John,

I followed your link; the very first sentence contained the phrase, "when a remarkably incompetent researcher named Andrew Wakefield published a trial lawyer-funded “study” in the Lancet..."

Don't bother wasting bandwidth with ad hominem-laced propaganda and straw men. We aren't mouth-breathing troglodytes; we are educated, we have studied the issues extensively, and we know the facts. If you truly wish to argue the merits/shortcomings of a legitimate study, then link the study (or the abstract at least) and make your points. You might not win any converts, but at least you won't be dismissed as a troll.

Remember,

Dr. Proffit says you cannot be a mercury/ Thimerosal expert just because you can read things on the internet and have the capacity to do high school chemistry calculations.

news flash 2010: us federal court of claims ruling in O.A.P.= IN FAVOR OF RESPONDANT= they will say -"its the wrong kind of mercury,it was not enough to harm" you watch-

Joshua,
You appear to be either misinformed or uninformed about your preservative facts. Fluzone, Fluvirin, Novartis H1N1 monovalent, etc... the multidose form of these are 5 ml preps, with 0.5ml per dose (10 per vial). The mercury content is 24.5 to 25 mcg (depending on shot) PER DOSE (i.e. per 0.5ml), not per vial. The multidose form of Fluzone is recommended for children 6 months and up. This is what my 3yr 2mo old language delayed son was given at a belated 3 year old well child visit. His rapid and severe regression was first documented by his preschool teacher the day after the shot when he looked through her for the first time and was unaware of his surroundings, and by us when we noted he stopped singing, using names or requesting, and started doing strange behaviors (which, being unfamiliar to autism at the time, we did not realize were the beginning of autistic behaviors). Nearly 3 years later we still struggle to regain the level of speaking and other skills he had at 3 when he was assessed by specialists for his language delay but he is way ahead of his 3.5 year old wordless zombie state. I wish I could believe in your fairy tale assumption that pediatricians are knowlegeable enough about neurotoxin risk to disregard package insert recommendations-but I know better.

Joshua DeWald-- not sure where you get your information but I suppose you're simply repeating something you read on a blog without actually going to manufacturer's or government sites. The CDC website itself does not support what you're saying:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaxsupply.htm

A child as young as six months can get a full mercury dose in a two shot series depending on brand of seasonal flu shot. Oddly enough, some brands of shots are not available to children under four but this does not depend on mercury content. One brand of seasonal flu shot with full mercury is approved for infants six months and older. This has caused confusion, with some people reporting that children under four (or sometimes it's reported for children under two) "can't receive shots with mercury". This is totally untrue and parents are being falsely assured, resulting in some parents not requesting "mercury-free" because they didn't think they needed to.

As far as the "mercury free" version of the seasonal flu shot, only some contain "none", some contain "trace" and are not actually mercury free. Though, if you request "mercury free" for yourself or your infant, you may still get the version with "trace" (<1 mcg-- an amount not substantiated by independent evaluation). Furthermore, some official sites report that seasonal flu vaccines contain "25 mcg or thimerosal" and others report that they can contain "25 mcg of *mercury*", leaving more confusion of the actual mercury content of the "full mercury shots" approved for infants and children:
http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/components-Influenza.htm

Here is says 25 mcg *mercury*:
http://hopkinsvaccine.org/thi-table.htm

As for the H1N1 flu shots, mercury content depends on brand: the prefilled, single dose shots can contain either zero or "trace" amounts of mercury (what constitutes "trace", again, has never been independently evaluated). The multi-dose vials of h1n1 flu vaccine contain 25 mcg of mercury (not just thimerosal-- mercury) per dose:
http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/QuestionsaboutVaccines/ucm186102.htm

A large percentage of the current supply of single-dose H1N1 flu shots were recalled and are not available.

Finally, pregnant women are recommended to get flu shots (seasonal and H1N1) without official preference for "full mercury" or "lower mercury" or "none". Because of the timing of potential exposure to the mercury in these shots (fetus), the risk of injury may even be greater than during the period when children were receiving around 200 mcg by age 2.

Joshua - what makes you doubt you could find a clinic or doctor give a small child and thimersol flu shot? Why do you think small children do not receive thimersol perserved flu shots? We checked the insert of the flu shot about to be administered to my three year old last fall. Doc said thimersol free. I requested the insert. After reading it - it was clear that thimersol was an ingrediant. I know, I know - this is antedotal evidence therefore not reliable...sigh. I had no intention of giving my daughter that shot, only had every intention of showing our pediatrician that he was giving inaccurate information to his patients. So if my pediatrician does not realize what he is administering in his own office, why should I have more faith in the local pharmacies flu clinic? Pre filled sryinges make it unlikely that you will even find someone who can produce the insert for the vial from which the sryinge was filled.

Which brings me to this - the reason that they were dragging their feet to remove thimersol from infant/child vaccines to begin with - if they are vehement about the exposure of small children to thimersol NOW why was it OK when my son receive a huge dose of it on the first day of his life, the 4 week of his life, the 7 week of his life, at his first series of flu shot at 6 months old, 18 months old, etc., etc.? They say it was done to boost our faith in the vaccine program "see, you have nothing to fear now - just don't look to closely at the current ingrediants)".

The 25 mcg vial is 5 doses (not 1). Additionally, Thimerosal-containing flu shots are not given to young children.

It is untrue to say you have to ask specially for your infant/young child to get Thimerosal free version. In fact, I highly doubt you could even convince a clinic to give your infant or small child a flu vaccine containing Thimerosal.

Based on those crucial inaccuracies, one has to question the veracity of the rest of your "facts"

There is a recent manuscript- in Medical Hypothesis- about LH and mercury
Med Hypotheses. 2009 Nov 12.
Luteinizing hormone provides a causal mechanism for mercury associated disease.
Laks DR.
Mental Retardation Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 635 Charles E. Young Dr. South, Neuroscience Research Building, Room 379 (lab), Los Angeles, CA 90095-7332, USA.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the pituitary is a main target for inorganic mercury (I-Hg) deposition and accumulation within the brain. My recent study of the US population (1999-2006) has uncovered a significant, inverse relationship between chronic mercury exposure and levels of luteinizing hormone (LH). This association with LH signifies more than its presumed role as bioindicator for pituitary neurosecretion and function. LH is the only hormone with a rare and well characterized, high affinity binding site for mercury. On its catalytic beta subunit, LH has the structure to preferentially bind inorganic mercury almost irreversibly, and, by that manner, accumulate the neurotoxic element. Thus, it is likely that LH is an early and significant target of chronic mercury exposure. Moreover, due to the role of LH in immune-modulation and neurogenesis, I present LH as a central candidate to elucidate a causal mechanism for chronic mercury exposure and associated disease.

and from the same author an analysis of Chronic mercury exposure
Biometals. 2009 Aug 21. Assessment of chronic mercury exposure within the U.S. population, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2006.
Laks DR.

Mental Retardation Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 635 Charles E. Young Dr. South, Neuroscience Research Bldg., Room 379 (lab), Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7332, USA,
The purpose of this study was to assess chronic mercury exposure within the US population. Time trends were analyzed for blood inorganic mercury (I-Hg) levels in 6,174 women, ages 18-49, in the NHANES, 1999-2006 data sets. Multivariate logistic regression distinguished a significant, direct correlation within the US population between I-Hg detection and years since the start of the survey (OR = 1.49, P < 0.001). Within this population, I-Hg detection rose sharply from 2% in 1999-2000 to 30% in 2005-2006. In addition, the population averaged mean I-Hg concentration rose significantly over that same period from 0.33 to 0.39 mu/L (Anova, P < 0.001). In a separate analysis, multivariate logistic regression indicated that I-Hg detection was significantly associated with age (OR = 1.02, P < 0.001). Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression revealed significant associations of both I-Hg detection and mean concentration with biomarkers for the main targets of mercury deposition and effect: the liver, immune system, and pituitary. This study provides compelling evidence that I-Hg deposition within the human body is a cumulative process, increasing with age and in the population over time, since 1999, as a result of chronic mercury exposure. Furthermore, our results indicate that I-Hg deposition is associated with the significant biological markers for main targets of exposure, deposition, and effect. Accumulation of focal I-Hg deposits within the human body due to chronic mercury exposure provides a mechanism which suggests a time dependent rise in the population risks for associated disease.

With the known problems in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in autism, it seems a potentially fruitful avenue of research. I wonder about impact of environment on pituitary from birth to first 3years old and epigenetic mechanisms of adverse reactions to xenobiotics.

I looked at the paper by Burbacher et al. and noticed that they measured mercury in homogenates of brain. The auditory system of the brain has been found most susceptible to damage by mercury, lead, and insults like asphyxia at birth (1-4).

The auditory system is essential for language development. I notice Burbacher is also co-author on a paper on asphyxia produced by umbilical cord clamping (5). That paper fails to present the finding of auditory system damage by asphyxia at birth (3, 4).

Current perinatal medicine inflicts too many insults on babies.

1. Oyanagi K et al. The auditory system in methyl mercurial intoxication. Acta Neuropathol. 1989;77:561.

2. Bertoni JM, Sprenkle PM. Lead acutely reduces glucose utilization in the rat brain especially in higher auditory centers. Neurotoxicology. 1988; 9:235.

3. Windle WF. Brain damage by asphyxia at birth. Sci Am. 1969; 221:76.

4. Myers RE. Two patterns of perinatal brain damage. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1972; 112:246.

5. Juul SE et al. Prenatal cord clamping in newborn Macaca nemestrina, model of perinatal asphyxia. Dev Neurosci. 2007; 29:311.

With I believe 800,000 doses of the "Thimerosal free" H1N1 vaccines recalled,

and I believe 5 million doses of the "Thimerosal free flu mist" shots recalled,

the CDC once again hopes to trash another group of toddlers with Thimerosal.

A year from now, as the H1N1/seasonal flu shot Autistic toddlers are counted, the CDC will be stating how many mercury free shots they shipped.

They will forget/ omit that they recalled most of it, and then still be confused how anyone could ever suspect mercury as a problem....

Look for the after Christmas the "flu is rampant again" hype to start very soon.

From thimerosal, the final species is inorganic mercury, no Ethyl mercury. Even more, this finding has not been properly reported when talking about thimerosal.
Hg+2 (inorganic) is not the same than methyl mercury (MeHg+) than ethyl mercury (EtHg+). The impact of the altered metabolism of injected thimerosal in susceptible children ( genetic , epigenetic or environmentally caused) has not been studied properly.

"The autoimmunogen effect of EtHg might therefore be entirely due to Hg(2+) formed from EtHg in the body. The effect of organic and inorganic Hg species on T-helper type 1 and type 2 cells during induction of AFA was assessed as the presence and titre of AFA of the IgG1 and IgG2a isotype, respectively. EtHg induced a persistent Th1-skewed response irrespectively of the dose and time used. A low daily dose of HgCl(2) (1.5-3 mg/L) caused a Th1-skewed AFA response, while a moderate dose (8 mg/L) after 2 weeks resulted in a balanced or even Th2-skewed response. Higher daily doses of HgCl(2) (25 mg/L) caused a balanced Th2-Th1 response already from onset. In conclusion, while metabolically formed Hg(2+) might be the main AFA-inducing factor also after treatment with EtHg, the quality of the Hg-induced AFA response is modified by the species of Hg as well as the dose" from Havarinasab S.et al (Toxicology. 2007 )

J Appl Toxicol. 2006 Nov-Dec;26(6):536-9.

Comparison of organic and inorganic mercury distribution in suckling rat.
Orct T, Blanusa M, Lazarus M, Varnai VM, Kostial K.

Mineral Metabolism Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia. [email protected]

"Thiomersal is used as a preservative in vaccines given to small children. The metabolic product of thiomersal is ethylmercury and its distribution and kinetics are still not known, especially at this early age. The purpose of this study was to compare the body distribution of two forms of mercury: organic (thiomersal) and inorganic (mercury(2+) chloride) in very young, suckling rats. Mercury was applied subcutaneously three times during the suckling period on days 7, 9 and 11 of pups age, imitating the vaccination of infants. A single dose of mercury was equimolar in both exposed groups, i.e. 0.81 micromol Hg kg(-1). At 14 days of age the animals were killed and the total mercury analysed in blood and organs (kidney, liver and brain). The analytical method applied was total decomposition, amalgamation, atomic absorption spectrometry. The results showed that the level of mercury was higher in the liver and kidney of the inorganic mercury group than in the thiomersal exposed group.

However, the brain and blood concentrations of mercury were higher in the thiomersal exposed group.

These results need to be clarified by additional data on the kinetic pathways of ethylmercury compared with inorganic mercury."
AND

"However, in contrast to MeHg, thimerosal treatment leads in genetically susceptible mice to a second phase with strong immunostimulation and autoimmunity, which is T-cell dependent, H-2 linked and may at least partly be due to the inorganic mercury derived from the metabolism of ethyl mercury." from Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2005 Apr 15;204(2):109-21.
Immunosuppressive and autoimmune effects of thimerosal in mice.Havarinasab S, Häggqvist B, Björn E, Pollard KM, Hultman P.

Mr. Thompson, Thankyou very much for this piece. This kind of paper is very useful to me , because I give out papers to doctors and parents very frequently. You never know when a particular manner of expressing something can be meaningful to someone. I believe that one of the problems we have with convincing people about mercury is that it is something very difficult to "see". It was not possible for me to speak with conviction to people about mercury in vaccines until the 6-7 Hib and Hep B doses were added to the Indian Pediatric schedule and three years later I began to see the crop of affected kids in my school. I really had not expected to see a statistical increase before my very eyes, but I did see it and it has not stopped since 2003. Since then I have "seen" mercury in various other ways.
We need to be reminded also, that we should not expect too much of doctors. They too are just humans with our own human sensory limitations. One day I was standing in the park with my daughter, a pediatrician and neonatologist and saw her peering very intently at an autistic boy. I realized that in working mostly as a neo she had perhaps not seen an autistic child. How do you convince someone like that about mercury?