Mercury ban bill wins OK

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http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060512/NEWS01/605120372/1006 Mercury ban bill wins OK By LAUREN O. KIDD Gannett State Bureau TRENTON A bill that would eliminate mercury from all vaccines distributed in New Jersey by 2009 was approved by the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee Thursday. The measure passed 8-1 with one abstention. The committee's chairman, Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr., D-Bordentown City, a doctor, cast the lone "no" vote. Some committee members said they were voting "yes" with reservations. Two months ago, a group of parents and advocates descended on the committee to try to persuade them to eliminate the use of Thimerosal, a preservative in flu vaccines that is 50 percent ethyl mercury by weight. They claimed a connection between that mercury and autism or other childhood neurological

disorders. But Conaway, saying no national health experts had found a scientific link, held the bill at that time. No additional testimony was heard Thursday. The proposal was amended Thursday to grant the commissioner of the Department of Health and Senior Services the power to allow higher levels of mercury in vaccines if "he determines it is necessary to prevent or respond to an outbreak of disease or that there are insufficient amounts of such vaccines to adequately protect the public health." In the original bill, both conditions were required to exist for the commissioner to allow increased mercury. Earlier this week, Conaway said he was revisiting the legislation because "it may be important to be sensitive to the irrational concerns that people have regarding Thimerosal because at the end of the day we want people to get vaccines." The bill can now be heard by the full Assembly. It hasn't been taken up in the Senate. Reach O. Kidd at lkidd@... Published: May 12. 2006 3:10AM

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