AAP urges Gov. Pataki to veto the NY bill to ban Thimerosal in Vaccines

[Guest guest]

I thought many of you would be interested the AAP public position

urging Gov. Pataki to veto the NY Thimerosal bill. The AAP piece has a

an hysterical tone and appears to take the position that banning

Thimerosal is tantamount to a condemnation of the entire medical

community and would, in itself, somehow condemn the most vulnerable in

our society.. The AAP says that the bill is unnecessary because it is

no longer used in vaccines, and claims those who support the bill rely

on junk science and " mass hysteria. " I could go on to critique the AAP

statement but for those on this list that is unnecessary. You can

critique this hysterical AAP diatribe for yourself.

To send a message urging Gov. Pataki to sign the bill click on this

link

http://capwiz.com/a-champ/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=7962461

AAP STATEMENT IS BELOW

Here is a link to the AAP web site:

http://www.aapdistrictii.org/index.htm

From the AAP:

CONTACT GOVERNOR IMMEDATELY AND URGE HIM TO VETO THE THIMEROSAL BILL

Contact Governor Pataki Immediately and Urge him to Veto the

Thimerosal Bill

A.5543/S.2707 which is based on pure junk science and would implement

bad

public health policy. Please click on the link below that will take

you to a

prepared letter to be sent directly to the Governor. We at the AAP

District

II believe this bill is bad for our patients and bad for all New

Yorkers, so

please act now.

As a pediatrician in New York, I urge you to veto A.5543/S.2707.  This

legislation represents very bad public health policy that is based on

junk

science and mass hysteria, not on the evidence of science

This bill, designed to protect individuals from alleged adverse

effects of

thimerosal which contains ethyl mercury, is completely unnecessary. To

legislate based on fear and misinformation is an anathema to those of

us who

work tirelessly for the health and welfare of our communities. To

enact this

legislation implies that the vaccines that have virtually eradicated

many

diseases, constituting one of the greatest public health

accomplishments of

the past century, are dangerous. This bill denigrates our informed

scientific and medical communities while supporting all of the

anti-vaccine

factions in our society. This legislation potentially jeopardizes our

most

vulnerable communities.

Vaccine formulations that are either thimerosal-free or have only trace

amounts of thimerosal are currently licensed for use by the Food and

Drug

Administration (FDA). All recommended childhood vaccines are already

thimerosal-free. Influenza vaccine with greatly-reduced thimerosal

content

is already licensed and available for use in young children and

pregnant

women. And most importantly, despite the headlines in the media, there

is no

evidence that thimerosal is harmful.

This legislation would abolish the use of thimerosal-containing

vaccines in

children under age three and in pregnant women, except under specified

declared exceptional circumstances. In the absence of influenza vaccine

shortages, this is a non-issue. Should we again experience influenza

vaccine

shortages and face an issued exception to this rule, families are

likely to

believe that vaccine is dangerous (for why else would there be such a

law?)

and refuse such immunization.

In addition, our vulnerable adult populations should receive influenza

vaccine each year to protect themselves, their families, and their

communities. This legislation suggests that the vaccine they receive is

dangerous.

To allow fear and misinformation to jeopardize the robustness of our

immunization efforts, particularly around influenza, does our public

health

efforts a disservice, endangers our children, families, and

communities, and

is ill advised.

Veto A.5543/S.2707.

Sincerely,