Research Addresses Fears Surrounding Mercury in H1N1 Vaccine
This morning, I read a NewsWise press release from Rochester General Research Institute which was clearly intended to alleviate parents concerns about the H1N1 vaccine. Here is a portion of the release:
The injectable, multi-dose H1N1 vaccine contains the mercury-based preservative thimerosol to reduce risks of bacterial contamination. The presence of thimerosol has once again raised concerns whether there are risks posed to children when the tiny amount of mercury contained in thimerosol is included in a vaccine. In a recent issue of the Journal of Pediatrics, however, a team of scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health reported findings that should alleviate those concerns. The researchers, led by author Michael E. Pichichero, MD, Director of the Rochester General Research Institute, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, NY evaluated levels of mercury in the blood of the smallest children - prematurely born and low birth weight infants after they received a dose of a childhood vaccine containing thimerosol. They found the levels of mercury were exceedingly low.
The press release notes that children are exposed to mercury in utero because of the mother's exposure to airborne and food-borne mercury. It also explains that the type of mercury used in vaccines does not stay in the body, but is "cleared" within just a few days:
...the researchers also found the mercury levels in the vaccinated children were very low and quickly returned to pre-vaccine levels, usually within three to seven days. In 1999, when the first concerns about thimerosol in vaccines was raised, it was presumed that the ethyl mercury in thimerosol would behave in the same manner as methyl mercury in fish after ingested. The three NIH-supported studies clearly refuted that idea.
Finally, "Dr. Pichichero and colleagues concluded that with this latest data, it is time to recognize that the risk of exposure to thimerosol in vaccines is minimal to non-existent."
As a part of the autism community, I clearly recognize that this research will NOT put the mercury/autism debate to rest.
On the one hand, it seems clear that the quantity and duration of mercury present in a vaccinated child is very slight indeed; on the other hand, some parents will continue to worry about the impact of even that small quantity of mercury on their individual child. And it seems clear that the debate over vaccines, right now, is in part a conflict between those who are most concerned about public health and those who are most concerned about risks as they affect just one or a few individuals.
To find out how or whether it's possible to determine a child's individual susceptibility to injury, I've written to the researchers. If and when I hear back, I'll post their responses here.
Yet another report that looks at blood mercury. They say the mercury leaves the blood quickly, but where does it go? To the brain.
Why does it only go to the brain? Why not to other organs?
There’s no research that will alleviate the fears about ethyl mercury in vaccines, because it’s not a rational fear. People are so irrational about it that they think the government is in cahoots with pharmaceutical companies and out to get them by biasing research.
The truth is that mercury poisoning is not the same as autism, and vaccines cause neither autism nor mercury poisoning. The “mercury militia” will never be convinced of vaccine safety, however. Even as ethyl mercury is vindicated, they’re moving on to blame aluminum or the current vaccine schedule.
I wish vaccines were truly a personal choice, but the truth is that your child’s vaccination status does matter to mine. And it matters even more to kids with cancer and depressed immune systems.
My Doctor told me that it leaves the body by your bladder…
This is a viscious circle we have been backed into, people are dieing of the swine flu and flu as well as the fact that there are people dieing and being injured from vaccinations!
Something very wrong and suspicous is happening around the world! I discovered this news story last night and believe we need quality law enforcement and forensic professionals to deeply and thoroughly investigate this virus and vaccine?
Here is the news story I discovered:http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/boy-rushed-to-hospital-after-swine-flu-jab-14543347.html
Boy Rushed To Hospital After Swine Flu Jab
The safety of Northern Ireland’s swine flu vaccination programme was called into question today by the parent of a young special needs pupil who ended up in hospital just hours after getting the jab.
Anne Marie Fletcher said she feared her 15-year-old son Rhys was going to die as she rushed him to hospital less than 24 hours after receiving the swine flu vaccine.
The teenager fell seriously ill after receiving the injection, along with thousands of other pupils across Northern Ireland last Friday. He was later diagnosed with swine flu.
“My husband drove us to Antrim (Area Hospital) and I sat in the back with Rhys,” she told the Belfast Telegraph.
“By this stage he was going into spasms. He couldn’t bend his fingers. I was absolutely terrified.
“He was rambling and becoming incoherent. I honestly thought he was going to die in the back of the car.
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/boy-rushed-to-hospital-after-swine-flu-jab-14543347.html#ixzz0VfGrkLfF
Take a look st this highly acclaimed video, “Fall of The Republic” ( The Obama Presidency ) that has in less than ten days received over 1,500,000 views! Learn what the Governments and the United Nations have planned for you, your family and friends!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VebOTc-7shU
It is not likely that the swine flu vaccine caused the boy’s swine flu. For one thing, the injectable vaccine does not use a live virus. You can no more catch the flu from a dead virus that you can get bit by a dead dog.
Second, the incubation period for the wild virus is longer than “a few hours”. It sounds like the boy already had swine flu when he received the vaccine, but was not showing symptoms.
Lisa is right – Pichichero’s study will NOT put the mercury/autism debate to rest. Not until more parents learn critical thinking skills, and become more familiar with science, and how it works.
This is why in this thread or another later thread (some where) you cant base facts on a parents evaluation of events. Almost any kind of illness close to another event is always thought to then be caused by that event. The H1N1 is a strain of flu, as any stain of flu for the seaonal jab.
The actual incubation period is really unknown, 1 – 7 days so more than likely while getting the jab, the boy was exposed to an infected person. The jab is not a live virus, the mist is.
Btok, you described a “cytokine storm”, in a child, likely suffering from one disease with two sources, an adjuvant in his system designed to enhance immunity, and a disease that’s using that adjuvant for the same purpose. Bad timing, to vaccinate likely exposed children, bad medicine IMO, and it’s going on across our country right now,as well.
Bad medicine? How would one know if they’ve been exposed? I wouldn’t consider that bad medicine, the medical people wouldn’t know if the person was exposed or not, and neither would the parent unless it was a known confirmed case of H1N1 but only the parent would know of confirmed cases in the school where more so If it was contracted, that’s where it came from other than the clinic which by the way is full of people suspecting they have H1N1 or seasonal flu.
This whole cycle goes on every year with the seasonal flu.
wish vaccines were truly a personal choice, but the truth is that your child’s vaccination status does matter to mine. And it matters even more to kids with cancer and depressed immune systems.
It matters to mine ,as well. Mine can’t get flu mist because he’s an asthmatic, he can’t get the shot because he’s allergic to eggs, therefore I would prefer to be notified when children come into the classroom newly “misted” with live viruses. I would prefer none of this “vaccine is harmful” nonsense hits the ears of other parents, it would serve me well if I could get my child in the middle of a vaccinated “herd”. The problem with that is that nothing proves that vaccines work, and the last time a measles or whooping cough wave hit, most of the affected kids had their shots. Ya’ can’t win with this one, ya’ just gotta’ believe!
My kid just had pertussis, and yes he was vaccinated. Didn’t mean the vaccine wasn’t effective. In 2005 when teens were getting pertussis, they realized they needed a booster and added it in 2005 and pretty much took care of those out breaks in the mid west. Now my sons age group is getting pertussis and many in his grade all had vaccines and contracted pertussis and so did adults. It means the booster needs to come sooner. Isn’t it odd that people assume vaccines are a life-long effect. Had I known children of that age group were contracting pertussis prior to the booster, I’d have had my son get it sooner since his autism behaviors of mouthing every thing puts him at a higher risk for contracting everything.
A older child infected with pertussis or measles wont have such horrible effects, however if they’re around infants not old enough for those vaccines, yes your choice effetcs others who haven’t yet reached making the choice for themselves. This has actualy happened, an older child with mealses was around a baby, baby caught measles and died.
The flu mist is a live weakened virus, you show me where any has contracted the flu from some one who has the flu mist. And I’m talking actual proof other than a parents account. You should be more worried about those who have the full blown virus which is highly contagious since your child has asthma.
That’s part of the problem ,Sandy, the studies indicate asthmatic children who HAVE received the shot are up to three times more likely to be hospitalized for the flu. Canadian studies are showing those that were vaccinated with the seasonal shot are twice as likely to catch h1n1, thus halting their vaccine program for seasonal flu. Something is wrong, we just have to wait until it’s all sorted out. Another study suggests that women who get the flu shots while pregnant stand a seven fold increase risk of having a child with autism. I want to read this one, has anyone seen it?
Suggesting that the mercury levels are similar in normally developing children bothers me. Since I’m a believer that there are few “normally developing children”, with the exception of girls, I’m not sure if this means anything other than that we have a generation of children with mercury levels. I can’t think that mercury levels are a good thing in anyone.Again this would be a great place for testing non -vaccinated against these groups, and perhaps giving developmental testing within this obviously exposed group. My asthmatic has a lead level of 4, I have no lead paint in my house, normal lead levels should be zero, as I suspect normal mercury levels should be ,as well.
So are you saying that if you have the seasonal flu shot (not mist) those people are contracting the H1N1 twice as likely? You know, if the H1N1 wasn’t out there, no one would be infected by it, either. The numbers of who contracted the H1N1 since April (including those who have died) compared to the now just starting seasonal vaccines seems of little value. They also just started the seasonal vaccines, many places don’t even have the vaccines.
“flu shots while pregnant stand a seven fold increase risk of having a child with autism” by chance get that info from Mercola???
The human body does have heavy metals, walk outside and you’ll aquire them. You’d be lucky to find any child or adult with zero amounts. You’re body is suppose to be able to get rid of small amounts, it’s the large doses that are dangerous.
not sure I understand the concept that girls are “normally developing” while boys are “mercury damaged.” seems unlikely to me!
Lisa
It does seem unlikely but the stats are in, there are more boys with autism. Even if we believe it is caused by a random virus, or a fish platter, we have to recognise that girls are not showing up in the count at the same rate. So yep, it’s unlikely, but it’s happening, estrogen “must be” protective.
Wakefield is very charming, whether he is correct or not is going to be history’s decision. interesting video..cbs wakefield interview..
http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/cbs-news-research-links-kids-vaccines-brain-damage/
Then why not all boys and just a few girls? Wouldn’t the same amount of random virus, or a fish platter or mercury effect each gender the same? Or are we to believe poison and viruses are gender prejudice and even selective to certain people of one gender?
Interesting study of Wakefield, considering he cant treat children in the USA, his studies can only be performed on animals and I wonder if he’s even licensed for that. But the hep b doesn’t have Thimerosal in it any more, so what would Wakefield’s accounting be for the rising autism rates?
He isn’t concluding that it’s thimerosal, he’s concluding that the hepb shot caused an increase in autism, not specific to any ingredient.
I don’t know, Sandy, why it’s almost all boys, or what puts a few girls at risk. It leaves no leeway but to accept that estrogen plays some role. I’m sure there must be studies on this issue? Hmm..wonder if it would be so simple as to give regressing babies estrogen to halt the progression …maybe there is a combo mercury/testosterone kind of toxic effect ?…
Safety study by British researchers Dr Laura Hewitson and Dr Andrew Wakefield: “Receiving A Thimerosal-containing Hepatitis B Vaccine: influence of gestational age and birth weight Journal”
Most certainly is about Thimerosal.
It leaves no leeway but to accept that estrogen plays some role?? Is that what You accept?? Ever give testosterone a thought aside from vaccines?? Just testosterone.
And again, why does it you always end up causes for autism when this is about the H1N1 vaccine, which comes Thimerosal-free?? Why would Thimerosal only effect children and not adults??
Save yourself the trouble and just don’t get that vaccine.
Just testosterone, by itself Sandy? Anything is possible. It seems that testosterone DOES play such a role that it must be “enhanced” by something? Since girls don’t get it as often, it would seem that estrogen is somewhat protective. In the biological big picture, I believe it’s estrogen that makes a boy act like a boy these effects are all timed early on as hormonal waves or washes , this is such a fragile balance it could be subject to interference by illness or chemical.
That’s nice Barbara. My guess is it’s the heated plastics that produced a hormone-like bi-product (Bisphenol-A) if anything, which has nothing to do with vaccines. Bisphenol-A has been used for many years as well and eventually went into baby drinking products.
I’m still waiting for our clinic to get some flu vaccines, not sure about you but each night I keep hearing about some one who just died due to the flu.
I’m not quite sure what the point is of trading guesses… certainly we can pick anything and point to it as having increased during the same time as the spike in autism diagnoses:
cell phones
ultrasound during pregnancy
pitocin during birth
cable TV
broad band internet
microwave ovens
certain types of genetically altered foods and animal feeds
organic vegetables
..and many other possibilities have their supporters. You can pick any one you like, and put together a somewhat convincing argument… but IMHO it’s an exercise in logic, not a step towards understanding autism.
Lisa
I’m not sure what the causes of autism has to do with the H1N1 or the vaccine to begin with, other than Thimerosal and we already know choices are out there (3 types of vaccines, your choice to get one of them or choose not to at all). The virus doesn’t seem to care of your age, gender or what disorder’s you already have.
Autism isn’t even a consideration when it comes to that vaccine, other than what some people want to make of it.
oh yeah. Good point!
Lisa
If we “knew” or had a good hunch, would we expose our children to “it” again? I did buy the original evenflo glass bottles, Sandy, because I do believe there is possible plastic involvement. They don’t break when he tosses them, (like I thought they would)… bisphenol A mimics estrogen… My “smartest” friend believes it’s all plastics..obviously I took a step to reduce his exposure..this isn’t guessing, these chemicals are known to disrupt the endrocrine system, others are known to be neurotoxins , following the research and paying attention just “may” keep our children from farther harm..jmo
So far Barbara, we don’t have a ‘good hunch’ and I’m sorry you get stuck on the causes so much.
What we do know is the H1N1 virus doesn’t seem to care of your age, gender or what disorder’s you already have. And if you contract it, then you have to worry about all those medications they give you to treat it, which probably some have been linked to this and that and maybe autism, too and let’s not forget an allergic reaction, and then you hope you survive and not end up on that dead list. I think a topic worth talking about is those who have a child with autism, how would one come to the choice of the flu vaccine? Any illness and autism for my kid is horrible, and my kids behaviors put him at a higher risk of contracting everything.
Some exposures you cant avoid unless you plan to live in a bubble.
I say research and go with your gut. Everyones feeling will be different based on their knowledge and their influence from others. Afterall its all just opinions and alot it is based on facts. The Government is not out to get us….they need our money. So they’re gonna keep us here as long as they can…I hope. Protect your children and then protect yourself. Attract the positive.
BarbJ – good comments.
I’ve been reading the Zimmerman text on Autism. It is a multidisciplinary examination of autism from microbiology, psych, genetics fields. It is pretty much a med school level textbook, which hurts my head and is somewhat of a “slow read” for me — and I have an undergrad background in neuroanatomy and pharmacology, so a lot of the lingo isn’t foreign to me. But it is still a big huge complex problem. Humans will solve the Autism epidemic — but it’s mind-bogglingly complex. There are probably a couple of common disease pathways that will open up the possibilities of prevention and effective treatements.
Anyhoo… the gestalt take-away message from the book is that *everything* may matter. It looks like, aside from Fragile-X type etiologies, conventional genetics matters the least, and environmental exposures matters most.
You come away from the Zimmerman text with an understanding that vaccines are very much ON THE TABLE as one of the leading suspects in the etiology of Autism. It may be the adjuvants; it may be the thimerisol; it may be the antigens; it may be an overload of the immune system. But it is very clear that vaccines are a significant concern among actual cutting-edge researchers, even while their role in the etiology of Autism is dismissed by the television doctors and the AutismNewsBeatniks.
Epigenetic changes are methylation and suflation changes that inactivate or suppress (or less commonly, activate) certain genes as a result of environmental exposures. This appears to be an important common pathway in the etiology of ASD.
Autism is an environmental injury, with biochemical and epigenetic effects. Some individuals are more susceptible because of inherited or mutated genes and epigenetic changes.
Final comment. I read that the H1N1 shot appears to only confer about a 6% immunity benefit in healthy persons receiving it. That data apparently drove the decision to make it a 2-shot program, and they have no data showing that the second shot confers any additional benefit. I’ll try to find the reference and will follow-up with a link post if I can find it.
But BarbJ is exactly right about Canada. And Australia has cancelled their H1N1 program for lack of any provable benefit.
If vaccines had never existed until, let’s say, 2009… If they were some new medical invention, they would be highly suspect. Sausage makers would faint when they learned what goes into human vaccines. The simian virus contamination, the formaldehyde, the adjuvants, the preservatives (including thimerisol), and so forth.
The only reason there are so many blind-believers in vaccines is because they have been around for 250 years. The SPV was succesful and saved miliions of lives. Recent evidence suggests that the Polio vaccine may have been a net harm – especially the Salk vaccine. Like everything else; a potentially good thing has been taken to the extreme. The HEP-B, Rotagen, and Varicella vaccines are terrible ideas whose time has come …and GONE!
I pray that ANB, Sandy, and the other vaccophiles will struggle to keep an open mind and think critically and logically about vaccines’ pros and cons. And not just drink the Kool-Aid that all vaccines are wonderful beneficial miracles that couldn’t possible be the cause (or a cause) of the autism, asthma, autoimmune… and other modern epidemics.
Re the study;unfortunately as others have pointed out,the study does not focus on where the mercury went from the blood.
Monkey studies seem to show that thimerosal/mercury can get deposited in the brain.In a healthy person,mercury hopefully should be removed through the kidneys and digestive system ;ie come out in the urine and poop.
And it seems that it would have been easy for a study to collect diapers and check how much mercury comes out, and how much is deposited in the body.It is a pity they did not do this.
If the mercury is getting deposited in the brain or other body organs, then its absence from the blood menas nothing.
By the way, Lisa, you mentioned it seemed unlikely that boys would be more vulnerable to mercury? Actually I believe that gender has a lot to do with how we handle toxic metals.The presence of testosterone/the boy hormone apparently inhibits the removal of mercury.And there are other toxic metals that also have different effects depending on gender.
It can be interesting to use google scholar to check out the science on toxic metals and gender.