NJ Don't ban thimerosal

[Guest guest]

Hey Y'all

There was a letter to the editor of the Rasberry Park Press yesterday with the

heading " NJ Don't ban thimerosal " . It really hit my pissed off buton, so I

cranked out a reply. The reply is below and the original letter is after that. I

added the links to the people I referenced in case someone else needs them.

(BTW, I got a call from the Press about 2 hours after I sent my reply. They

called to confirm that I had sent it and to say that it will be published within

the next week.)

In reply to Dr. H. Kahn's letter " Don't Ban Thimerosal " dated 06/28/06

My first question is what influenza pandemic? To date bird flu has killed 127

people worldwide since the virus began among Asian poultry stocks in late 2003.

Indonesia has an official tally of 36 human deaths. That is an average of 12

deaths a year in Indonesia. Indonesia has an area slightly more than 2 ½ times

the size of Texas and a population of about 245 million people. That hardly

constitutes an epidemic.

As for Assembly Bill A-1324, it is not anti-immunization legislation. It is a

bill to ban thimerosal (ethyl mercury), which has been linked to autism and

other neurological disorders.

Dr. Kahn says that mass quantities of vaccine could not be produced without

the use of Thimerosal. Most vaccines produced today do not contain Thimerosal.

Live virus vaccines such as the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) have never

contained it. The mercury in Thimerosal would poison the viruses.

The Centers for Disease Control and the Institute of Medicine have been

investigating the affects of Thimerosal and have been urging vaccine

manufacturers to remove it from vaccines for several years.

In her opening statement at the Institute of Medicine News Conference on Oct.

1, 2001, Marie C. McCormick, Professor and Chair, Department of Maternal and

Child Health Harvard School of Public Health and Chair, Committee on

Immunization Safety Review , said, in part, " So, where do we stand today with

respect to thimerosal in vaccines? In 1999 the U.S. Public Health Service, the

American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians

set a goal of removing thimerosal from vaccines in the United States as soon as

possible. "

(http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/thimerosal/iom-thim-stmt-10-1-01.htm

)

In a Media Briefing on Vaccines and Child Health on July 19, 2005, CDC

Director Dr. Gerberding stated " But I can't sit here today and tell you

with 100 percent certainty that there is absolutely never going to be any

association of thimerosal and autism in one or more children. Science doesn't

say that and it will be very difficult for science to ever prove a negative. "

In the same briefing, Dr. Gerberling also said, " You may have heard some

statistics about 1 in 166 children having autism. I can emphasize that those

statistics were drawn from a relatively small sample, but there are studies in

progress now going on in an increasing number of states and locations to try to

help us get a better and more reliable handle on the true incidence and

prevalence of this disease in our communities. "

The statistic of 1 in 166 mentioned came from CDC.

(http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/t050719.htm )

Dr. Kahn claims that single-dose vaccine vials would increase the cost of

immunizations. Does the medical community place cost ahead of the safety of

their patients?

Tallman

Barnegat NJ 08005

THE ORIGINAL LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Don't ban thimerosal

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 06/29/06During an influenza pandemic, the

last thing needed would be unnecessary restrictions on the availability of an

effective vaccine. Unfortunately, this is what could happen if anti-immunization

legislation (A-1324) is passed in the Assembly. This legislation would ban

thimerosal (ethyl mercury), a preservative that prevents bacterial contamination

of the vaccine. Thimerosal has been used as a vaccine preservative for more

than 50 years with no documented evidence of inflicting harm on vaccine

recipients. Vaccines without this preservative can be produced only in small,

single-dose vials, which would make mass administration extremely difficult and

costs significantly higher. Multiple studies have not demonstrated any

evidence that vaccines containing thimerosal cause harm such as autism or other

neurological disorders. What does cause considerable harm is influenza.

Approximately 200,000 people are hospitalized each year from

influenza. About 30,000 people die each year from influenza, including 75 to

150 children. This is during a regular influenza season — not a pandemic. We

have a tenuous influenza vaccine supply during regular flu seasons. We don't

need to make the situation far worse than it already is. Passing this

legislation is bad public health policy. Please urge your Assembly members to

vote no on A-1324. Dr. H. Kahn RESEARCH STAFF PROGRAM ON SCIENCE

AND GLOBAL SECURITY WOODROW WILSON SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AND INTERNATIONAL

AFFAIRS PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

[Guest guest]

FOR rICHSARD TALLMAN

wWhy not give people the choice betweeen vaccine devoid of presercative and the somewhat less expensive multiple dose vaccine preparations containing thimersol? That legislation was passed by the assembly of Suffolk County NY.

HHF MD

NJ Don't ban thimerosal

Hey Y'all

There was a letter to the editor of the Rasberry Park Press yesterday with the heading "NJ Don't ban thimerosal". It really hit my pissed off buton, so I cranked out a reply. The reply is below and the original letter is after that. I added the links to the people I referenced in case someone else needs them. (BTW, I got a call from the Press about 2 hours after I sent my reply. They called to confirm that I had sent it and to say that it will be published within the next week.)

In reply to Dr. H. Kahn's letter "Don't Ban Thimerosal" dated 06/28/06

My first question is what influenza pandemic? To date bird flu has killed 127 people worldwide since the virus began among Asian poultry stocks in late 2003. Indonesia has an official tally of 36 human deaths. That is an average of 12 deaths a year in Indonesia. Indonesia has an area slightly more than 2 ½ times the size of Texas and a population of about 245 million people. That hardly constitutes an epidemic.

As for Assembly Bill A-1324, it is not anti-immunization legislation. It is a bill to ban thimerosal (ethyl mercury), which has been linked to autism and other neurological disorders.

Dr. Kahn says that mass quantities of vaccine could not be produced without the use of Thimerosal. Most vaccines produced today do not contain Thimerosal. Live virus vaccines such as the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) have never contained it. The mercury in Thimerosal would poison the viruses.

The Centers for Disease Control and the Institute of Medicine have been investigating the affects of Thimerosal and have been urging vaccine manufacturers to remove it from vaccines for several years.

In her opening statement at the Institute of Medicine News Conference on Oct. 1, 2001, Marie C. McCormick, Professor and Chair, Department of Maternal and Child Health Harvard School of Public Health and Chair, Committee on Immunization Safety Review , said, in part, "So, where do we stand today with respect to thimerosal in vaccines? In 1999 the U.S. Public Health Service, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians set a goal of removing thimerosal from vaccines in the United States as soon as possible."

(http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/thimerosal/iom-thim-stmt-10-1-01.htm )

In a Media Briefing on Vaccines and Child Health on July 19, 2005, CDC Director Dr. Gerberding stated "But I can't sit here today and tell you with 100 percent certainty that there is absolutely never going to be any association of thimerosal and autism in one or more children. Science doesn't say that and it will be very difficult for science to ever prove a negative."

In the same briefing, Dr. Gerberling also said, "You may have heard some statistics about 1 in 166 children having autism. I can emphasize that those statistics were drawn from a relatively small sample, but there are studies in progress now going on in an increasing number of states and locations to try to help us get a better and more reliable handle on the true incidence and prevalence of this disease in our communities."

The statistic of 1 in 166 mentioned came from CDC.

(http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/t050719.htm )

Dr. Kahn claims that single-dose vaccine vials would increase the cost of immunizations. Does the medical community place cost ahead of the safety of their patients?

Tallman

Barnegat NJ 08005

THE ORIGINAL LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Don't ban thimerosal

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 06/29/06During an influenza pandemic, the last thing needed would be unnecessary restrictions on the availability of an effective vaccine. Unfortunately, this is what could happen if anti-immunization legislation (A-1324) is passed in the Assembly. This legislation would ban thimerosal (ethyl mercury), a preservative that prevents bacterial contamination of the vaccine. Thimerosal has been used as a vaccine preservative for more than 50 years with no documented evidence of inflicting harm on vaccine recipients. Vaccines without this preservative can be produced only in small, single-dose vials, which would make mass administration extremely difficult and costs significantly higher. Multiple studies have not demonstrated any evidence that vaccines containing thimerosal cause harm such as autism or other neurological disorders. What does cause considerable harm is influenza. Approximately 200,000 people are hospitalized each year from influenza. About 30,000 people die each year from influenza, including 75 to 150 children. This is during a regular influenza season — not a pandemic. We have a tenuous influenza vaccine supply during regular flu seasons. We don't need to make the situation far worse than it already is. Passing this legislation is bad public health policy. Please urge your Assembly members to vote no on A-1324. Dr. H. Kahn RESEARCH STAFF PROGRAM ON SCIENCE AND GLOBAL SECURITY WOODROW WILSON SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS PRINCETON UNIVERSITY