It's not likely that anyone will die from 25ug of mercury in the flu shots. However, it could be that chronic long term problems are made worse in individuals who's bodies cannot clear this burden for various reasons (genetic, immune system problems). Repeated, year to year, exposure could be even worse. The facts are no one really knows as the CDC/FDA have never done toxicity studies on this form of mercury. They have said it is "biologically plausible" and when one considers that mercury is the 2nd most toxic known to man it seems a big duh.
How mercury causes Brain neuron degeneration:
http://movies.commons.ucalgary.ca/mercury/ Only single dose vials (with pink plungers) are mercury free [look for thimerosal or sodium merthiolate on packaging insert]. The nasal spray has no mercury but remember it is an active form and one becomes a source of inoculum to everyone around them for 28 days - the label states this. To me that's like salting the popcorn to by more drinks at the theater.
But you wont see mercury coming out of shots any time fast. If they did do this, autism rates would drop and it would throw up red flags.
Everyone should be concerned about exposures to mercury. As potential mercury iduced problems like ADD, autism and alzhiemer's increase, so does the burden to our society. Take austim, talk about missed work from flu! What about a lifetime of "missed work" and no paying taxes. First these individuals will be a burden to the educational system growing up as they are insured an education through IDEA (although the gov has yet to appropriately fund it). As these people grow older, black balled by insurers, they will become wards of the medicare system. We arent talking billions of dollars - trillions are the current estimate.
The CDC study they refer to is rife with conflicts of interest. The lead investigator left the CDC before the study was published and now works for GSK.
His original findings in Spring of 2000 DID show a statistically significant relationship (2.48x) between increasing amounts of thimerasol continaing vaccines (TVC) and neurogical problems like autism, speech delays and ADD. Susbsequent findings have turned up rates of 6-20x more likely.
In the Summer of 2000 CDC, FDA and Vaccine manufacturers met in secret at Simpsonwood, Ga to discuss the Spring 2000 findings before publishing the results in Oct 2000. These minutes were obtained via the FOIA and here are excerpts commenting on the findings in Spring 2000:
• Dr. Robert Brent, of Thomas Jefferson University and the Dupont Hospital for Children said, “…we are in a bad position from the standpoint of defending any lawsuits if they were initiated and I am concerned.”
• Dr. Tom Verstraeten (the lead researcher who left CDC to work for GSK) said, “...we have found statistically significant relationships between the exposures and outcomes for these different exposures and outcomes...” Also, “But one thing that is for sure, there is certainly an under-ascertainment of all of these because some of the children are just not old enough to be diagnosed.”
• Bill Weil, M.D., representing the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), said, “You can play with this all you want.” [The numbers] are linear. They are statistically significant.”
• When discussing data manipulation, Dr. Philip Rhodes, a statistician at the CDC and co-author of both studies said, “So you can push, I can pull. But there has been substantial movement from this very highly significant result down to a fairly marginal result.”
• "There was really no need to do this study. We could have predicted the outcomes;"
• One doctor is quoted as saying "I will not give Thimerosal Containing Vaccines to my grandson until I find out what is going on here."
All subsequent studies have manipulated the data to be inconclusive.
It would be great if someone could replicate their results with their data however they will NOT let anyone obtain access to the raw data - hmmm that doesnt seem very scientific and assuring.
Everyone, regardless of political viewpoint SHOULD be concerned. ALL this burden will come down on taxpayers, society and likely their own minds and bodies.
I banned thiomerosal from our office (as much as possible) in late 1999.
I realized this was a liability issue in 1998.
But, the studies didn't discuss this issue until the last year.
I still don't totally believe them myself.
The study is easy to do.
If someone in this thread wants to come up with the 10,000 dollars needed to run the study, cough it up and I go public.
If not, forget it... I'll keep doing my quiet form of medicine and the ban on thiomerosal in our office sticks.