Good Clean Fun
(The winner is "Benismyson" who recognized the "cleaning products" line at 6:29am in the comments. We had some great comments in this post. Thanks everyone.)
By Kim Stagliano
It's that time of year, when each visit to the grocery store brings me face to face with a flu shot clinic. I usually ask the gals sitting at the table, eager to jab passersby, "Is there mercury in that vaccine?" I like to see the medical aides blanch, their mouths drop, and their eyes grow wide. If I get really lucky, there's a senior citizen within earshot (right next to me) who hears me too. When the vaccinators answer, "No," I politely correct them, inviting them to look at the packaging and read the word, "Thimerosal."
Now, in fairness to the medical companies who supply the flu vaccines to clinics, in this case Maxim Healthcare, they do alert patients that Thimerosal is in the vaccine. I snapped this photo yesterday at my local Stop & Shop in Connecticut. I invite you to take a look at the photo and find the sentence that made me laugh out loud, vomit a little into my mouth (back to the toothpaste aisle I went for Listerine) and snap the photo. Leave your answer in the comments. I'll send a T-shirt to the first reader to find the egregious sentence so make sure you leave your email address on the email line of the comment form.
I never win anything, maybe this is a sign of good fortune ahead. I'm going to buy the second lottery ticket Ive ever bought in my life and if I win the millions I will use it to buy a seat on the IACC for someone a lot smarter than me to make some headlines. Those seats are still for sale aren't they?
Posted by: bensmyson | October 19, 2009 at 02:00 PM
The funniest line to me is about having an allergy to thimerosal. I heard the same question from a nurse in my allergy clinic offering me a free flu shot. I told her that was like asking someone if they had an allergy to cyanide! You can't have an allergy to a poison!
Posted by: Fred King | October 19, 2009 at 12:26 PM
Cograts, Bensmyson!
Posted by: Twyla | October 19, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Kim,
Next time you're close to a flu shot clinic, why don't you carry a mercury thermometer with you, drop it on the floor, and watch those jabbers scramble to contain it? OMG!
Speaking of mercury scares, check out this article:
Pipkin inspected Œtop to bottom¹ for mercury
School officials hope to resume classes Monday at the middle school.
Mike Penprase
News-Leader
Environmental cleanup workers in protective suits used high-tech vacuum cleaners Friday to rid Pipkin Middle School of mercury spilled from an old barometer.
Two other school district buildings were affected by the Thursday spill, but cleanup work was concentrated at the middle school, 1215 Boonville Ave., so classes can resume Monday.
"We are certain Pipkin will have school on Monday. The issue is if they will be able to have it at Pipkin Middle School," Les Ford, director of middle schools for the district, said at a Friday news conference.
"We're hopeful that will happen."
Randall Willoughby, emergency response site coordinator for the state Department of Natural Resources, said a crew from Sunbelt Environmental worked to clear the school of a small amount of mercury that spilled from the glass instrument.
"For lack of a better word, we're going to do a top-to-bottom check," Willoughby said. "We're just going to work from one end to the other, from the basement to the top floor."
The pace of the cleanup depends on air monitoring done by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. An EPA representative arrived at the school midday Friday.
At Pipkin, the mercury cleanup was focused on a science classroom -- the barometer had been on the wall -- a second classroom where the barometer had been moved briefly and a nurse's office where the instrument was stored in a closet for about a week.
Willoughby said some readings in those areas of high concern registered "multiple times" the levels allowed by the state health department.
Still, based on the short-term exposure a person in the building might have had to the spill, officials aren't expecting anyone to suffer long-term effects, he said.
Once mercury vapor levels reach a certain point, rooms are heated to vaporize any remaining mercury and the contaminated air is blown outside, he said.
By late Friday, DNR had cleared most of the school including the basement, the gym, the cafeteria, the classroom where the barometer originated, and some hallways and common areas.
Crews also worked at the Employee Service Center across Webster Street from Pipkin and at the Doling Center, 1423 W. Atlantic St., which serves as a mercury collection point.
Dispatchers were cleared to return to the center Friday, though some cleanup work would still continue, Ford said.
Workers pulled up carpet from the center and also stripped a school security vehicle of upholstery and other material that might have been in contact with the barometer as a security officer removed it from the school.
Once the car's interior is cleaned, it will return to service, Willoughby said.
The security officer was involved because the barometer was taken to the nurse's office, which serves as a school collection point for items containing mercury. The nurse, worried she wouldn't be able to carry the three-foot barometer, asked the officer to take it to Doling, Bledsoe said.
The security officer wasn't aware the barometer was leaking until after dropping it off at Doling and finding drops of mercury in the vehicle, she said.
A district official had said Thursday a list of items containing mercury would be released Friday, but that list wasn't available. It turns out those items aren't inventoried until a contractor picks them up, Bledsoe said.
"Since we haven't had it picked up yet, there hasn't been an inventory or documentation of what's been turned in," she said.
The district also does not know what other material containing mercury is in district buildings, she said.
"There are things that have accumulated over a number of years," she said.
The district began a mercury retrieval program three years ago but stepped it up after a mercury spill in September at Sequiota Elementary School, Bledsoe said.
Although the school buildings were closed, staff from Pipkin and the Employee Service Center worked at an alternate site.
At Pipkin, plastic bags containing student clothing, books and other materials were piled in hallways to be monitored for mercury.
The items were bagged so workers could concentrate on decontaminating rooms and floors, and will be checked later in the cleanup, Willoughby said.
In some cases, cleanup workers navigated around foot-high clear plastic tubes that resembled inflated balloons.
The inflatable ducts were used to decontaminate a nurse's office that doesn't have windows, Willoughby said.
Instead of heating a room and then venting vaporized mercury outside through windows, workers put the ducts on a floor from the nurse's office to a door to exhaust contaminated air, he said.
Elsewhere, 55-gallon drums marked with hazardous materials labels sat in hallways and plastic sheets covered floors leading to classrooms.
The Pipkin cleanup is the third mercury-related cleanup he's worked on since the school year began, Willoughby said.
While occurring at an unusual pace, the spills have generated interest about the health hazards of mercury and requests from emergency responders on how to handle the liquid metal, he said.
Pipkin parents will be notified Sunday of the status of the cleanup and where classes will be held Monday, Ford said.
Additional Facts
Why worry about mercury?
Metallic mercury is liquid at room temperature and has no odor. It was once commonly used in thermometers, barometers, switches and blood-pressure measuring devices.
When spilled, some of the metal will evaporate into the air and can be carried long distances. Mercury is toxic when inhaled. Improper cleanup with a vacuum, paintbrush or household cleaner increases exposure by dispersing the mercury into the air.
Posted by: Jennifer Hutchinson | October 19, 2009 at 10:47 AM
This was on the CDC protest on wednesday email... and I love it..
We want the public to see just how toxic these vaccines are. If a vaccine vile is spilled, a haz-mat team is required for clean-up and the vaccine must be disposed of as biohazardous waste. Since when has the human body been deemed a toxic waste dump. Enough said...
Posted by: Kathy Blanco | October 19, 2009 at 01:05 AM
Kim, If I'm in the area, please, please take me shopping with you, lol. I'd love to get that on video.
Posted by: AL | October 18, 2009 at 04:10 PM
Kim, I haven't read all the comments -- did you tell us which sentence made you laugh out loud and upchuck?
Posted by: Twyla | October 18, 2009 at 02:10 PM
TJ,
I wonder what your company say if you showed them the vaccine insert that Quiet in the South posted that says:
"Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed."
The isert also states:
"each 0.5 mL dose contains 24.5 mcg of mercury."
The EPA safety standard of mercury in drinking water is .002 ppb (.002 mcg/liter). This means municipal water suppliers must test for the presence of mercury in drinking water on a regular basis, report their findings to the EPA, and take corrective measures if the mercury levels in their water reach or exceed 0.002 ppm.
Posted by: Sarah | October 14, 2009 at 09:34 AM
My company is giving out free seasonal flu shots, and I read the conditions.
'You must not be pregnant' is on the list. I called and asked why and was told for 'safety' reasons.
Also, you must not be 'sensitive' to Thimersol...
Posted by: TJ | October 14, 2009 at 08:02 AM
quiet in the south
Regarding the H1N1 inserts...that's is unbelievable especially since pregnant woman are among the first in line for the shot...I think we should get on the pregnancy chats and warn them! the CDC is so FOS!
Posted by: Sarah | October 13, 2009 at 04:01 PM
The top health officer for Michigan in 2001 was at a CDC meeting in Georgia to discuss Thimerosal. He is quoted in the official transcript (infamous Simsponwood transcript) as saying something to the effect as "I don't want my grandson to receive a shot with Thimerosal in it."
The idea that Thimerosal was too dangerous to have in pet vaccinations back in the early 90s but was used for years afterwards for child vaccinations is revealing. There appears to have been a lack of meaningful scientific discourse and analysis in the institutions charged with health safety.
Posted by: Randy E (Gabriel's daddy) | October 13, 2009 at 04:38 AM
My son Jonathan,recently turned 5 yrs. old. He has been on the Autism Spectrim for 3 yrs. now. Sorry, I fail to see any humor in your article at all. I think I would rather cry. Knowing what I now know about vaccines.
Posted by: Raymond York | October 12, 2009 at 03:20 PM
Darn! No T-shirt for me, as I am going with a write-in vote for #11- "Must not be allergic to Poisons, or have demonstrated a reaction to Poisons in the past"... good grief!
Posted by: Laurie | October 12, 2009 at 03:50 AM
To Quiet in the South,
those same warnings for pregnant women are on the seasonal flu package inserts as well. Mine (I found out after-the-fact of course) actually said: SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS HAVE NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR PREGNANT OR LACTATING WOMEN OR FOR PEDIATRIC OR GERIATRIC POPULATIONS. The practice of giving flu shots to pregnant women is a train wreck... =(
Posted by: Sunny | October 12, 2009 at 12:28 AM
WTF!!!! I just read this on the swine flu insert from the FDA site
8.1 Pregnancy
"Pregnancy Category C: Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with Influenza A
(H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine or AFLURIA. It is also not known whether these vaccines
can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction
capacity. Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine should be given to a pregnant woman
only if clearly needed. "
1http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182401.pdf
Posted by: quiet in the south | October 11, 2009 at 10:48 PM
Hmmm. I was in the pediatricians office a week ago and had a nice discussion about the flu shot. When I told him I was pretty certain that my son had a reaction to his Hp B and also his first flu shot at 12 mo, he stated that it would be highly unlikely that my son would react to anything in those shots. He made the comment that those two shots do not contain any similar ingredients. So I guess I made up the reactions and neither one of these shots contain mercury.
Posted by: Kim | October 11, 2009 at 09:37 PM
So if Thimerosal is in cleaning products it's okay to inject in people???????
Posted by: Lila White | October 11, 2009 at 03:48 PM
D.... All of the above!!!! Still laughing AFTER the vomitting of course!
Posted by: Amy Yacullo | October 11, 2009 at 12:19 PM
RE Coumadin and the flu vaccine, I found this:
http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Profs/PUarticles/fluVaccineInteract.htm
"Reports of patients developing phenytoin, warfarin or theophylline toxicity following influenza vaccination have been published.2-5 In one study, toxic elevations in levels of the concurrent medicines were reported to occur up to 28 days post-vaccination."
and
"The mechanism of action for these interactions is suspected to involve cytochrome P450 3A4 hepatic enzyme inhibition, leading to reduced clearance of the concurrently administered medicine.* However, not all published cases support this explanation;4 for example, the interaction between warfarin and the influenza vaccine is thought to more likely involve an alteration in the synthesis of blood clotting factors.7"
Posted by: MB | October 11, 2009 at 11:09 AM
Thanks Nancy, I enjoyed the link. Get the far right on our side, get the far left on our side and maybe we can make them meet in the middle.
Posted by: Benedetta | October 11, 2009 at 10:30 AM
HI I found a egregious sentence in the story Good Clean Fun newsletter. You must NOT have an allergy to Thimerosal ( a perserative found in cleaning products.) Not have a history of Gullain-Barre Syndrome or an active Neurological Disorder.
Posted by: Carol Slemmer | October 11, 2009 at 10:05 AM
The really sad thing is that people will read that and still get the shot without question. I thought Bill Maher did a good job for our side opposing vaccines in a discussion with Bill Frist last Friday. Check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRQ3xSjOfGA
Posted by: Nancy Naylor | October 11, 2009 at 12:44 AM
Ah yes I've been doing this for years, I've actually had a few pharmacists ask me for more information. I watched one leave the counter and go right to his computer after I asked him to Google "+mercury +boyd haley".
I asked questions at a flu shot clinic near the entrance of the San Diego VA Medical Center one year, and the clinic supervisor asked the VA Police to come over, when they asked what was going on, the clinic supervisor actually told him that I was "creating a disturbance".
So remember that when you -- SHUDDER -- ask questions, you are creating a disturbance. Shame on you.
Posted by: Dave Foster | October 10, 2009 at 11:28 PM
I hate to admit it, but post it noted the sign, a couple of them, it felt good. Websites about alzheimers, and mercury, and lovely squalene and nonoxynol 9 (yes the spermacide)...I just love to use the shock and awe technique...love it...
Posted by: Kathy Blanco | October 10, 2009 at 10:59 PM
"Not have an allergy to thimerosal" Oh my god,they are trying to confuse the public.
This are all dumb comments,mercury/thimerosal
bio-accumulates in the system once it reaches toxic levels(also add the other ingredients eg boric acid, aluminum hydroxide and polysorbate 80-eg.Gardasil)then you will have auto immune disorders,
brain damage and variety of different issues.Kim,I love your style.Go, give them a hard time(the clinic girls) and protect or educate someone at the same time.
Posted by: Concerned Professional | October 10, 2009 at 10:56 PM
As absurd as it is, thimerosal was named "Allergen of the Year" in 2002, voted upon by the American Contact Dermatitis Society. But I guess a person being mauled by a lion, could be allergic to cat dander.
Posted by: Rob | October 10, 2009 at 10:46 PM
"NOT have an allergy to Thimerosal."
WTF ??!! Who exactly in this world does NOT have an allergy to Thimerosal ??!! Aren't we ALL adversely affected by neurotoxins ?
At least you took it with a sense of humor. There was a line out the door at Acme the other day ... flu shots. So I go up to the pharmacy and with a smile on my face ask, "What are they giving away?'
Girl behind pharmacy counter, "Flu shots."
Me, "Really ? You aren't getting one are you? "
Girl, "No"
Me, in a nice LOUD voice, "Good. You know, of course all the crap they put into those vaccines ! Including formaldehyde, a spermicide, and squalene oil, which is known to cause MS. "
Unfortunately, no one left the line while I was there.
And it was mostly older folks from Laurel Lake. Gee, I wonder why Alzheimer's is so much more prevalent these days ? hmmm, better diagnosing, for sure !
Posted by: Jules Boise | October 10, 2009 at 10:42 PM
I like the last one...You must meet the CDC requirements required at the date of service. What is that? The requirement must be you just need to be a sheep and get in line!
Posted by: DannysVoice | October 10, 2009 at 09:45 PM
I didn't know cleaning products contain thimerosal? Why would cleaning products need to be preserved??? They don't contain enough harmful chemicals without adding mercury?!?!
Posted by: Lin | October 10, 2009 at 09:43 PM
I'm not trying to win a contest, but tell me what is an "inactive" neurological disorder?
Death?
If I were trying to win the contest I would say
All of the above
They all make me want to vomit!
Posted by: Ben's Mom | October 10, 2009 at 09:43 PM
For Susan Cranmer (and everybody who posted about the issue of being allergic to thimerosal)--I am reminded of what Ellen Sandbeck says in her book *Green Housekeeping*: "Most allergic reactions are triggered by reactions to organic substances, not to minerals. But, you may ask, what about reactions to chemicals? An allergy is an overreaction to an otherwise harmless substance [like cat dander]. When people are sickened by exposure to toxic substances, they are not having allergic reactions; they are being poisoned... We are all damaged by these chemical toxins; it's just that some of us can tell when we are being poisoned, while others cannot." Amen!
Posted by: Theresa | October 10, 2009 at 09:17 PM
For norbro-at-gmail -- I don't know why blood thinner patients are not supposed to get the flu shot. What's weird is that when I did a quick internet search on Coumadin and flu shot, I found this site (http://www.pharmacy.ohio-state.edu/ClinicalPartners/patient_education/Coumadin_and_Flu-shot.pdf) telling people on Coumadin to get their flu shots *sooner* (October rather than November), because being on Coumadin could make the flu even worse for them. Bizarre... and it sure doesn't fill me with trust in anything someone says when they're trying to sell you a flu shot.
Posted by: Theresa | October 10, 2009 at 09:09 PM
I always thought Mr. Clean looked a little tweaky!
Posted by: alison macneil | October 10, 2009 at 08:55 PM
I read this earlier,,, and today I was at Walgreens and followed your lead. Theirs does have what the pharamcist called a tiny, tiny, bit of mercury......... but if you want a non mercury vaccine you can pay $5 more. I of course am not in the market for a vaccine anyways as I don't want to be what my Green Day calls an American Idiot
Posted by: maggie | October 10, 2009 at 08:54 PM
Maybe that's why my eyes go berserk sometimes when I enter a "sparkling clean" grocery store.
I'd used a thimerosal "preserved" contact lense solution for a few weeks (was warned specifically not to let the dispensing tip come in contact with anything to avoid contamination -- how many times do we hear to words "effective preservative"). The optometrist carefully had me try some with my first lenses and since I didn't apparently react, that was the solution I was sent home with. Then I used a hypoallergenic solution bottle, whatever was available in the store, I guess. When I went back to the thimerosal solution--instant burning, totally red eyes. The bottle says to "contact your optometrist" so I did wondering if my eyesight was in jeopardy.
He just kind of laughingly remarks at the high number of people who seem to develop allergies to the stuff--mercury never mentioned--just use the other kind. He probably didn't even know what it was. I learned later, the hard way.
What bugs me about this now was how this stuff was in the "regular" solution, probably no more effective than saline or whatever was used in the "hypo-allergenic" version, cost about the same, and having 15-20% of people exposed to it reacting immediately or over time only concerned them enough to "ask" them to stop using it in over-the-counter products, because maybe it was a bad idea having that percentage of the population sensitized to something used in more crucial biologics--vaccines, antidotes...
Did it ever occur to anyone in the "brain-centers" of our health agencies that maybe it wasn't a good idea to be using it at all?
Posted by: JenB on Bob's question | October 10, 2009 at 06:50 PM
The fourth one down is very helpful...
Be sure not to exhibit diarrhea while waiting for your flu shot.
It is nice that Thimerosal is just considered an alergy problem now...
Posted by: curtis | October 10, 2009 at 06:08 PM
I was one of those Aides. My job was to help with paperwork, keep the crowds at bay and happy, while the RNs jabbed. I was first-line-of-defense for questions.
"What is Thimerosal?"
"It's a preservative also found in contact lens solution."
"Oh, well, I don't wear contact lens!"
"Well, there you go!"
"What is GBS? (which I couldn't even pronounce at the time)?"
"Oh, you'd know it if you had it (parroting what the RNs had told me to say)."
I looked over paperwork, confirming signatures and if they had passed out from previous bloodwork. Because that was the only concern I (the RNs?) had.
I just can't believe I was a part of this. The things I know now. What I would change if I could go back. Why didn't I look this stuff up myself? I was irresponsible, naive and young. I did what the RNs in charge of the flu clinic told me to do/say. I was getting paid. I was important to these people as they lined up for their flu shot. I was the gate-keeper.
I've learned so much since then. I have so much to make up for in the future. I'm starting with an unvaxed dd, educating whenever the moment makes itself known, figuring out how to be a change for the future. AoA helps here. I'm learning and listening for my calling.
Posted by: CDLG | October 10, 2009 at 04:31 PM
.
So. Is anyone going to start videotaping nurses giving shots (in public, so there are no HIPAA or other privacy issues)?
Videotaping nurses giving shots, one after another after another -- would be visual proof of whether they shake those vials REALLY wel. Or whether some unlucky kid (or adult) gets that last, heavily-loaded injection. (A form of Russian roulette.)
If a documentary maker were doing this, he or she would also engage that recipient of each "bottom of the barrel shot." Get a
name and phone number for future follow-up.
Then six months later, find out if any of them -- but especially those from the probably 'hot shot' group -- have mysterious symptoms.
Posted by: Not Michael Moore | October 10, 2009 at 04:21 PM
Kim,
I won't be able to get that T-shirt, because they are all dumb!!!!!
You are not making this up are you?
No, nobody could make this up!
Posted by: Benedetta | October 10, 2009 at 03:43 PM
Call me crazy, but I am allergic to all neurotoxins!
Posted by: 4bobby | October 10, 2009 at 03:40 PM
"Not be exhibiting symptoms other than mild coughing, runny nose, and/or diarrhea."
Hmmm, get the flu shot if you have the flu? Didn't know it worked like homeopathy.
Posted by: Numbskulls | October 10, 2009 at 03:31 PM
This article reminds me of the CDC cheerfully informing parents (or medical personnel ?) that if, by accident, a child was given an adult dose of flu vaccine, rather than a pediatric dose, nothing needs to be done about it. Thats right folks, NOTHING- because the child's immune system and brain are already affected by the mercury and complete blood transfusions and brain transplants would be risky, you know.
Posted by: Cherry Sperlin Misra | October 10, 2009 at 03:05 PM
What's that? Guillain Barre Syndrome? Oh, I remember- Its one of those things like Autism- Used to be called a "rare disorder" and now it's called a "common disorder"
Posted by: Cherry Sperlin Misra | October 10, 2009 at 02:51 PM
They forgot the one that stated;
If your toddler cannot handle a few 25 to 50x doses of mercury per the EPA, he has a genetic defect and should take the flu shot and then get in line in Atlanta...
Posted by: curtis | October 10, 2009 at 02:18 PM
#1. If they are under the age of 18 they go see management? Does the manager give them permission??
Posted by: K Fuller Yuba City | October 10, 2009 at 01:45 PM
They ALL made me puke and laugh (in that order). So I guess I won't be able to win this one.
Posted by: Rae | October 10, 2009 at 11:52 AM
I forgot to say in my last comment that the flu shots (seasonal and swine) that come from multi-dose vials ALL contain 25 mcg of MERCURY per dose.
I don't like to fool around with the word thimerosal. Most people don't know exactly what it is. The package inserts use the word MERCURY so let's call it what it is, MERCURY.
If you ask the flu shot people at the store if the shots have mercury, be sure to ask for the package insert, which clearly states that they contain 25 mcg of mercury. I don't think it says that on the package, only the insert. Look under the heading, "Description."
Also, people love to say, well, that must be a trace amount. NO. the "trace" amount for vaccines is 0.3 mcg of mercury. 25 mcg is 83 times the "trace" amount.
Posted by: Marilyn | October 10, 2009 at 11:45 AM
I don't think the sign was saying that thimerosal was in cleaning products (though there could be). I think it was saying that if you have an allergy to thimerosal OR an allergy to (general-we-won't-mention-ingredients-or-brands-we-sell-in-this-store) cleaning products, you're not eligible for the shot. It's a little disinfo-psych way of both saying that thimerosal is "no more dangerous than household cleaning products" AND not mentioning the chemicals in the cleaning products they sell.
Of course to any of us, the idea that they put cleaning products in something they shoot into kids is appalling. But the average American would drink Lysol if they thought it would make them smell better.
Some common ingredients in cleaning products-- ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, etc.-- are in vaccines.
I have no idea what made you laugh here, Kim. It's all so funny (ha ha...retch).
Posted by: Gatogorra | October 10, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Please read this: http://mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=1142538
CoMeD http://mercury-freedrugs.org/ is suing the FDA and the HHS regarding mercury in the flu shots. If you're a woman, please consider doing what Kim did (asking if there is mercury in the shots) and recording your experience in a declaration to be used in the lawsuit.
Posted by: Marilyn | October 10, 2009 at 11:38 AM
I have a question. I was wondering why they prevent people on blood thinner from receiving the flu vaccine? My mother always got the flu shot and she was on coumadin.
This is very interesting to me. Half of the elderly population is on coumadin.
Posted by: [email protected] | October 10, 2009 at 11:36 AM
I am going to go with meet any cdc eligibility requirements at date of service. they have already set their standards so low. wtf...all is required is that you have a pulse and they will shoot you up with their toxins. and btw how is thimerosal in cleaning products? the msds says if it is spilled you need the epa hazmat team to come clean it up!
Posted by: kn | October 10, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Good grief- who DOESNT have an allergy to one of the most dangerous neurotoxins known to man. I CANNOT wrap my mind around the warped thinking that says you need a hazmat team to clean up a mercury spill but it becomes suddenly safe when its in a vaccine and you can inject it into a one day old infant. How does that work???
Posted by: Susan Cranmer | October 10, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Having two boys with autism can be a bit messy. What a great solution, just bust open some old thermometers and/or flourecent lightbulbs and let the magic cleaning action of mercury get to work! Look how everything sparkles now!
Posted by: Sylvia | October 10, 2009 at 10:38 AM
wow
Is this SNL? There are hilarious! (though the Heparin one has me wondering about 90% of those over 70.....wth?)
I think the one that you laughed THE MOST about yet also was sickened by was the
"Meet only CDC eligibility requirements"
- if you have a pulse...your eligible.
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | October 10, 2009 at 10:13 AM
Whoever put that sign up should be praised. It's a great way to point out thimerisol and neurological disorders.
Where did that sign come from? That is great!
Posted by: TexasDad | October 10, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Okay, that whole thing is absolutely stupid. but CLEANING PRODUCTS???? c'mon thats just asinine.
Posted by: joy | October 10, 2009 at 09:36 AM
Kim, will Age of Autism start an organized campaign to educate the public discreetly? Posters, flyers, bumper stickers, demonstrations, may work, but T shirts? who will see them in winter? We're supposed to have the coldest winter in a long time this winter.
Posted by: mary podlesak | October 10, 2009 at 09:35 AM
Regarding the amount of mercury in flu shots, I was reading the package inserts for the H1N1 vaccines from Novartis, Sanofi Pasteur and CSL last night. All three state the vaccine contains 25mcg of mercury -- not 25mcg of thimerosal -- 25mcg of mercury.
Here is the quote:
"The 5-mL multidose vial formulation contains thimerosal, a mercury derivative, added as a preservative. Each 0.5-mL dose from the multidose vial contains 25 mcg mercury."
From here:
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182242.pdf
I thought the flu vaccines contain 25mcg of thimerosal, 50% of which is mercury, or 12.5cmg of mercury? When I checked the package inserts for the seasonal flu vaccine, they read the same as the H1N1 description.
Posted by: MB | October 10, 2009 at 09:22 AM
I'm going to have to go with the line - “Not have a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome or an active neurological disorder” That line could be re-written in so many creative and far less sanitized ways. "If you have previously had an unsubstantiated correlated adverse event that we are not responsible for following a prior teansy weansy little shot, please correlate elsewhere."
Posted by: seek | October 10, 2009 at 09:17 AM
Kim, Although I agree with everyone here about thimerosal being in cleaning products to be a quite interesting statement, I found the statement about meeting the CDC's requirements to be quite funny myself (as if they have our best interest in mind). So I will go against the grain (not the first time) to say the statement about the CDC.
BTW- I saw a similar sign at the grocery store last night and grumbled as I walked by it... I think I'll go back today and read it and ask them questions too.
Posted by: Susan Richardson | October 10, 2009 at 08:52 AM
Wow Kim, I had no idea that Thimerosal was a common ingredient found in cleaning products! Why, I've never heard of it! But, my house is sparkly clean and I've never had a reaction to cleaning the house, so I'm sure I'm not one of the few with an allergy to this, what it again, thimerosal. They sure do use complicated words for regular ingredients these days...
Posted by: Joanna | October 10, 2009 at 08:16 AM
Good God, the whole thing is so bad. My guess is the sentence about it being OK to get the shot if you have diarrhea...
Posted by: Theresa | October 10, 2009 at 08:11 AM
Thimerosal as an ingredient in a cleaning product?!! An allergy to thimerosal?? I'm not sure how to comment on something that unbelievably stupid!
Posted by: Sonja | October 10, 2009 at 08:10 AM
Is it cheating if I respond to more than one of these? It's so hard to choose!
1-"Not have a history of an active neurological disorder" - this sounds like Autism to me so there's an acknowledgement that the flu vax has caused Autism before and therefore it's contraindicated to get again?
2-"Not have an allergy to thimerosol" - so the only reason you should have an objection to a known neurotoxin is if you have an allergy to it & it's so harmless that it's actually in "cleaning products"! Is this a reference to how one drop of mercury can clean out a whole lake of living organisms? What industrial cleaning products have mercury in it? Ahhh, I should have read your title again- no coffee yet. I officially vote for the cleaning product b.s.
Posted by: ginnie | October 10, 2009 at 08:07 AM
Kim - is it the "Not have an allergy to Thimerosal (a preservative in some clearing products)"?
Ummm . . . aren't we all "allergic" to mercury, or even something that is "half" mercury?
Posted by: Angela | October 10, 2009 at 08:06 AM
I forgot to leave my email address, just in case I win for observing the warning about not getting the vaccine if you have an allergy to thimerasol!
[email protected]
Posted by: Lisa Thompson | October 10, 2009 at 08:06 AM
Not have an allergy to thimerasol? Is that the egregious statement? Is that what we're calling mercury poisoning — an allergy?
Posted by: Lisa Thompson | October 10, 2009 at 08:04 AM
They all got a friendly reminder from me this flu season btw.
'Cleaning products'? Wth, I had no idea...
Posted by: Robin Nemeth | October 10, 2009 at 07:53 AM
I spoke to Maxim (the name Steve Polito rings a bell) two years ago about the shots they administer at my local chain grocery and drug stores. They couldn't have possibly cared less. In fact, the attitude was rather on the order of "The govt hasn't stopped us. So what are you going to do, sue us? Ahahahahah!"
This year when I called, I spoke to someone who implied that I was a conspiracy theorist, then hung up on me.
My local Walmart is administering shots with twenty five micrograms of thimerosal. I asked if they were giving them to children and was told, rather smugly, "yes if the parents want us to."
This morning, at the AS walkathon, if my very nervous voice doesn't give out on me I will be calling for store boycotts thru my bull horn. Each and every store name on my sign (Walgreens, Walmart, Giant Eagle, Marc's) has been informed, two years ago. I called and/or wrote their corporate offices. They made it quite clear that they couldn't possibly have cared less. (Well one woman at Giant Eagle cared just a little. Not enough to be able to put a stop to the poisonous flu shots tho)
I've decided to cut Target some slack as I've only contacted their corporate office quite recently.
Posted by: Robin Nemeth | October 10, 2009 at 07:50 AM
Not having an allergy to Thimerasol. Unbelievable!
Posted by: Jen | October 10, 2009 at 07:43 AM
What the... 'found in some cleaning products'? Where the hell did that come from?
Posted by: Kelly | October 10, 2009 at 07:38 AM
Kim,
They are all funny in a scary sort of way! Yikes...
I'll go with the not have an allergy to thimerosal ( a preservative found in some cleaning products)
Posted by: Andrea | October 10, 2009 at 07:34 AM
Thimerosal is a preservative so it wouldn't be used in cleaning agents. That's my analysis.
Posted by: Randy E (Gabriel's daddy) | October 10, 2009 at 07:28 AM
What? “Must not have an allergy to Thimerosal, found in some cleaning products”. Are we as human beings allergic to a neurotoxin? Do we have an allergy to cyanide? Do we have an allergy to nuclear bombs?
Posted by: Jim Thompson | October 10, 2009 at 06:46 AM
What cleaning products have Thimerosal in them?
Posted by: Rick Neubrander | October 10, 2009 at 06:37 AM
Cleaning products? I guess I learn something new every day.
Posted by: bensmyson | October 10, 2009 at 06:29 AM