines for several years now, and the incidence of autism is not decreasing. What makes you think that a law will decrease autism?
Thimerosol is used to ensure that the vaccine remains sterile.
"Thimerosol has been out of most childhood vaccines for several years now, and the incidence of autism is not decreasing. What makes you think that a law will decrease autism?"
It's a common misconception that mercury was removed in 1999. It was only recommended that it be removed. There were millions of vaccines with mercury sitting on the shelves and we couldn't waste that, could we? The truth is, we really don't know when it was taken out because it was never mandated. Best guess is late 2002/early 2003. Most children don't get diagnosed until they around 3 years old. So it will take some more time to see if the numbers start going down as thimerosal was reduced in vaccines.
By Michelle Meadows
There is no link between autism and the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine or the vaccine preservative thimerosal, according to a report released by the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Immunization Safety Review Committee.
The report, released in May 2004, was prepared by a committee of independent experts established by the IOM in 2001 at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to evaluate evidence on potential links between childhood vaccines and health problems. The agencies explored the issue because of growing controversy and questions from the public about vaccine safety.
Some parents have expressed concern because the symptoms of autism typically emerge in a child's second year of life, around the same time children first receive the MMR vaccine. Autism is a complex set of severe developmental disorders characterized by repetitive behavior and impaired social interaction and communication abilities. Other concerns the committee looked at include the use of thimerosal, a mercury-based compound used as a vaccine preservative, because many forms of mercury are known to damage the nervous system in high doses.
This latest IOM report follows two reports on vaccines and autism published in 2001. The committee determined then that the evidence did not show an association between the MMR vaccine and autism, but that more evidence was needed regarding thimerosal. "The committee concluded that the evidence available at that time was inadequate to accept or reject a causal relationship between thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders," says Marie McCormick, M.D., Sc.D., chairwoman of the immunization safety committee and a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.
The committee revisited these issues because several studies exploring possible links between vaccines and autism have been published since 2001. Committee members concluded that the hypothesis about how the MMR vaccine and thimerosal could trigger autism lacks supporting evidence. Their conclusions were based on a careful review of well-designed studies and other information from researchers and parents.
Five large studies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden done since 2001 found no evidence of a link between autism and vaccines containing thimerosal. And 14 large studies consistently showed no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The committee also reviewed several studies that did report associations between vaccines and autism and found that these studies had limitations and lacked supporting evidence.
The committee reviewed potential biological links between vaccines and autism and found them to be only theoretical. Examples of some of the hypothesized links include a suggestion that the measles virus in the MMR vaccine might lodge in the intestines and trigger the release of toxins that could lead to autism. Another hypothesis is that the MMR vaccine might stimulate the release of immune factors that damage the central nervous system. Yet another hypothesis is that thimerosal may interfere with biochemical systems in the brain, thereby causing autism. But according to the IOM report, no evidence has shown that the immune system or its activation play a direct role in causing autism, and autism has not been documented as being a result of exposure to high doses of mercury.
"There is no convincing evidence of serious harm from the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines," says Karen Midthun, M.D., deputy director for medicine in the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). CBER regulates vaccines in the United States and works with the CDC and the NIH to study and monitor vaccine safety and effectiveness.
Since the 1930s, small amounts of thimerosal have been used as a preservative in multi-dose vials of vaccines to prevent bacterial contamination. The active ingredient in thimerosal is ethylmercury.
Even though the risk of thimerosal is hypothetical, thimerosal began to be removed from childhood vaccines in 1999. The federal government, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and others agreed that thimerosal should be reduced and eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure. The FDA encouraged companies to comply with this recommendation. Currently, all routinely recommended vaccines manufactured for infants in the United States are either thimerosal-free or contain only trace amounts.
"We moved in this direction to address public concern and because it was feasible to eliminate mercury from vaccines," Midthun says. "We could eliminate thimerosal in vaccines as a way to reduce a child's total exposure to mercury, whereas other environmental sources of exposure are more difficult to eliminate."
In its latest report, the IOM's immunization committee reported that it does not dispute that mercury-containing compounds, including thimerosal, can be damaging to the nervous system. But the committee did not find that these damaging effects are related to the development of autism.
For the 2004-2005 flu season, the CDC is recommending that children ages 6 months to 23 months get vaccinated annually against the flu (influenza) with the inactivated flu shot. "The influenza vaccine is available both with thimerosal as a preservative and without it," Midthun says. "But the benefits of flu vaccination outweigh any theoretical risk from thimerosal."
According to the CDC, the amount of flu vaccine without thimerosal as a preservative will increase as manufacturing capabilities expand. "To eliminate thimerosal as a preservative from flu vaccines, manufacturers will have to switch from multi-dose to single-dose preparations, which requires greater filling and storage capacity," Midthun says.
Based on federal guidelines on levels of mercury exposure, a child won't receive excessive mercury from vaccines, regardless of whether their inoculation against the flu contains thimerosal.
The IOM's immunization safety committee did not recommend any changes with the MMR vaccine or with the current schedule of routine childhood immunizations.
"While the committee strongly supports research that focuses on achieving a better understanding of autism, we recommend that future research be directed toward other lines of inquiry that are supported by current knowledge and evidence, and that offer more promise for finding an answer," McCormick said at a media briefing. "Given the current evidence, the vaccine hypothesis doesn't offer that promise."
The IOM is part of the National Academy of Sciences.
Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism
Immunization Safety Review Committee, Institute of Medicine
No need to apologize (I don't hold it against you!). I only ask you to keep an open mind and read the following (You may want to read my other post with a complete body of evidence http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1349360/posts:
Myth #16 The scientific and medical communities have proven there is no correlation between Thimerosal in vaccines and autism
Many in the medical and regulatory communities assert
that "there is no proof" or that "they proved there was no
connection" regarding the link between mercury and autism. This assertion has been widely reported in the mainstream press to the point that it is now accepted as fact. It is important for any parent to view these statements critically and understand what and who are actually making these assertions.
Generation Rescue believes autism is an issue of toxicology. Yet, you never hear from a toxicologist saying there is no correlation between autism and mercury. This is because toxicologists know that the link is likely. Hearing a psychiatrist comment on mercury toxicity is like
seeking the opinion of a urologist for a new heart procedure. It doesn't make sense to accept the expertise of people who have no experience in the field of heavy metal toxicity.
The only science that claims to refute the connection is
epidemiological science. Epidemiological study is statistical analysis of population data (in this case, analyzing for a correlation between the amount of Thimerosal received with the incidence of neurological disorders). The outcomes of epidemiological
studies, however, are highly sensitive to small changes in the parameters of analysis (e.g., definition of disorder, amount of dosing, timeframe). In other words, it is easy to massage the data to reduce the power of statistical correlation. There have never been any medical studies done to establish "no proof" in the way many
studies have been done in Myth #15 to establish "proof." There was no safety testing of Thimerosal in children before it was put into pediatric vaccines. There have been no placebo-controlled studies following children for five years after receiving vaccines containing Thimerosal.
The actual epidemiological science that is held up as "proof" of no connection is both paltry and controversial. The totality of the "scientific evidence" centers on three clusters of recently released information from the medical community. These include:
- A CDC study that appeared in Pediatrics in November of 2003 is the primary study held up as "proof" of no connection between Thimerosal and autism. This is astonishing in light of the fact that both the study and the author of the study report that the analysis
was "inconclusive" and more research was required. The study that forms the basis for the assertion of "proof" admits it did not prove anything! Also, Pediatrics represented that the author of the study was an employee of the CDC when in fact he had become an employee of
Glaxo SmithKline, a vaccine manufacturer. (See Myth #17). A separate study of this same data undertaken by an independent research team (Geier & Geier) identified significant correlations between Thimerosal exposure and the rate of neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Four studies from Denmark, where Thimerosal was removed from vaccines in 1992, appeared in four separate medical journals in 2002-2003 and assert that Denmark's population data demonstrates no link between Thimerosal and autism. Not only has the methodology of the "Denmark Studies" been disputed, but it also was later
established that the authors of all four studies had an economic interest in and/or are employees of a Danish vaccine manufacturer who had recently received a big order from the United States for vaccines. The publishing journals did not mention these associations in any of the reports. (See Myth #18)
- A study by the Institute of Medicine released in March 2004 claims there is no link between Thimerosal and autism. The IOM did not do any primary research, they simply reviewed what already had been done, focusing mostly on the above CDC and Danish studies for
their conclusion. (See Myth #19). This conclusion was a change from a similar review in 2001 by the IOM that stated the mercury-autism link was "biologically plausible". While there appear to be no links
between the members of the reviewing panel and vaccine makers, there were no toxicologists or other scientists versed in mercury toxicity included in the panel.
Myth #17 The CDC did a study and proved there was no link between mercury in vaccines and autism.
In the November 2003 a study appeared in the medical journal pediatrics titled, "Safety of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines: A Two-Phased Study of Computerized Health Maintenance Organization Databases" written by Thomas Verstraeten who had been an employee of the Centers For Disease Control. By the time the study was published,
he was an employee of Glaxo SmithKline, a vaccine manufacturer. It is this study, more than any other, which has formed the basis for the mainstream medical community to claim that the link between vaccines and autism has been disproven. This study is also routinely cited in
the mainstream press on the autism/mercury topic as the "proof" of no connection. Here are the facts:
1. The study itself was inconclusive. Nowhere in the study is it stated that there is "no link" between Thimerosal and neurodevelopmental issues. In fact, the study specifically states:
"The biological plausibility of the small doses of ethylmercury present in vaccines leading to increased risks of neurodevlopmental disorders is uncertain…For elucidating further whether a causal association exists between thimerosal exposure and nuerodevelopmental
conditions, additional studies with different designs will be needed."
2. The study's author, Thomas Verstraeten, confirmed that the study was inconclusive. In a letter to Pediatrics five months after the publication of the study, he writes:
"I am the first author of a recent article on a study undertaken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to screen for a potential link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and neurodevelopmental delays. The article has been subject to heavy criticism from antivaccine lobbyists…Because I was responsible for
nearly all aspects of this study, including study design, data gathering, data analysis, and writing of the article, I wish to give my opinion on these claims… Surprisingly, however, the study is being interpreted now as negative [where `negative' implies no association was shown between Thimerosal and autism] by many, including the antivaccine lobbyists. The article does not state that we found
evidence against an association, as a negative study would. It does state, on the contrary, that additional study is recommended, which is the conclusion to which a neutral study must come. Does a neutral outcome reduce the value of a study? It may make it less attractive
to publishers and certainly to the press, but it in no way diminishes its scientific and public health merit. A neutral study carries a very distinct message: the investigators could neither confirm nor exclude an association, and therefore more study is required."
3. There is compelling evidence that initial analyses by the CDC found a pronounced, positive correlation between exposure to Thimerosal and a wide range of neurodevelopmental issues but that data was manipulated out of the study over time to produce a neutral,
inconclusive result. Here is Dr. Mark Geier discussing the study:
"…this very study was the topic of secret-closed meetings between members of the CDC and other government organizations, as well as members of the vaccine manufacturers held at Simpsonwood, Georgia from 7-8 June 2000. The transcript of this meeting has been obtained
under the Freedom of Information Act. This transcript reveals that the study initially found statistically significant dose-response effects between increasing doses of mercury from thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines and various types of neurodevelopmental disorders. The transcript documents that the data was real and
statistically significant for many types of neurodevelopmental disorders, but that the meeting participants expressed that the data had to be `handled.' Despite discussion about how to `handle' the data, some participants expressed concern that the work that had
already been done would be obtained by others through the Freedom of Information Act. In this event, even if professional bodies expressed the opinion that there was no association between thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders, it was already too late to do anything.
In addition, other participants expressed that the vaccine
manufacturers were in a horrible position to be able to defend any lawsuits alleging a relationship between thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders, since no one would say with the available data that there was no relationship between thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders."
The transcript of Simpsonwood meeting, if read in its entirety, is surprising in its clarity on the Thimerosal-autism link and in the explicit planning by the participants over how to "handle" the information with the outside world. One of the expert panelists, William Weil, MD, commented during Simpsonwood:
"The number of dose related relationships [thimerosal to neurological issues] are linear and statistically significant. You can play with this all you want. They are linear. They are statistically significant."
After the Simpsonwood meeting, the study's author, Thomas Vertraeten, stated to his superiors:
"I do not wish to be the advocate of the anti-vaccine lobby and sound like being convinced that thimerosal is or was harmful, but at least I feel we should use our sound scientific argumentation and not let our standards be dictated by our desire to disprove an unpleasant theory."
Below are some reports documenting the initial findings of the CDC analysis, criticisms of their subsequent methodologies, and transcripts from the Simpsonwood meeting.
1. Analysis and Critique of the CDC's Handling of the Thimerosal Exposure Assessment Based on the Vaccine Safety Datalink Information Safe Minds (Sensible Action For Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders)October 2003
This 46-page presentation describes how the CDC performed four separate rounds of analysis, with the first one showing a significant positive correlation between Thimerosal exposure and incidence of neurodevelopmental delays. It charts how the methodology of each
subsequent analysis was changed, eventually resulting in a neutral, non-significant correlation.
2. Study Misses Link Between Thimerosal and Neurodevlopmental Disorders Letter to the Editor of Pediatrics
Dr. Mark Geier
February 23, 2004
Dr. Geier's letter to Pediatrics outlines flaws in the CDC's methodology and approach.
3. The Truth Behind the Vaccine Cover-up
www.russellblaylockmd.com
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
September 4, 2004
This extensive review of the Simpsonwood transcript is interspersed with Dr. Balylock's own commentary. It is shocking, disheartening, and ultimately incriminating. Excerpt from Dr. Verstraeten discussing some of the positive correlations found between exposure to
Thimerosal and the incidence of later neurodevelopmental delays:
"…we have found statistically significant relationships between the exposures and outcomes for these different exposures and outcomes. First, for [exposure to Thimerosal at] 2 months of age, an unspecified developmental delay, which has its own ICD9 code. Exposure at 3 months of age, Tics. Exposure at 6 months of age, Attention Deficit Disorder. Exposure at 1, 3, and 6 months of age,
language and speech delays which are two separate ICD9 codes. Exposure of 1, 3, and 6 months of age, the entire category of neurodevelopmental delays which include all of these plus a number of other disorders."
4. Immunization Safety Review
Letter to the Institute of Medicine written by Safe Minds
2004
This letter to the Institute of Medicine written by Safe Minds also highlights some of the incriminating discussion from the Simpsonwood meeting. Excerpt from Dr. Bernier, near the closing of the
Simpsonwood meeting:
"We have asked you to keep this information confidential. We do have a plan for discussing these data at the upcoming meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on June 21 and June 22. At that time CDC plans to make public release of this information, so I think it would serve all of our interests best if we could continue
to consider these data. The ACIP work group will be considering also. If we could consider these data in a certain protected environment. So we are asking people who have a great job protecting this information up until now, to continue to do that until the timing of the ACIP meeting. So too basically consider this embargoed
information. That would help all of us to use the machinery that we have in place for considering these data and for arriving at policy recommendations."
5. Internal Email From Thomas Verstraeten of the CDC Noting the Thimerosal/Autism Link in the Data "Won't Go Away" Internal Email Correspondence at the CDC
December 17, 1999
Thomas Verstareten's email, prior to the Simpsonwood meeting, laments that in his analysis the relationship between Thimerosal and a wide range of neurodevelopmental issues just "won't go away."
6. Scientific Review Of Vaccine Safety Datalink Information Simpsonwood, GA June 7-8 2000
This is the actual "Simpsonwood Transcript" that SafeMinds obtained with a Freedom Of Information Act lawsuit. At 286 pages, it takes some time to get through. Russell Blaylock's (#3 above) or Safe Mind's (#4 above) reports are an easier way to capture the highlights
of this transcript.
Myth #18 Denmark, which removed Thimerosal from vaccines in the early 1990s, did a study proving there was no link between mercury in vaccines and autism.
This myth implies that the government of Denmark was
responsible for a study of Thimerosal and autism, which is not accurate. In rapid succession, four studies from Denmark were released in four separate medical journals, all purporting to disprove the thimerosal-vaccine-autism connection. Specifically, The New England Journal of Medicine published in 2002, "A Population-based study of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination and autism";
The American Journal of Preventative Medicine published in
2003, "Autism and thimerosal: lack of consistent evidence for an association"; Pediatrics published in 2003, "Thimerosal and the occurrence of autism: negative ecological evidence from Danish population-based data"; and, The Journal of the American Medical Association published in 2003, "Association between thimerosal-
containing vaccine and autism."
Soon after the studies were published, Safe Minds revealed that most of the Danish researchers behind all four studies were employees of a Danish manufacturer of vaccines, Statens Serum Institut. None of the reports noted this conflict of interest. Mothering magazine reported on Safe Mind's response to one of the Danish studies (from the Journal of the American Medical Association):
"Safe Minds released an analysis of the autism registry data from Denmark that showed the rate of autism dropped sharply after removal of thimerosal from infant vaccines in that country in 1992. Their findings showed the rate of autism declined from an incidence of 1 in 500 prior to 1992 to 1 in 1,500 today. The analysis also uncovered a
flaw in the methodology of Danish investigators publishing in the October issue of JAMA (Hviid et al), who utilized the same Danish registry data and concluded that autism rates in Denmark rose after thimerosal removal from vaccines. "In our review of the Danish data
we identified a flaw which resulted in a substantial loss of autism case records from the registry which essentially renders the findings from the JAMA study by Hviid and colleagues invalid", said Sallie Bernard, executive director of Safe Minds. "The registry allows 10-
25% of diagnosed autism cases to be lost from its records each year. The effect [cumulative] of this loss is such that the records will disappear from older age groups to a much greater degree than from younger age groups in any given registry year." The Hviid findings are based on finding fewer older children diagnosed with autism than younger ones in the 2000 medical registry. Since the older children received Thimerosal vaccines and the younger
ones did not, Hviid falsely concluded that Thimerosal must not be a factor in autism. The Safe Minds analysis shows instead that the "higher" incidence of autism in younger children is likely due to the loss of records of older children, rather than a true "increase" in autism rates in the younger group. Safe Minds reanalyzed the Denmark registry data and used an alternative method to avoid the record removal bias. The analysis looked at same-age children - 5-9 year olds - but from different registry years: 1992, when all of the children received Thimerosal-
containing vaccines, and 2002, when none of the children received vaccines with Thimerosal. The analysis found a 2.3x higher incidence of autism cases among the 1992 Thimerosal-exposed group relative to the 2002 non-exposed group. The analysis then determined an autism incidence rate for the non-Hhimerosal group of 1 in 1,500, while the Thimerosal-exposed group had an incidence of 1 in 500, a 3-fold increase. The higher figure is comparable to the 1 in 500 incidence level for autism in England and the 1 in 150 incidence level in the US. The Thimerosal exposure level
and timing in pre-1992 Denmark was comparable to that in England, while that for the US was somewhat more aggressive. As Lyn Redwood, president of Safe Minds comments:
"In the Hviid study in JAMA we can clearly see how the data was misinterpreted so a conclusion could be drawn to clear thimerosal from any role in autism. This misinterpretation is not surprising given the authors' employment with the manufacturer and promoter of
vaccines in Denmark, Statens Serum Institut. This conflict of interest should have been stated by JAMA…Safe Minds is calling for a complete analysis of the Denmark autism registry data set by independent, unbiased epidemiologists who have no involvement in vaccine development, production, promotion, or administration."
Some documents that refute the Denmark studies include:
1. Something is Rotten In Denmark
Safe Minds October 2003
This overview traces the association between all the Danish researchers to a single Danish vaccine company, Statens Serum Institut.
2. Analysis of the Danish Autism Registry Data Base in Response to the Hviid et al Paper on Thimerosal in JAMA (October, 2003)
Safe Minds
Sallie Bernard
October 2003
This paper details the above findings by Safe Minds and refutes the methodology of Danish study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
3. Danish Thimerosal-Autism study in Pediatrics: Misleading and Uninformative on Autism-Mercury Link
Safe Minds
Mark Blaxill
September 2, 2003
This paper critiques the Danish study published in Pediatrics.
4. MMR and Autism In Perspective: The Denmark Story
Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Volume 9, Number 3 Carol Stott, Ph.D., Mark Blaxill, Dr. Andrew Wakefield Fall 2004
This peer-reviewed analysis demonstrates that the rate of autism in Denmark rose after the introduction of the MMR vaccine.
Myth #19 The IOM did a study and proved there was no link between mercury in vaccines and autism.
In May 2004, the Institute of Medicine released a 216-page report titled Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism and concluded that there did not appear to be a causal link between Thimerosal and the autism epidemic. Much of their conclusion was based on the aforementioned CDC and Danish studies. There was no
primary research done. This lack of new, primary research is a critical point. The IOM's conclusion was largely based on the studies discussed in Myths 17 & 18 above that are controversial flawed.
Soon after the report's release, Congressmen Burton and Weldon and Congresswoman Watson held a joint press conference. An excerpt from Mothering magazine on the press conference:
"Unfortunately, I believe the findings announced in the May 18th IOM report are heavily biased, and unrepresentative of all the available scientific and medical research," stated Chairman Burton. "I think it
is highly irresponsible for the IOM Immunization Safety Review Committee to purport definitive findings to the American public, which are based on selective scientific studies that are greatly flawed to begin with."
Congresswoman Watson stated, "Just because there is not a
preponderance of scientific proof, does not mean that we should discontinue investigations into the effects of mercury containing thimerosal. Unbiased researchers are continuing to produce results that challenge the IOM findings." The Congresswoman further noted that, "The IOM did not make the statement that mercury injected into
the body is helpful. Mercury is mercury, and it is a neuro-toxic substance (among other bad things) - name one beneficial use in the human body."
Said Congressman Weldon, "The IOM report is premature, perhaps perilously reliant on epidemiology, based on preliminary incomplete information, and may ultimately be repudiated. This report will not deter me from my commitment to seeing that this is fully investigated, nor will it put to rest the concerns of parents who believe their children were harmed by mercury-containing vaccines or the MMR vaccine."
The recently released IOM report is the eighth and final in a series designed to examine the safety of vaccines that contain the mercury-based preservative, Thimerosal. In their latest report, the IOM Committee concludes, "The body of epidemiological evidence favors the rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing
vaccines and autism." This statement represents a significant change from the Committee's finding in their 2001 report, which called such a causal relationship, "biologically plausible." The Committee based its final conclusions on their review of approximately 10 previously conducted epidemiological studies. Of those roughly 10 studies, 5 reported probable links between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism, yet those 5 were summarily dismissed because the Committee
determined the manner in which they were conducted was flawed."
Rather than being exceedingly cautious at the smallest hint of a causal relationship between Thimerosal, autism, and other neurodevelopmental delays, it appears that the CDC and IOM are determined that any connection be disproven. The science upon which they base claims of "no connection" is questionable: there are conflicts of interest by study authors and the methodologies used are
considered by many to be flawed. If there's no proof, where are all the medical studies? They don't exist.
Myth #20 Our health authorities would never let this happen – it's impossible that so many responsible for the welfare of our kids would allow an entire generation of children to be poisoned with mercury.
It is very hard to believe that so many doctors and health authorities, most of whom truly have the welfare of our children in their hearts, would allow this to happen. Some of the reasons, unfortunately, that this is a myth include:
- Doctors are not trained in toxicology in medical school. Therefore, very few people who monitor the vaccine program and monitor neurological developmental issues in children know what the signs of mercury poisoning look like, how to test for it, or what to do about it.
- Mercury has a slow onset that can take years to fully manifest. Therefore, the decision in 1991/92 to change the vaccine schedule did not start to show up in the autism figures until 1995/1996, creating confusion and uncertainty.
- By the time the epidemic was in full stride, those in positions of power seem to have suffered from denial, self-protection, and self-interest. Unfortunately, these traits have been exhibited throughout American history. Think asbestos, lead, alar, and Vioxx, to name only a few.
From our own Congressional Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness:
"Thimerosal used as a preservative in vaccines is likely related to the autism epidemic. This epidemic in all probability may have been prevented or curtailed had the FDA not been asleep at the switch regarding injected thimerosal and the sharp rise of infant exposure to this known neurotoxin. Our public health agencies' failure to act is indicative of institutional malfeasance for self-protection and misplaced protectionism of the pharmaceutical industry."
And, a study on Conflicts of Interest in Vaccine Policy-Making:
Conflicts Of Interest In Vaccine Policy Making
Committee On Government Reform – U.S. House of Representatives
August 21, 2000
FDA?
I really don't trust the government.
|
Contact: Jaillene Hunter 202-225-3671 |
||
 |
||
| Weldon/Maloney Introduce Legislation Banning Mercury From Vaccines Legislation Eliminates This Exposure For Children and Pregnant Women Washington, D.C. , Feb 18 - U.S. Reps. Dave Weldon, M.D. (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) reintroduced H.R. 881 today eliminating mercury from vaccines. Given increasing concerns about mercury exposures and the body’s ability to eliminate mercury, this bill will virtually eliminate the mercury exposure from vaccines. |
So, should we abolish the FDA and then allow all medications to be unregulated and over the counter?
As a conservative, I'm against most of the "alphabet" agencies. The FDA is very political, many drugs which are legal in Europe are banned here in the US.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
