'91 Memo Warned of Mercury in Shots

[PA Democrat]

A memo from Merck & Co. shows that, nearly a decade before the first public disclosure, senior executives were concerned that infants were getting an elevated dose of mercury in vaccinations containing a widely used sterilizing agent.

The March 1991 memo, obtained by The Times, said that 6-month-old children who received their shots on schedule would get a mercury dose up to 87 times higher than guidelines for the maximum daily consumption of mercury from fish.

"When viewed in this way, the mercury load appears rather large," said the memo from Dr. Maurice R. Hilleman, an internationally renowned vaccinologist. It was written to the president of Merck's vaccine division.

The memo was prepared at a time when U.S. health authorities were
aggressively expanding their immunization schedule by adding five new shots for children in their first six months. Many of these shots, as well as some previously included on the vaccine schedule, contained thimerosal, an antibacterial compound that is nearly 50% ethyl mercury, a neurotoxin.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-vaccine8feb08,0,6...

[NC_Nurse]

1. Well, don't look now, but there's mercury

in a LOT of things, especially fish, and 1 in 12 pregnant women has a blood mercury level OVER the threshold considered safe.

It will only get worse if the "Clear Skies" act goes through so your local power plant can spew even more mercury into the atmosphere.

[trotsky]

2. More misinformation.

The confusion tends to stem from the difference between ethyl mercury and methyl mercury. Methyl mercury is far more deadly, being the type that is found in the environment and in our food. It takes months to be eliminated from the body. Ethyl mercury is eliminated in days.

If thimerosal exposure were really that dangerous, we'd see death and morbidity in the millions. But study after study shows that it is a safe preservative. However, just to placate the anti-vax crowd, pharms have taken thimersol out of most childhood vaccines anyway.

[yellowcanine]

5. But isn't there some evidence it can cause autism? Death is not the

only danger from toxins that we need to worry about.

[trotsky]

6. No evidence whatsoever.

Autism hasn't declined since it was removed from vaccines, either.

[loritooker]

25. Then maybe recombinant animal genes injected into kids is a problem.

[trotsky]

27. Sure, maybe it is.

And maybe you could cite where this is commonly done.

[knitter4democracy]

38. Get the ingredient lists.

One list published in Mothering magazine had some extremely troubling ingredients. Bovine dna, mercury, those are just the big names.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

7. Some would find fault with this line of thinking.

http://www.whale.to/vaccines.html


http://www.whale.to/vaccines/mendelsohn.html
I know, as I write about the dangers of mass immunisation, that it is a concept that you may find difficult to accept. Immunizations have been so artfully and aggressively marketed that most parents believe them to be the "miracle" that has eliminated many once-feared diseases. Consequently, for anyone to oppose them borders on the foolhardy. For a paediatrician to attack what has become the "bread and butter" of paediatric practice is equivalent to a priest's denying the infallibility of the pope.

[trotsky]

9. Ah, yes, WHALE.TO.

Source of such knowledge as divining.

Please, get a reputable source.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

12. Bernard Rimland is probably the most reputable source on this

subject, say what you will. Last link is the bomb. In time it will be known as the miracle that it truly is.

http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari/about/yearend2004.htm

I suggest for your reading pleasure....
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0658003984/qid=1107880754/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/002-5210550-2022406?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0658003984.01._PIdp-schmooS,TopRight,7,-26_PE32_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
As a Chinese herbal practitioner, I have recommended this book to several clients who have autistic children. In almost every case, there has been a marked improvement in the child's situation. The book details not only the science and theory behind Dr. Philpott's approach, but more importantly spends a lot of time discussing practical implementation. Conventional western medicine still tends to ignore the dramatic impact our diets can have on the mental/emotional aspect of our lives; BRAIN ALLERGIES makes a very significant contribution to the growing literature around the old and very true proverb: "we are what we eat." If you're dealing with a child with emotional and/or cognitive difficulties, PLEASE read this book!

http://www.autismistreatable.com/
HELP OUR "AUTISM IS TREATABLE" CAMPAIGN

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED

As you have read in the many media reports of the so-called "Autism Summit," (a meeting in Washington DC in late November, 2003), the Federal Government and several multi-million dollar autism groups hope to be "finding effective drugs for the symptoms of autism" in 7 to 10 years.

NONSENSE! We need to tell them, and the media, and the tens of thousands of families of autistic children who don't know, that many effective treatments are available NOW. If your child has recovered from autism, or improved dramatically, and you would be willing to speak to the media about your child's recovery, YOUR HELP IS NEEDED. The Autism Research Institute has begun compiling an extensive list of families throughout the United States who are willing to talk to the media about their child's recovery. Our press release will be issued shortly before our October 1-3 DAN! Conference in Los Angeles, to the major media (the national television networks, the New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, Time, etc.) as well as to many hundreds of local TV stations and local newspapers. We hope to be able to give local reporters (as well as national reporters) the names and phone numbers of families who are willing to be interviewed for television, newspaper and magazine reports.

We must get the word out in order to help the thousands of autistic children who are now being treated with harmful drugs like Ritalin and Risperidal. If your child has recovered or improved markedly, and you are willing to help, please provide us with your name, address, phone number and email address below. Your identity will be protected. Only media people seeking families in your locality will be able to contact you.

http://www.glycoexpert.com/glyco_autism.htm
I have worked with over 150 autistic children. All children are unique, but in general, what I am seeing is that within the first month, the child's verbal communication increases, their "stimming" decreases, and their color improves. As health continues to improve, behavior problems will diminish. The need for many additional supplements will also decrease after starting glyconutrients.

[trotsky]

13. Great! Can't wait for some scientific data to back up these claims.

It will truly be remarkable once there is verification - IF there ever is. Right now, all it amounts to is pseudo-science and scare tactics.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

19. Not that it matters.... but my polio vaccine was contaminated with

SIV-40, hope you weren't one of the unlucky ones. There are many of us... again I say, not that it matters... I hope.

[trotsky]

24. Totally different issue.

And of course the SIV-40 is subject to a lot of debate among experts as well.

Am I saying that everything big pharma and HMOs do is noble and good and perfect? OF COURSE NOT.

But that does seem to be how anti-vax folks like to characterize those of us who realize there has been no data to link vaccination and the wild claims made by certain people.

[jdj]

31. yeah, what a field day for big pharma.

every kid gotsta have 'em, and how many kids are there, anyway...

[eridani]

40. No profit whatsoever in vaccines

Why do you think we had the flu shot shortage last fall?

[Riding this Donkey]

8. When they use to put

thimerasol in contact lense solution, my eyes would burn up. My mother and my sisters had the same reaction. We were allergic to it and had to buy stuff that didn't have it at the time. Years ago and almost everything had thimerasol so it was hard to find an alternative.

They won't make the solution with thimerasol anymore! A lot of people probably had the same reaction.

[trotsky]

10. Allergic reactions to thimerosal not uncommon.

But not deadly.

[1monster]

18. That surely depends on the person, dosen't it? It's like saying that

allergic reactions to bee stings are common, but not deadly. Well maybe for some, but not for others. Some people have heightend reactions to substances that others don't, some of those people have extreme reactions to the substances while other might just break out in hives or something like that.

Any allergic reaction can be cause for concern because allergies can and often do get worse.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

20. How bad is thimerosol for a person who cannot clear heavy metals

such as arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium, etc? If the cannot clear them because of a genetic flaw, then they will use them to build their nervous system, lead chemically looks like calcium to your cells.

Furthmore, if zinc is diminished during times of neural growth and development (there are several phases of neural development) then neuron genesis will be that much more hindered. At the same time, the oxidative effects of the lead and other heavy metals on the nervous system will add insult to injury.

The last thing these kids needed in their vaccines was thimerosol.

[trotsky]

22. Please, do one thing for me.

Learn the difference between ETHYL mercury compounds and METHYL mercury compounds.

Please.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

28. I see you look towards the direct cause and effect paradigm, whereas

it is highly likely that every stressor that adds to the dysruption of normal immune system function and modulation could be a "person of interest".

Example.... I could drain my radiator, but my radiator would not be hurt.... that would affect the efficiency of the cooling system... and my engine would be the recipient of the damage done. There are often many many immune system anomalies involved with children who develop autism, as well as liver issues, digestion issues and so forth. To think that all the damage is done directly in the brain, directly, by this agent or that agent is an experiment in missing the mark.

Autism is all too often multifactorial, and that is why many children have improved tremendously by taking glyconutrients, as they enhance virtually ALL SYSTEMS of the body... including the detox pathways.

<more>
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12197782

1: Altern Med Rev. 2002 Aug;7(4):292-316. Related Articles, Links
Autism, an extreme challenge to integrative medicine. Part: 1: The knowledge base.

Kidd PM.

Its etiopathology is poorly defined but likely multifactorial with heritability playing a major role. Prenatal toxic exposures (teratogens) are consistent with autism spectrum symptomatology. Frequent vaccinations with live virus and toxic mercurial content (thimerosal) are a plausible etiologic factor. Autistic children frequently have abnormalities of sulfoxidation and sulfation that compromise liver detoxification, which may contribute to the high body burden of xenobiotics frequently found. Frequent copper-zinc imbalance implies metallothionein impairment that could compound the negative impact of sulfur metabolism impairments on detoxification and on intestinal lining integrity.

Intestinal hyperpermeability manifests in autistic children as dysbiosis, food intolerances, and exorphin (opioid) intoxication, most frequently from casein and gluten. Immune system abnormalities encompass derangement of antibody production, skewing of T cell subsets, aberrant cytokine profiles, and other impairments consistent with chronic inflammation and autoimmunity. Coagulation abnormalities have been reported. Part 2 of this review will attempt to consolidate progress in integrative management of autism, aimed at improving independence and lifespan for people with the disorder.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

29. Check it.... mercury induced autistic gut disease, ethyl and methyl

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109-7/correspondence.html

Mercury and Autistic Gut Disease

We are challenged to consider the possible role of environmental toxins in autism and other childhood behavioral disorders (1), and creative research in this area surely is warranted (2). Perhaps particular scrutiny should be given to mercury and autism. Many signs and symptoms of mercury exposure correspond to autism (3), and pink disease (acrodynia) from inorganic mercurial teething powders and autism bear strong behavioral resemblance.

Gut disease with inflammation is becoming increasingly evident in autism. Enterocolitis and lymphonodular hyperplasia are found in nearly 90% of regressed autistic children (4). Widespread inflammatory changes with poor intestinal digestive enzyme activity (5), abnormal intestinal permeability (6), and malabsorption (7) have been reported in various autistic subgroups. It would be logical to consider toxins known to cause gut injury when we look for causes of autism.

Inorganic mercurial compounds are notorious for gut injury in humans. In animals, chronic low-nanomolar exposure injures intestinal mucosa (8) and 30-min micromolar exposure injures the colon (9). Also, desposits of antibody in the intestine have resulted from chronic exposure to inorganic mercury (10).

Although systemic passage may be poor, inorganic mercury enjoys avid uptake by the small and large intestines (11). Organic and vapor forms are known to transit membranes quickly and distribute throughout the body, but their excretion is primarily fecal and significantly inorganic, which may affect intestinal residence.

Biliary mercury excretion, predominant in adults, is not achieved in suckling animals and may not exist in infants (12). Ligation of the bile duct of adult animals results in retograde movement of systemic mercury to the feces, emphasizing an excretory role for the intestine (13). Poor biliary excretion in infants might be expected to increase intestinal exposure to mercury. In suckling animals, two-thirds of total ingested inorganic mercury is recoverable after 6 days from gut tissue, particularly the ileum (14).

Worrisome levels of inorganic mercury exist in domestic water supplies (15) and in industrial emissions and municipal sludge widely used as fertilizer on crops (16). Up to 40% of mercury emissions from hydrocarbon combustion and 60% from incinerators is in the inorganic form (17), and mercurial "fall-out" may exceed 1 ppm in soil (18). Individual inorganic mercury ingestion can vary widely and may be greater than expected (19).

Some specifics about autism should heighten interest in mercury. A long clinical tradition has evolved in the use of vitamin B6, and its activating enzyme (B6-kinase) is totally inhibited in the intestine at nanomolar concentrations in vitro (20). Organic forms of mercury such as methyl mercury from fish and ethyl mercury as a vaccine preservative (thimersol) may also inflict gut injury. Methyl mercury in primates produces histologic abnormality of one intestinal cell line: Paneth cells are enlarged and packed with secretory granules (21), also specifically reported in autistic children (5).

Woody R. McGinnis
Tucson, Arizona
E-mail: [e-mail]

[trotsky]

32. Dr. McGinnis' work is much better than most anti-vax literature.

Thank you for at least posting relevant, peer-reviewed information. It's refreshing after seeing so many "Dr. Vinny Boombatz" type articles on the subject!

At this time, we must note that his letter indicates ethyl mercury "may also inflict gut injury." Since his letter was written in 2001, we should find out what his current thoughts on this aspect are. Have more studies been done to find out if this causal relationship exists? Certainly the volume of work to date shows no link between thimerosal and autism.

The important thing we have to keep in mind is that *even if* vaccines have caused ALL cases of autism (a stretch even by anti-vax'ers imaginations, since autism occurs in unvaccinated children too - at the SAME RATES), vaccines would be FAR less harmful than the diseases they prevent.

That does not, of course, mean we don't work to make them safer.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

33. The effects of a faulty or non-functional version of the metallothionein

protein in the human body, "autism, type A personality, some ADHD, is explained at

www.hriptc.org

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12893514
1: Arch Androl. 2003 Sep-Oct;49(5):365-8. Related Articles, Links

Blood zinc and copper concentrations in criminal and noncriminal schizophrenic men.

Tokdemir M, Polat SA, Acik Y, Gursu F, Cikim G, Deniz O.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11343501

1: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2001 May;155(5):579-82. Related Articles, Links

The relationship between lead exposure and homicide.

Stretesky PB, Lynch MJ.

Department of Sociology, B258 Clark Bldg, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. [e-mail]



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11388783
1: Med Hypotheses. 2001 May;56(5):641-5. Related Articles, Links
Micronutrient accumulation and depletion in schizophrenia, epilepsy, autism and Parkinson's disease?

Johnson S.

Moses Lake, Washington 98837, USA.

[Trillo]

11. I wish I could buy Merthiolate.

I've never understood why it was removed from the OTC market. When I was young, if I got a minor cut, my mother, a former RN, would swab a little Merthiolate on the wound before placing an otherwise dry band aid over it. It stung like the dickens.

Years later, as a young adult, when I tried to buy some, I was informed by pharmacy staff that it had been pulled from the market because it had mercury in it. Yet, for the pharmaCos, the same, or similar mercury additive is okay for something that is actually injected into the body. Surely, something injected transfers more mercury than something swabbed on the skin's surface.

While I was looking for Merthiolate, I see an online pharmacy where it's supposedly still available. I also recently found tyrptophan purchasable online, even though it can't be found in any stores near me.

Apparently, the active ingredient in Merthiolate is thimersol.

[Trillo]

16. I wonder if the retailers where these items used to be found

were simply lying to me? Perhaps their corporate chains had a new "policy" in order to limit potential liability? "Just tell the customer it's been pulled from the market." Perhaps to sell competing product that had more profit adding potential, with less safety concerns, such as antibiotic ointments?

[trotsky]

17. Could be.

There's a lot of fearmongering going on here, and sometimes that acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Manufacturers and retailers hear the buzz, think, "well I don't want to upset these vocal nuts", drop the product, which of course then the fearmongers point to and say, "See?!? It IS dangerous!"

[1monster]

21. I was recently complaining to a pharmacist friend of mine about the

number of over the counter remedies that were no longer available, such as terpin hydrate. He said the reason was that the Food and Drug Administration put forth an edict that by a certain date drug companies had to be able to show scientific studies as to how/why or how effective remedies are and what were possible long term consequenses of their use.

Many of those OTC remedies were sold for very low prices and the drug companies felt that there was too little or no financial that would make the studies needed feasible. Thus, they simply stopped making and marketing them. They were not saying that the OTC drugs were ineffective or that they were unsafe. They were simply saying that they did represent a big enough share of their profit margin to find out.

[KittyWampus]

14. Hardly. Something Is Deemed Safe It Unless It Causes Millions Of Deaths?

:D

"If thimerosal exposure were really that dangerous, we'd see death and morbidity in the millions"

Please.

It's time to come to grips with the fact that Corporate Medicine is NOT as effective as people think and that it is, in fact, one of the leading causes of death.

Corporate Medicine is what we have. And the Science at its base has been compromised for quite some time.

[trotsky]

15. Hey, thanks for putting words in my mouth.

Always a great way to argue. :eyes:

[PA Democrat]

23. There is a genetic factor at play in autism

That's why there are 4 times as many boys as girls affected. But most researchers now feel that there is a combination of genetics and environmental factors at play. See this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/08/health/08brai.html

The latest theory is that kids who develop autism may be genetically more susceptible to whatever environmental toxin is at play.

The reason that parents of kids with autism first became suspicious of vaccines has to do with the timing of the onset of autism. The majority of kids with autism develop normally for some time period and then undergo a heartbreaking loss of skills- right around the time that their kid received multiple childhood vaccines. My daughter was talking and was socially well-connected and then went through a dramatic loss of skills and became very social withdrawn.

Personally, I think the jury is still out on the thimerosal- autism link. I think that ultimately it will be discovered that there are multiple causes of autism. But it may be years before we get definitive answers because autism research historically was grossly under-funded.

[trotsky]

26. That's probably closest to the truth.

I think that ultimately it will be discovered that there are multiple causes of autism.

After all, there really isn't a condition called "autism," it's catch-all for an entire spectrum of brain-related disorders. For such a variety of symptoms, there *have* to be an amazing array of causes.

[burn the bush]

3. the page has been archived

[Mel]

4. I found another link

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/02/08/MNGL8B7KP41.DTL
Vaccine maker's '91 memo suggests mercury-level risk
Myron Levin, Los Angeles Times
Tuesday, February 8, 2005

[CoffeeCat]

30. So what is a mother supposed to do?

I don't trust the government to tell me the truth about child-vaccine issues.

I've read enough articles on how the government has treated Gulf-War-Syndrome sufferers. If the govt doesn't even take care of its own military personnel who are suffering greatly, I'm not looking for the government to give me clear answers on vaccine safety.

With that said, what in the heck is a mother supposed to do?

My five-year old daughter is due for her physical--which will include an extensive battery of vaccinations.

Where can I find good, solid information about this issue?

Is there a way to find out, from the doctor, if there is thimerosal in the vaccines?

[Horse with no Name]

34. As a nurse

I can tell you that what these childhood diseases do...is far more catastrophic than what the vaccines do.

Vaccines are actually very safe, despite implications to the contrary in much anti-vaccine literature (which sometimes quotes the number of reports received by VAERS)and allows the reader to infer that they all represent genuine vaccine side-effects. The vast majority of vaccine adverse reactions are minor and temporary, like a sore arm or mild fever.
More serious adverse reactions occur rarely (on the order of one per thousands to one per millions of doses, and some are so rare that they cannot be accurately assessed.
Just some info:
Risk from Disease

Measles
Pneumonia: 1 in 20
Encephalitis: 1 in 2000
Death: 1 in 3000

Mumps
Encephalitis: 1 in 300

Rubella
Congenital Rubella Syndrome: 1 in 4
(if woman becomes infected early in pregnancy)

Diptheria
Death: 1 in 20

Tetanus
Death: 3 in 100

Pertussis
Pneumonia: 1 in 8
Encephalitis: 1 in 20
Death: 1 in 200

Risks from Vaccination:

MMR
Encephalitis or severe allergic reaction: 1 in 1,000,000

DTP
Continuous crying then full recovery: 1 in 100
Convulsions or shock, then full recovery: 1 in 1750
Acute encephalopathy: 0-10.5 in 1,000,000
Death: Not proven

The fact is that a child is far more likely to be seriously injured by one of these diseases than by any vaccine. Of course there are risks associated with either, it is clear by the data that the benefit clearly outweighs the risk.
Undoubtably, since the last century these diseases are clearly on the mend. Diseases have been eradicated (not factoring in bio warfare). We no longer see the crippling of measles in our children, nor the blindness of rubella. When was the last time you knew someone whose child had polio? Ask your parents and grandparents about this. Ask them how many they knew that had polio and how many had it themselves. My dad had polio and he was born in 1942.
You can look at the experiences of other developed countries that let their immunization levels drop. Three countries, Great Britain, England and Japan cut back on the use of the pertussis vaccine because of fear of the vaccine. The effect was immediate and dramatic. In GB, a drop in pertussis vaccine in 1974 was followed by an epidemic of more than 100,000 cases of pertussis and 36 deaths by 1978. In Japan, a drop in vaccination rates from 70% to 20%-40% led to a jump in pertussis from 393 cases and no deaths in 1974 to 13,000 cases and 41 deaths in 1979. In Sweden, the annual incidence rate of of pertussis per 100,000 children 0-6 years of age increased from 700 cases in 1981 to 3200 in 1985.
It seems clear from experiences that not only would diseases not be disappearing without vaccines, but when we stop vaccinating, they come back.
There is also a National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program that is designed to compensate for those people that indeed are legitimately injured from vaccine.
If you are concerned, please find a healthcare worker that you trust and ask them your questions. I have spent countless hours learning about vaccines and studying about them and have worked many, many immunization clinics.
Talk to someone you trust but your child is far safer getting immunized than not.
Do a google on side effects from chickenpox and the morbidity/mortality rates...you might be surprised that it isn't just a few scabs and itching. People DIE from chickenpox.
Good luck.

[knitter4democracy]

39. Mothering Magazine's a good place to start.

At least they look for what isn't in the mainstream media but is still good science. They go through medical studies from good journals and try to help us moms make informed decisions.

Yes, many diseases that we vaccinate against are deadly to many more than could ever be injured by the vaccines, but there have been problems. Remember the vaccine against a horrible GI bug in the eighties (can't remember the name)? Pulled because so many babies died of intestinal blockages due to no other cause than the vaccine.

On the other hand, your daughter being five has a stronger immune system and can eliminate the mercury and other toxins better. I would do the research you can and then go with your doctor's recommendation. We've put off the MMR until five for our kids because of that and some other vaccines, too.

[jhain]

35. keep in mind

an infant's liver is immature. It does NOT function on par with an adult's.
No, I don't have a source for mercury but below is an example of the difference using caffeine:

According to one estimate, the half-life of caffeine is about five hours in an adult, 96 hours in a newborn, and 14 hours in a three- to five-month-old baby (Hale, p.100).
http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/lact/html/books.html

[hedgehog]

36. Mercury doesn't belong in vaccines, but that doesn't mean it causes autism

There are 101 theories on autism out there and very little scientific prrof. My favorite theory is that it's all genetic and that there's a high incidence in Silicon valley because of all the semi-autistics (ie people who understand mathematics better than the general population AKA nerds) marrying and having children together. Funny how no one mentions the high exposure to the solvents used to manufacture computers. My guess based on what I've read is that autism is a result of damage to the embryo that manifests as the infant's brain develops and fails to make the proper connections.

[eridani]

41. Nerds don't manufacture computers

That's for outsourcing to places with no environmental standards. Nerds program computers.

[hedgehog]

37. For that matter, what about all the pesticides, herbicides and other

chemicals we're all carrying in our bodies now? How come these don't get mentioned in relation to autism and ADHD?