|
|||||||
They fear that what you don't know about the flu vaccine may hurt your children -- despite government reassurances.
The federal government is removing the mercury from all childhood vaccines, but some children are still being exposed to mercury in their flu vaccine. Toxicologist Mike Wagnitz says he's shocked about the issue.
As a state chemist, he tests mercury and other metals. He's also the father of an autistic child. He and other parents and pediatricians believe skyrocketing rates of U.S. autism in the 1990s are linked to childhood vaccines that contain thimerosal -- a preservative that's nearly 50 percent mercury. In 1999, as a precaution, federal agencies called for phasing out mercury from all childhood vaccines.According to the Centers for Disease Control, the "majority of influenza vaccines distributed in the U.S. currently contain thimerosal." (See Crisis Level)
"Right now, it doesn't have to be in there," Wagnitz said. "It's only in there for one reason right now -- money. "Flu vaccine can be made virtually mercury free, but it costs more so there's less of it, even as demand rises, officials said.
This fall, flu shots became part of the U.S. recommended childhood vaccine schedule. Everywhere, health officials urge flu shots for babies six months to 23 months -- despite the potential for mercury. They say studies show it's safe."The small tiny, tiny, tiny bit of perservative that is in a children's doses, which is only half of an adult dose, is just not worth having your 6-month-old or 15-mouth-old get sick with pneumonia, get sick or die, that's just not worth it to me," said Dr. Kathryn Vedder of the Madison Public Health Department. The CDC flatly states, "There is no scientific evidence that thimerosal in vaccine is harmful." But some national groups investigating the link between autism and mercury allege federal officials have known about a risk for years and covered it up.
One group, Safeminds, claims to have secured transcripts from a 2000 CDC meeting where attendees were told to "keep the information confidential."
"There's just a host of neurodevelopmental data that would suggest that we've got a serious problem," one doctor commented.He notes a need for more research, but adds, "In the meantime, I think I want my grandson to only be given thimerosal-free vaccines."
|
|||||||
"Our federal public health officials seem much more concerned about protecting their six figure salaries than they they do about coming clean with this," Wagnitz said.
Groups point out the traditional flu vaccine contains 25 micrograms of thimerosal -- even though thimerosal targets for infants under six months is three micrograms.
Public health officials still recomend infant flu shots. They say concerned parents can just ask their doctor for the kind that only has traces of mercury in it. State public health says roughly two thirds of its original vaccine supply was the kind with thimerosal.
