Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Flu Vaccines
On Oct. 23, 2009, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel published an article titled, As swine flu shots begin, officials fear shortage (HERE) by Mark Johnson.
It was a pretty typical piece promoting the flu vaccine and dismissing any adverse effects, especially any concerns over the mercury in the H1N1 vaccine. "One source of worry about the H1N1 vaccine concerns the use of a preservative called thimerosal, which contains mercury. [Geoffrey Swain, the city Health Department's medical director] said the intranasal vaccine does not contain this preservative. Although the injectable vaccine does use the preservative, Swain said the form of mercury present is ethylmercury, which is excreted from the body quite rapidly. Ethylmercury, he said, does not present the danger that toxic methylmercury does."
None of the officials mentioned in the J-S article raised any objections to the mercury-laced vaccines specifically recommended for pregnant women this fall.
This wasn't surprising since the same message is in print across the U.S. What is interesting is another article published by the Journal-Sentinel almost exactly two years, Nov 13, 2007 called, Most flu shots contain mercury, but few know it (HERE).
It was an incredible piece. Reporter Raquel Rutledge really looked into thimerosal and gave readers plenty of things to worry about. She named the organizations Safe Minds, the Coalition for Mercury-Free Drugs, and Moms Against Mercury that oppose the use of mercury. She said that "a growing number of doctors, scientists" challenge the vaccine safety claims of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She named Dr. Paul King and Dr. David Ayoub among those experts.
Rutledge gave us the truth about mercury--all forms of mercury: "Mercury is among the most toxic heavy metals and is known to poison the central nervous system, liver, gastrointestinal tract and other systems in the body.
"The Environmental Protection Agency and federal Food and Drug Administration have not set an exposure limit for ethyl mercury. The FDA says it's continuing its efforts to reduce the exposure of infants, children and pregnant women to mercury from various sources."
Rutledge told us about the level of mercury in the flu vaccine:
"A typical 0.5 milliliter flu shot contains 25 micrograms - or 50,000 parts per billion - of mercury. The EPA classifies a liquid with 200 parts per billion of mercury as hazardous waste. The limit for drinking water is 2 parts per billion. Using the standards set for methyl mercury consumption - the kind that's in fish - an average 130-pound person getting the flu shot would exceed the daily limit by more than four times. A 22-pound baby would get more than 25 times the amount of mercury considered safe. And doctors are recommending that many babies and children get two flu shots this season.
Rutledge reported on the manufacturers' warnings for pregnant women.
"A material safety data sheet from Eli Lilly and Co., which no longer makes a flu vaccine, says effects of exposure to thimerosal may include 'fetal changes, decreased offspring survival and lung tissue changes. . . . Exposure in utero and in children may cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination impairment.'
"The country's largest maker of the flu vaccine, Sanofi Pasteur, in its own literature distributed in package inserts with the vaccine, specifically states: 'Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with Influenza Virus Vaccine. It is also not known whether Influenza Virus Vaccine can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Influenza Virus Vaccine should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.' "
Rutledge finished by saying that the public isn't being told about the presence of mercury. "Many people aren't aware that mercury is in the flu shot."
So what's changed in two years?
Is there less mercury in the flu shot? Have the experts and organizations Rutledge cited in 2007 stopped calling for the elimination of mercury from vaccines? Are there now studies to assure us it's safe for pregnant women? No, no, no.
The only real difference is the fact that there are now TWO MERCURY-LACED VACCINES RECOMMENDED THIS YEAR.
In 2009 the Journal-Sentinel tells us that no one needs to worry about mercury exposure. This year, they're saying that "Ethylmercury does not present the danger that toxic methylmercury does." It's amazing how willingly the media abandons the truth. I see little difference between the false claims of the CDC and those of their slavish followers in the press.
Anne Dachel is Media Editor of Age of Autism
It was an incredible piece. Reporter Raquel Rutledge really looked into thimerosal and gave readers plenty of things to worry about. She named the organizations Safe Minds, the Coalition for Mercury-Free Drugs, and Moms Against Mercury that oppose the use of mercury. She said that "a growing number of doctors, scientists" challenge the vaccine safety claims of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She named Dr. Paul King and Dr. David Ayoub among those experts.
Rutledge gave us the truth about mercury--all forms of mercury: "Mercury is among the most toxic heavy metals and is known to poison the central nervous system, liver, gastrointestinal tract and other systems in the body.
"The Environmental Protection Agency and federal Food and Drug Administration have not set an exposure limit for ethyl mercury. The FDA says it's continuing its efforts to reduce the exposure of infants, children and pregnant women to mercury from various sources."
Rutledge told us about the level of mercury in the flu vaccine:
"A typical 0.5 milliliter flu shot contains 25 micrograms - or 50,000 parts per billion - of mercury. The EPA classifies a liquid with 200 parts per billion of mercury as hazardous waste. The limit for drinking water is 2 parts per billion. Using the standards set for methyl mercury consumption - the kind that's in fish - an average 130-pound person getting the flu shot would exceed the daily limit by more than four times. A 22-pound baby would get more than 25 times the amount of mercury considered safe. And doctors are recommending that many babies and children get two flu shots this season.
Rutledge reported on the manufacturers' warnings for pregnant women.
"A material safety data sheet from Eli Lilly and Co., which no longer makes a flu vaccine, says effects of exposure to thimerosal may include 'fetal changes, decreased offspring survival and lung tissue changes. . . . Exposure in utero and in children may cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination impairment.'
"The country's largest maker of the flu vaccine, Sanofi Pasteur, in its own literature distributed in package inserts with the vaccine, specifically states: 'Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with Influenza Virus Vaccine. It is also not known whether Influenza Virus Vaccine can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Influenza Virus Vaccine should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.' "
Rutledge finished by saying that the public isn't being told about the presence of mercury. "Many people aren't aware that mercury is in the flu shot."
So what's changed in two years?
Is there less mercury in the flu shot? Have the experts and organizations Rutledge cited in 2007 stopped calling for the elimination of mercury from vaccines? Are there now studies to assure us it's safe for pregnant women? No, no, no.
The only real difference is the fact that there are now TWO MERCURY-LACED VACCINES RECOMMENDED THIS YEAR.
In 2009 the Journal-Sentinel tells us that no one needs to worry about mercury exposure. This year, they're saying that "Ethylmercury does not present the danger that toxic methylmercury does." It's amazing how willingly the media abandons the truth. I see little difference between the false claims of the CDC and those of their slavish followers in the press.
Anne Dachel is Media Editor of Age of Autism
Thimerisol is a water soluble compound that is much more toxic to human cells than it is to bacteria. It should not be injected into people or animals. Our corrupt government officials keep lying about thimerisol removal and it's safety. It appears this journalist simply repeats what he is told and he has researched nothing.
Posted by: Mr. T | November 15, 2009 at 07:16 PM
The CDC, FDA and big pharma cannot perform high school chemistry calculations.
They are very good however, at taking billions to the bank no matter what they have to do to get it.
Why waterboard when you could just use vaccines ???
Posted by: cmo | November 14, 2009 at 08:12 PM
Thanks,
I told you it had been awhile since I have been in school!
So, Both types of mercury have carbon atoms attached to them!
Then it is plain old mercury that is not attached to anything and that will pass through the digestive system with on harm (hopefully) It is also plain old mercury that if breathed can cause a problem.
So the school called in HazMat for a thermometer of plain old mercury spill, yet they are shooting into the veins of people a mercury that has two carbon atoms attached to it.
Three carbons attached to a mercury is more dangerous than two carbons attached to a mercury atom????????
Why would they think that????
Posted by: Benedetta | November 14, 2009 at 02:23 PM
well, Anne, let there be no mock surprise when autism, asthma, seizures continue to climb even though, " we've taken the mercury out of the shots and there is no difference in the autism rates." Bullshit.
Posted by: jen | November 14, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Okay, it has been a while since I studied in school.
Methyl mercury attached to a carbon will be absorbed from the stomach into the blood stream. So, it is very dangerous.
However, ethyl mercury is not attached to a carbon and if ingested will pass through the digestive track and not be absorbed into the blood stream.No harm there!
EXCEPT: It ethyl mercury is breathed in. Then is absorbed into the blood stream and is as bad as methylmercury.
Hmmmm Wonder what that means if ethylmercury is just injected into the blood stream directly. Wonder if it causes any harm then?
Irony here:
They closed down a whole school in Winchester, Ky last year because a student broke a thermometer. The School even called in HazMat to clean it up. They were afraid the students would breath it in. Yet, the schools are having the students line up to push mercury directly into the blood stream. Not very creative thinking at all going on here.
[Editor's note: this is incorrect, Benedetta. Methyl mercury is CH3-Hg. Ethyl mercury is C2H5-Hg. Both contain carbon, both are "organic mercury" forms.]
Posted by: Benedetta | November 14, 2009 at 12:05 PM
As for the H1N1 epidemic in Portland OR, I think it is over. The mass numbers of ill filling hospital beds never materialized and one of our big hospitals has shut down their special unit for all of the H1N1 patients. No mention of this on the local news of course.
Posted by: Nora B. | November 14, 2009 at 11:53 AM
This oft-repeated lie that ethylmercury is somehow the "safe" kind of mercury is the Achilles' heel of the thimerosal defenders in my opinion. There is much evidence that this is totally false and Burbacher's study clearly shows that injected thimerosal, which degrades to ethylmercury, results in mercury deposits in the brains (of baby monkeys). The FACT that CDC et al. clearly and repeatedly LIE about what is clearly known about the dangers of ethylmercury indicates to me that there is nothing they say about vaccines that can be trusted.
Posted by: Sue | November 14, 2009 at 09:41 AM
The false position that methylmercury is toxic but ethylmercury is somehow uniquely safe is totally a page out of the PG&E handbook courtesy of the movie Erin Brokovich. They strategically misled the public by again making false distinctions among types of poison, this time with chromium & declaring the unsafe not only safe, but good for you. But I guess it's harder to dismiss previously healthy kids being afflicted with cancer as inevitable and genetically predetermined.
Posted by: ginnie | November 14, 2009 at 07:40 AM