Guest guest Posted April 27, 2001 Report Share Posted April 27, 2001 Despite IOM Report, Congressman Wants Recall of MMR Vaccine, Citing Autism Risk WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) Apr 26 - The chair of the House Government Reform Committee today blasted federal science and health officials for not recalling the combination measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine that he says may be causing autism. An Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel earlier this week issued a report concluding that there is no causal connection between the vaccine and an increased risk of autism in children (see <A HREF= " http://www.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/04/04.24/20010423publ004.html " >R\ euters Health report</A>, April 23). Still, Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) confronted officials from the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health over the vaccine. The vaccine contains thimerosal, a preservative in which mercury is an active ingredient. The FDA has said that future lots of MMR vaccine will contain no thimerosal, or only trace amounts, as a precaution geared toward reducing overall mercury exposure in children. The NIH has just begun a 2-year, 10-center trial looking at blood and urine mercury levels in children who receive the vaccine. But Burton expressed outrage that the agency is allowing two lots of thimerosal-containing vaccine — 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 asked. Dr. Midthun, who directs the FDA's office of vaccine research and review, told the committee that the agency lacks the authority to force a recall of vaccines unless it can verify that the product represents a clear and imminent threat to public safety. " The preponderance of the evidence finds no causal relationship between vaccines and autism, " she said. The FDA contends that the premarket testing required of all vaccines before sale to the public showed no increased risk of autism in children who received the MMR vaccine. Dr. Midthun and others told the committee that the benefits of the MMR vaccine and other childhood vaccines in preventing infectious diseases far outweighs the chance that the immunizations increase the risk of autism. They said that pulling available MMR doses from the market would cause shortages of available vaccine and would also increase public concern about the safety of immunizations. Burton called attention to his grandson, who he says developed autism shortly after receiving recommended vaccination shots. " If you [at the federal health agencies] think this issue is going to go away, you guys are blowing smoke. If the health agencies don't deal with this and deal with it quickly, you're going to have a big problem over there, " he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2001 Report Share Posted April 28, 2001 Midthun (director of FDA's vaccine research) must be in the pocket of Lederle, Connaught, and Kline Labs. She is certainly not looking out for the welfare of all children in the US when she says that her agency lacks the authority to force a recall of thimerosal vaccines out there. With this inaction, she could be setting up thousands more children for a life of autism. , was it worth it? In the name of God, , do your homework and do the right thing.....NOW. Aly [ ] IMPORTANT - MMR DOES CONTAIN THIMERISOL!!!!! Despite IOM Report, Congressman Wants Recall of MMR Vaccine, Citing Autism Risk WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) Apr 26 - The chair of the House Government Reform Committee today blasted federal science and health officials for not recalling the combination measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine that he says may be causing autism. An Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel earlier this week issued a report concluding that there is no causal connection between the vaccine and an increased risk of autism in children (see <A HREF= " http://www.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/04/04.24/20010423publ004.htm l " >Reuters Health report</A>, April 23). Still, Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) confronted officials from the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health over the vaccine. The vaccine contains thimerosal, a preservative in which mercury is an active ingredient. The FDA has said that future lots of MMR vaccine will contain no thimerosal, or only trace amounts, as a precaution geared toward reducing overall mercury exposure in children. The NIH has just begun a 2-year, 10-center trial looking at blood and urine mercury levels in children who receive the vaccine. But Burton expressed outrage that the agency is allowing two lots of thimerosal-containing vaccine — 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 asked. Dr. Midthun, who directs the FDA's office of vaccine research and review, told the committee that the agency lacks the authority to force a recall of vaccines unless it can verify that the product represents a clear and imminent threat to public safety. " The preponderance of the evidence finds no causal relationship between vaccines and autism, " she said. The FDA contends that the premarket testing required of all vaccines before sale to the public showed no increased risk of autism in children who received the MMR vaccine. Dr. Midthun and others told the committee that the benefits of the MMR vaccine and other childhood vaccines in preventing infectious diseases far outweighs the chance that the immunizations increase the risk of autism. They said that pulling available MMR doses from the market would cause shortages of available vaccine and would also increase public concern about the safety of immunizations. Burton called attention to his grandson, who he says developed autism shortly after receiving recommended vaccination shots. " If you [at the federal health agencies] think this issue is going to go away, you guys are blowing smoke. If the health agencies don't deal with this and deal with it quickly, you're going to have a big problem over there, " he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2001 Report Share Posted April 28, 2001 HI I have been checking and reading and still cannot find anything to indicate thimerosol in MMR... This was supposed to be one without it.. I am already upset by this. .. Yes the hearings are saying it has it, but if I check the actual contents of vaccine it does not say it contains mercury. Can we find out for sure about this. Who can we contact. How much does it contain? kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2001 Report Share Posted April 28, 2001 How can MMR contain thimerosal if it's a live vaccine? The mercury would kill the ingredients! Do you think some reporter messed up the story? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2001 Report Share Posted April 28, 2001 I understood that metals such as mercury and aluminum were added not to destroy the strain but instead to attenuate (weaken) it. 'Live' is an odd term for a virus strain really because by definition viruses are not live anyway (this distinguishes them from bacteria I recall), I think that this is more to do with them not having the necessary apparatus to sustain themselves without capitalising on the host's cells that it is invading, the metals are supposed to stop viral replication and as such it can't proliferate to cause full symptoms. I was most surprised to find that the MMR did not have mercury (or for that matter aluminum) and still have doubts about it. Seems odd that all the others have it yet you put 3 together and as if by magic you don't need it! Jon . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2001 Report Share Posted April 28, 2001 Hi : I don't have a specific answer for you other than calling the manufacturers and asking for the specific ingredients and also how they process it because sometimes they can use it in the process but don't put it directly into the vaccine. From the things that I have read a manufacturer can actually have some small amount of thimerosal in the vaccine and still call it thimerosal free if it is under a specific quantity. I don't know what that quantity is or where I've read this info specifically so you'll have to keep your good investigative nose on and keep digging. In Christ's love and mine...Jen : ) On Sat, 28 Apr 2001 09:59:50 EDT kc62765@... writes: > HI > I have been checking and reading and still cannot find anything > to > indicate thimerosol in MMR... This was supposed to be one without > it.. I am > already upset by this. .. Yes the hearings are saying it has it, > but if I > check the actual contents of vaccine it does not say it contains > mercury. > Can we find out for sure about this. Who can we contact. How much > does it > contain? > > kelly > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2001 Report Share Posted April 28, 2001 Hi Does anyone out there know if the separated shots for MMR contain or contained mercury? I'm old enough not to have received them (I had Measles, Mumps and Rubella) and by the time I had my daughter they had been combined. Thanks Margaret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 29, 2001 Report Share Posted April 29, 2001 -- , Hi! It's me...Kerri! Have you gone to Merck vaccinenet I believe? When you get there click enter and click the one that you are a health care provider and you're in.Have you tried that? If so right back and I've got other ways to find out. Kerri - In @y..., kc62765@a... wrote: > HI > I have been checking and reading and still cannot find anything to > indicate thimerosol in MMR... This was supposed to be one without it.. I am > already upset by this. .. Yes the hearings are saying it has it, but if I > check the actual contents of vaccine it does not say it contains mercury. > Can we find out for sure about this. Who can we contact. How much does it > contain? > > kelly > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 29, 2001 Report Share Posted April 29, 2001 > How can MMR contain thimerosal if it's a live vaccine? The mercury would kill > the ingredients! Do you think some reporter messed up the story? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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