OT: Help the Environment, Get a Flu Shot - By Kirby

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Help the Environment, Get a Flu Shot (39 comments ) READ MORE: Ohio

Worried about mercury in the environment? Here's one way to help: Go get a flu

shot.

More than 100 million doses of flu vaccine have been delivered this year, with

another 10-15 million on the way -- a US record (the previous record was 83

million) to help meet the CDC's goal of vaccinating two out of every three

people in the country.

But now it seems that " drumming up demand for so much vaccine, " as The New

York Times put it on Sunday, has been too great a challenge for the CDC, leaving

medical officials like Stefanak, health commissioner of Mahoning County,

Ohio, to give flu shots away " by the carload. "

Because flu vaccine can only be used in a single year, one official was

" concerned that we'll throw away 20 million doses " this year, a number that

could go much higher if the current flu season remains mild.

But you can't just " throw away, " flu vaccine. You practically need a hazmat

team.

Most flu shots contain thimerosal, a vaccine preservative made with 50%

mercury - a deadly neurotoxin. Each adult dose contains 50 micrograms of

thimerosal, in a solution concentration of 1:10,000, or the equivalent of 50,000

parts per billion (ppb) of mercury.

To put this in perspective, any liquid that exceeds 200 ppb mercury is

considered to be " hazardous waste, " (and drinking water cannot exceed 2 ppb).

The flu shot, therefore, contains mercury in levels 250 times higher than what

hazardous waste regulations say is safe.

And according to my math, 20 million doses at 25 micrograms per dose leaves us

with 500 grams (1.1 pound) of mercury to somehow dispose of.

It's not really clear if anyone is responsible for rounding up all that

mercury from every clinic, hospital, supermarket, etc., and disposing of it in a

way that will harm neither humans nor the environment. (The US Army, according

to its website, calls for the incineraton of expired flu shots, and forbids

discharge into a " sanitary sewer " ).

But incernation is not the answer, of course, because all that mercury will be

returned directly to the environment and one day end up in somebody's fish

sandwich.

Unless, that is, we all go out this week and get a flu shot. We can each do

our part to eliminate this potential ecological mishap while also delighting CDC

Director Dr. Gerberding, who is on the air now exhorting us all to " catch

the holiday spirit and not the flu, " and go get that shot.

Then again, perhaps you don't relish the idea of injecting hazardous materials

directly into yourself or your children. If you are a 100-pound woman, you

should know that those 25 mcg of mercury will put you five times over the EPA

daily exposure limit. Of course, if you are pregnant, most of the mercury will

be absorbed by your fetus, which is good news for you, but...

Is the flu shot important for certain sectors of the population? Of course it

is, and I am glad we have enough to inoculate them. Anyone who feels they need

protection from the flu should be able to obtain a vaccine easily, if not " by

the carload. "

But is it too much to ask for a flu shot that's not too hazardous to pour down

a sewer?

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Comments ( Page 1 of 2 > » ): And here is something even more sobering to be

aware of in terms of dumping all that mercury into the environment that I found

at www.newstarget.com:

Links between autism and thimerosal

Autism affects 500,000 to 1.5 million Americans and has grown at an annual rate

of 10 to 17 percent since the late 1980s. California found a 273 percent

increase in autism between 1987 and 1998. land reported a 513 percent

increase in autism between 1993 and 1998 and several dozen other states reported

similar findings. Some scientists say the estimated number of cases of autism

has increased 15-fold -1,500 percent - since 1991, when the number of childhood

vaccinations doubled. Whereas one in every 2,500 children was diagnosed with

autism before 1991, one in 166 children now have the disease.

This increase in reported autism cases eerily parallels the increase in the

number and frequency of thimerosal-containing vaccinations administered to

infants. As of today, children are given as many as 21 immunizations in the

first 15 months of life. After a number of scientists and concerned activists

noticed the correlation, an investigation was launched to get to the heart of

the matter. By: ianmcc on December 18, 2006 at 09:56am

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Listen up: I am a 60-year-old female who has Never had a flu shot and never

will. Never had HRT, either (discovered natural progesterone cream). Never had a

hot flash. Never had a face lift (have no wrinkles). Never drink or eat

ASPARTAME " diet " foods. Never take ANY prescription meds (not even aspirin).

Never had a mamogram. Never see an M.D. Never have ANY aches & pains (no

headaches either). Never took anti-depressants drugs and never will. No cancer,

arthritis, high blood pressure. Nothing.

In short I NEVER LISTEN to gov. propaganda foisting PHARMA INDUSTRY POISON upon

us. That's the only way to remain healthy and avoid dementia: REFUSE ALL PHARMA

POISONS. By: canardtahiti on December 18, 2006 at 09:58am

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Great post . . . but, grieve not too long for the " poor pharmaceuticals. "

Despite dispensing a product that should have the EPA frantically waving red

flags, and despite FDA approval of a product that will only protect against some

strains of a mutating pathogen, thereby affording liability protection, these

corporations always have an " out. " If Gerberding's exhortations fall on deaf

ears, the manufacturers can always--in a spirit of international

benevolence--give their left-over product to poor, third world inhabitants.

Inject the vaccine into THEIR bodies, dispose of the residual in THEIR

environment . . . and take a huge tax write-off in the process. SOP for global

pharmaceutical corporations! Profits before people. By: Melody on December 18,

2006 at 10:04am

Flag: [abusive]

Your diatribe and personal crusade against thimerasol is getting to be too

much. Whatever statistical correlation that may exist between autism and

thimerason, there is no scientific data showing causality.

The research done clearly shows that thimerasol is not the problem.

Attempts to link more problems to thimersol and the flu shot ar not called for.

The flu shot program is vitally important to our public health. Pandemic flu

will happen.

Pandemic flu will happen.

You MUST understand that there is nothing we can do to stop that. There is much

we can do to delay its arrival and mitigate its harm, but it will happen.

Pandemic flu vaccine is central to mitigating the harm. The pandemic flu vaccine

will save tens of thousands of lives.

Your harping on about thimerasol as your own personal crusade and using it as

your gravy-train is misplaced and wrong.

Thimerasol is not the enemy. Ignorance is. By: cynic on December 18, 2006 at

10:31am

Flag: [abusive]

Please, please, please check your facts on this. After recommendations were

released in 1999 that Thimerosal be removed from vaccines, the vast majority of

routine childhood vaccines contain no thimerosal, a few remain which contain

traces, but there is no vaccine left on the market except influenza that

contains a significant amount.

In addition, the increase in autism runs concurrent to a _decrease_ in total

thimerosal found in childhood vaccines, not an increase. Careful, evidence based

studies by a panel consisting of medical experts with absolutely no connections

to the drug industry have not found any evidence of a connection between

vaccines and autism.

Please check carefully before making any decision on childhood vaccines based on

information you read here. There is a tremendous amount of disinformation out

there, and the stakes are high. Vaccinations absolutely save lives.

Additionally, Thimerosal contains ethyl mercury, a different chemical compound

than methyl mercury which is the 'deadly neurotoxin'. There have been no studies

that show that ethyl mercury has the same toxic effects as methyl mercury.

And finally, for those who want to be absolutely safe, there are thimerosal-free

flu vaccines available. They will be more expensive, and are limited mostly to

doses appropriate for small children, but the more of these that sell, the more

will be made next year, so if you care, buy thimerosal-free. By: ckris on

December 18, 2006 at 10:32am

Flag: [abusive]

I live in Mahoning County with my autistic son and family. We would greatly

appreciate if you would come by the " carload " and get those vials of mercury out

of here.

My son has already been exposed to way too much mercury via his infant vaccines.

He was born in 1996 when we were unaware that vaccines contained mercury and 10

years ago there was a lot of mercury in those " life saving " shots.

So, if there are no guidelines to dispose of that toxic waste, I fear it'll be

stuck here further harming him and doing more damage to his already devastated

immune system.

Gerberding, I was taught a holiday lesson as a child, " It's much better to

give than receive " so we would like to give you back your mercury laced flu

vaccines.

They are ready and waiting for you. By: andreamk on December 18, 2006 at

10:39am

Flag: [abusive]

Kirby'post is good and well founded,but I'd like to take his post a step

further. I would never tell anyone to get a flu shot even if they thought they

needed one. I have yet to see proof that the flu shot actually prevents the flu

or even lessens the symptoms should you get it. Every year the CDC does some

guess work on which viruses to include in the shot and that's all it is-is guess

work. Also, nobody really knows how many people die from the flu. Besides

thimerosal, the shot contains other nasty ingredients including aluminum.

Educate yourself with all the evidence-then make a choice. By: mogrammy on

December 18, 2006 at 10:41am

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Poster " cynic, " you are WRONG. Thimeresol IS the enemy, as is the BigPharma

Scam. Rumsfeld made $25 Million from last year's birdflu scare alone... J.

Rockefeller himself got into the pharma industry when he realized it would bring

him and his descendants more $$$$ than oil,even.

Oh supreme IRONY, Rockefeller lived in perfect health to the ripe age of 93

precisely because his personal, life-long physicians were always

HOMEOPATHS...the man was a vegetarian and NEVER TOUCHED pharmaceutical drugs.

But poisoning everyone else and THEIR children was just fine with him.

So, to repeat: At age 60 I have NEVER had a flu shot and I never will...mercury

is also linked to dementia/alzheimers disease. I get no shots and I injest no

pharma drugs. NONE.

Excellent homeopathics exist to prevent and treat flu virus. I am convinced that

bird flu will be best prevented and contained through the use of high-potency

homeopathics like occillococcinum, which is itself made from asian ducks -- who

are in fact the SOURCE of bird flu. I have taken this remedy for 20 years (as

have my children), and I have NOT had a flu in two decades. Top that. By:

canardtahiti on December 18, 2006 at 10:50am

Flag: [abusive]

" Thimerasol is not the enemy. Ignorance is. "

Yes it is, and yes you are. Either ignorant or one of THEM. Go away, the author

is making a very valid point. By: conk on December 18, 2006 at 11:03am

Flag: [abusive]

cynic,

You go right ahead and get a thimerosal laced flu vaccine and save yourself from

the common flu or the feared Bird flu. You are now informed of what is in it,

you make your own decision. I on the other hand am also informed but it came in

the form of having 2 children react with adverse effects. I really hope you

never have to learn your facts in that manner. No one should have to.

has never been against vaccinations just against the mercury in them. He

is bringing you information, take it as you will. The fact is that mercury does

not belong in something we tout as a miracules life saving tool when it is known

to be a clear neurotoxin causing other disasterous complications. I and many

others including will do everything we can to keep you, your children, all

of us from having to make that choice to vaccinate or not based on Thimerosal.

Removing it should be the most basic common sense imperative. By: chapnalli on

December 18, 2006 at 11:10am

Flag: [abusive]

Cynic, Your diatribe and personal crusade to defend thimerosal, a known

neurotoxin, is laughable. An NIH panel looking into the study which has been

used to exonerate thimerosal has found significant flaws in the study's design.

" I think what we're saying is that (study) wasn't the last word and that things

need to be looked at again and perhaps with different methodology, " chairwoman

Irva Hertz-Picciotto told Age of Autism, which obtained a copy of the panel's

report.

http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/index.php...

Anyone who takes the time to examine the evidence will find the link between

thimerosal exposure and autism quite obvious.

The CDC, IOM, and AAP will continue to lose credibility as the public becomes

more aware of their role in the obvious cover-up By: Kneerack on December 18,

2006 at 11:15am

Flag: [abusive]

While I can appreciate the importance of a healthy dose of cynicism and

skepticism, it may be better directed at the medical establishment who have,

with a very few, poorly designed studies, convinced a good number of otherwise

intelligent people that thimerosal is harmless and that there is no causative

mechanism by which it can be linked to neurodevelopmental disorders.

In fact there is a growing body of laboratory studies from respected

universities published in peer-reviewed medical journals which provide a fairly

cohesive rational for the biochemical action of ethylmercury upon not only

developing brain tissue, but also larger systems of support for cells throughout

the body.

The irony for those who would dismiss this issue as relevant to only hysterical

parents of young children is that a scientist investigating the cause of

Alzheimer's disease did much of the initial research that revealed the dangers

of thimerosol. To paraphrase the scientist, Dr. Boyd Haley, of the university of

Kentucky: When the government doesn't like your research findings- they don't do

anything dramatic- they just ignore them.

That may explain why cynic believes that there is no scientific data indicating

a causal link between vaccines and autism. Regarding the inevitability of a

pandemic flu- that provides all the more reason to clean up our vaccine program

and restore faith in the government agencies responsible for public health.

By: sandiegocc on December 18, 2006 at 11:41am

Flag: [abusive]

I understand it's hard to not be a cynic, these days. However, here are some

studies that show that thimerosal causes harm and that might change your

perspective:

In a paper published in Environmental Health Perspective, August 2005, it was

shown that infant primates, exposed to injected ethylmercury, retain twice as

much inorganic mercury in their brains than primates exposed to equal amounts of

ingested methylmercury. Once organic mercury is converted to inorganic mercury

in cells, it becomes trapped and degradation of brain cells accelerate.

A recent study done at UC ,

(http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/life_sciences/report-57003.html)\

, shows that thimerosal leads to disruption of dendritic cells and the immune

system.

Anyone who's looked into this at all and who cares about children, their own and

everyone's, is on a 'personal crusade' about this issue. By: nogggin on

December 18, 2006 at 11:44am

Flag: [abusive]

What's even worse is that there is no medical reason for thimerosal to be in

any vaccine. None. Every vaccine required by law in most states (DTaP, Polio,

MMR, Hep-B, and Varicella) has a non-thimerosal option available. There is no

medical difference between the two vaccines.

Why the mercury, then? WTF? By: KingFolderol on December 18, 2006 at 11:59am

Flag: [abusive]

Thank you for continuing your efforts to educate people about

thimerosal. It is clear that there are people who, like CYNIC, are still

confusing the message. They seem to think you are more concerned about making

money than their health. Maybe he/she (we don't know because this person is not

proud enough to sign their own name...) should read your last line one more

time. Those of us who know you well understand that if it were for money or

fame, you would have left us and our children long ago.......

Those of us who actually read ALL the available peer reviewed studies on

thimerosal, AND the influenza virus, know that you are on the right track. We

are not confused by the complexities of distingushing between the need for

public trust in the vaccine program and the unecessary use of mercury in those

vaccines.

If the " flu pandemic " that CYNIC so positively expects to happen should become a

reality, All I simply ask is that there be a mercury free version available for

me. Otherwise, I will take my chances, and I trust many more americans feel the

same way.

If the HHS Department is serious about mandating the use of vaccines in a

pandemic (think BARDA) then they should make mercury free versions available to

ensure most of the public will participate.

Tim Kasemodel By: ConcernedinMN on December 18, 2006 at 11:59am

Flag: [abusive]

Lets look at it another way. In Illinois the mercury air concentration is

about 2.2 ng/cubic meter. That is about 0.035 micrograms per day exposure, about

700 times less than a flu shot. And it is a safer form of mercury. But the AAP

and public health are leading the charge against the coal-fored power plants.

Hypocrits all. By: dayoub on December 18, 2006 at 12:24pm

Flag: [abusive]

Cynic--

You state: " there is no scientific data showing causality. "

I believe this is the very same argument Big Tobacco used to keep us ignorant

for so long. It is currently being used by Eli Lilly in re: their Zyprexa . . .

and it worked fabulously well for their rDNA insulin. OF COURSE THERE IS NO

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE. . . the drug companies won't pay for trials that prove

their drugs are harmful. Lilly even went so far as to remove the needed animal

insulins from the U.S. market so that they will not be available for comparison

trials. Wonder why???

You speak of education . . . and ignorance. If you rely on mainstream media, and

co-opted U.S. " educational " journals to alleviate your ignorance, you need to

expand your knowledge base. By: Melody on December 18, 2006 at 12:29pm

Flag: [abusive]

cynic-

you must be a pharma boy

ignorance is the enemy and you fit that profile well.

It is amazing the gift of prophecy that is bestowed upon you to predict future

events. Even IF the pandemic flu happened again, so what? The current fu

vaccines don't have H5N1 antigens, you need a new vaccine. Why would anyone want

to rely on thimerosal to preserve it when it is a lousy preservative. Chirn lost

55 million USA doses in 2004-05 when it got contaminated in SPITE of

Thimerosal...so what idiot would risk preserving a pandemic flu vaccine with

this stuff that published researchers going back to the 1950's have stated that

it is a lousy preservative. Unless you sell the stuff, no one would want to use

it! Imagine the pandemic hits and the hundreds of millions of doses are filled

with bacteria and useless...then what do we do? By: dayoub on December 18,

2006 at 01:35pm

Flag: [abusive]

According to some studies, if we get a shot with mercury then most of the

mercury supposedly leaves most peoples bodies within a matter of weeks - so much

of it would be headed for the environment anyway.

Flu vaccines, being " hit or miss " for the viral agent, may not be at all

effective for a pandemic.

The childhood vaccines that contained thimerosal for " preservative " use may have

had the preservative element removed but still contain " trace " amounts from the

manufacturing that can put infants and developing fetuses over the safe limit.

By: olerist on December 18, 2006 at 01:39pm

Flag: [abusive]

Not a chance I'll ever get a flu shot, nor will anyone in my family. My son

doesn't get immunizations either.

I trust big pharma about as much as I do the Bush administration. (My father is

a retired Pharmacist so he doesn't exactly agree with me). It's so comforting

(sarcasm) to know not only are the flu shots dangerous to humans when injected,

they're also dangerous when they're disposed of. By: xena on December 18, 2006

at 01:44pm

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Did you know that the US Congress recently voted to give the flu vaccine

makers immunity from liability? By: poboy on December 18, 2006 at 01:47pm

Flag: [abusive]

12/18/06

12:34pm

CSUN, Northridge, CA

I'm in a psych class here and it is disturbing to me when parents are criticized

for not " properly " caring for their autism-diagnosed children. Well, the problem

is not the parents. The problem is that the children are not really

autistic--they are mercury-poisoned and will (hopefully) get better as they get

bigger.

My son, born in 1991, was severely affected by his vaccines and subsequently

diagnosed autistic. But now that he is over 200 pounds--you would never guess

it.

The kid went through hell, though. And I resent the hell out of it. By: msfisk

on December 18, 2006 at 03:38pm

Flag: [abusive]

These politicians, drug company executives, doctors and scientists who are

allowing these dangerous vaccines to be used should be tried for crimes against

humanity. By: truthcanhurt on December 18, 2006 at 04:16pm

Flag: [abusive]

, touche as always. Of course, we need to remember that according to CDC

and EPA, we can not pollute our streams with mercury from the flu vaccine - but

we can inject it into our bloodstreams with complete safety. Our veins are not

actually considered part of our environment.

Take a look at the regulations on your local dentist to dispose of his " silver "

amalgam material.

And Eli Lilly was caught telling its sales force to " downplay " the weight

gain/hyperglycemia associated with its $4.2B Zyprexa. (NYT yesterday) Salesteams

told to fib to docs that the drug might lead to diabetes. Vioxx ring a bell?

How do we trust the pharmaceutical companies?

K By: Stagmom on December 18, 2006 at 05:00pm

Flag: [abusive]

Cynic, Ignorance is indeed the enemy, and yours is profound. Autism aside, if

you have any interest, it is not hard to find the scientific facts connected

with the dangers and negative health ramifications connected with exposure to

thimerosal. Just take a short break from your flu pandemic fear mongering and

search Pub Med regarding the neurotoxic and immunologic ramifications of

exposure to thimerosal. By: wutsername on December 18, 2006 at 08:20pm

Flag: [abusive]

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