A DERIVATIVE of mercury called thimerosal has
been used as a preservative in vaccines since
the 1930s, but only recently has it become a
public health issue.

. . .

The concern among pediatricians was not that
the small levels of mercury in vaccines could
harm infants, Saari said, but that it might
cause harm if combined with other exposures,
such as mothers eating mercury-laden fish when
pregnant or breast-feeding. Infants are actually
at far greater risk of exposure to mercury from
their mothers, he said.

. . .

The Coalition for SAFE MINDS (Sensible Action for
Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders), for
instance, argues that mercury is a factor in
disorders such as autism, attention-deficit disorder,
language delay and learning difficulties.

The group calls mercury "one of the most toxic
substances on earth," and argues that it is known
to cause neurological damage at low doses.

. . .

Preliminary results indicated the mercury blood
levels were below the level many experts consider
as risky.

. . .

Now that thimerosal has been all but eliminated
from vaccines, the question is becoming moot.

Register Guard

§ Can you believe this? Since 1930?
This story would have been better told 70
years ago ::::-§

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), May 01, 2001

Answers

Congressman, Health Officials Spar Over Vaccine

But Burton expressed outrage that the agency is
allowing two lots of thimerosal-containing vaccine
comprising thousands of doses to go to market
before mercury-free vaccine is produced.

``If there's any doubt whatsoever...and you're
taking mercury out as a precautionary measure,
then why in the heck don't you get that stuff off
the market,'' he said.

. . .

``If you at the federal health agencies think
this issue is going to go away, you guys are
blowing smoke,'' he said. ``If the health agencies
don't deal with this and deal with it quickly,
you're going to have a big problem over there.''

Yahoo!

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), May 01, 2001.