Whether the rising rates of autism in the United States can be
attributed to the mercury-laden vaccine preservative thimerosal
is a hotly debated topic. But according to at least one expert,
Dr. David Ayoub, the director of the Prairie Collaborative for Immunization,
the evidence is clear that mercury is in fact playing a large role
in the autism epidemic.
Dr. Ayoub said that numerous experimental, epidemiological and
biochemical research studies have shown beyond a doubt that mercury
is "directly linked the development of autism spectrum disorders
and is significantly toxic to the gastrointestinal, immunological,
metabolic and neurobiological systems in children."
He believes that, rather than devoting more research efforts to
proving this link, research should aim to find methods to remove
mercury from the body and repair damage it has caused.
Mercury and the Flu Vaccine: Still a Major
Threat
Of the vaccines today that still contain mercury, the flu vaccine
is the biggest concern, according to Dr. Ayoub. About 80 percent
of flu vaccines contain as much as 25 micrograms of mercury per
dose. The EPA's safe limit for mercury is 0.1 mcg/kg, so everyone
who gets the flu vaccine receives an overdose of mercury. You would
have to weigh at least 550 pounds to receive a flu shot and be within
the safe federal exposure limits for mercury.
Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended
in 2004 that pregnant women and young infants should be among those
who receive the flu vaccine, which further exposes fetuses and young
children to mercury. In the case of pregnant women, the benefit
of flu vaccination was minimal (preventing one to two hospitalizations
for every 1,000 pregnant women vaccinated), yet the risks to the
unborn infant could be significant.
When a pregnant woman receives the flu vaccine, the fetus receives
several hundred times more mercury than federal agencies say is
safe for adults. Even the vaccine manufacturers admit the flu vaccine
hasn't been adequately tested. The insert on one such vaccine
(Fluzone) even stated:
"Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with
Influenza Virus Vaccine. It is not known whether Influenza Virus
Vaccine can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman
or can affect reproduction capacity."
Mercury-Laden Vaccines Approved Because
of Conflicts of Interest
Both the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have potential
conflicts of interest with the vaccine makers, as do doctors who
work with the companies. In fact, policy decisions are made by physician
advisory panels whose members are often tied financially to the
drug companies they are regulating. Some interesting points:
-
The CDC branch that oversees vaccine safety has a budget of
about $30 million; the branch that promotes vaccines has a $1
billion budget.
-
About 60 percent of the FDA advisory members who voted to approve
the poisonous rotavirus vaccine had financial ties the drug's
makers.
-
About 50 percent of the CDC members were also tied to the rotavirus
makers.
- Some 85 percent of Clinical Practice Guideline authors have
ties to the drug companies, and many are not disclosed.
How Much Mercury Has Your Child Received?
The National Vaccine Information Center has released a mercury
calculator that can help you determine how much mercury your
child has received (or will receive) from vaccinations. You simply
enter the weight of your child and choose the brand name or manufacturer
of the vaccine, and the calculator will let you know if the mercury
levels have exceeded the EPA's safe standard.
Are there treatments available for autism? Chelation therapies
to remove mercury from the body are among the most talked about
ways to treat autism in children, Ayoub says.
Independent
Media TV March 9, 2005
National
Vaccine Information Center
