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What is Thimerosal?
Why is Thimerosal
Controversial?
What is Mercury Poisoning?
What are different types
of Autism?
What is a Vaccine and what are the side
effects?
Which Vaccines Contain
Thimerosal?
What Are My Legal Rights?
Has There Been a Cover-Up?
What is Thimerosal?
Thimerosal is an organic compound that contains mercury, or an
‘organomercurial’ and can cause Mercury poisoning. It has been used
since the 1930s as a preservative in a number of biological and drug
products, including many vaccines intended for children and adults, to
aid in the prevention of potentially life threatening microbe
contamination. The compound was first introduced by the Eli Lilly
Company and is 49.6% mercury by weight. In the human body it metabolizes
into ethylmercury and thiosalicylate. Mercury poisoning is believed to
be a cause of certain types of autism.
Why is Thimerosal
Controversial?
Quite simply, because it contains mercury, one of the most toxic
compounds found in our environment. The harmful effects of mercury have
been linked to many different diseases, with autism from Mercury
poisoning being just one. Learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis,
Alzheimer’s, lupus, arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome,
and bipolar disorder are also potential issues that those with high
levels of mercury in their system can develop. While the harmful effects
to adults are limited when it comes to the amount of mercury found in a
vaccine containing Thimerosal, in children, and especially an unborn
fetus, the toxins can be devastating to long term development, as well
as affecting the kidney and the nervous system.
What is Mercury Poisoning?
Mercury is generally a substance you’d like to keep out of your system.
In fact, mercury is the second most toxic element on earth, next to
plutonium! The amount of mercury that you’d generally find in one
mercury thermometer is generally accepted as potent enough to pollute a
small lake. When inhaled, eaten, or placed on the skin, mercury can be
very damaging. Even a low concentration that might initially appear to
have no effect can work its way through your system and develop later,
or become more noticeable with continued exposure.
Mercury poisoning can
result in a loss of feeling or a burning sensation in arms and legs
Mercury poisoning can also result in psychological effects, paralysis,
congenital malformations, kidney toxicity, and loss of memory, vision
and hearing. In extreme cases, death may occur. In the womb, it takes a
lot less mercury to be damaging than it would to harm an adult. Prenatal
toxicity can leave a child seemingly normal at birth, but later develop
delays in the ability to walk and/or talk. Because of the long latent
period for observable effects, the need for treatment may be recognized
too late.
What are different types
of Autism?
A neurological disorder
that usually appears within the first couple years of a child’s life,
autism is a disorder where the individual shows impaired sensory,
neurological, motor, and behavioral functions. In the last thirty years,
autism has become the third most common child development disorder in
the United States, rising from an incidence of one child in 2000 in
1970, to one child in 250 some thirty years later.
Symptoms of these types of autism include:
Behavioral Issues:
Not interested in being picked up/cuddled; preoccupied by hand
movement; flapping hands (especially when excited or over stimulated);
spinning; balancing; tiptoe walking; aggressiveness towards others;
lack of interest in "normal" toys (often preferring kitchen tools);
obsessive toward patterns; repetition in behavior (performing the same
act over and over again, such as rewinding one section of a movie on
the VCR to watch many times); lining things up; self injury; needing
to live with a routine that does not change.
Sensory Issues:
Dislike of certain sounds, textures and/or tastes; dislike of being
touched; very passive or very active behavior; nervousness; unaware of
various physical stimuli such as pain; covering ears at loud noises;
"blanking out" in active environments; often seem to be uncomfortable
in extreme temperatures.
Biological Markers:
In some types of autism, MRI scans sometimes are abnormal;
serotonin levels may be raised; bowel problems; some children are
afflicted with seizures; sleep disturbances (not requiring as much as
other children of the same age); often unusually attractive children
with large eyes.
What is a Vaccine?
A vaccine is generally a preparation containing the weakened or killed
microorganisms that actually cause a particular disease. When these are
introduced into the system, either through injections or an oral dose,
the body kicks the immune system into action and produces the necessary
defenses against that disease. Because the introduced microorganisms are
weaker, they’re easily dealt with while leaving the body fully prepared
should any fresh outbreak of non-weakened microorganisms enter the body.
Unfortunately, this can sometimes lead to adverse reactions, either
through side effects, irritation or lesser symptoms of the disease the
patient is being vaccinated against. These sometimes include:
Which Vaccines Contain
Thimerosal?
The U.S. Public Health Service and the American Academy of Pediatrics
have provided a list of vaccines that contain thimerosal, to which we’ve
added several products the USPHS and AAP left off:
DtaP – Acel-Imune
Lederle Laboratories
DtwP-Hib – Acel-Imune
Lederle Laboratories
HibTITER multidose –
Acel-Imune Lederle Laboratories
Pnu-Imune 23 –
Acel-Imune Lederle Laboratories
Tripedia – Pasteur
Merieux Connaught
TriHIBit – Pasteur
Merieux Connaught
ProHIBit4 – Pasteur
Merieux Connaught
Hep-B-Gammagee -
GlaxoWellcome
Hyper-Tet –
GlaxoWellcome
Certiva – North American
Engerix-B - SmithKline
Beecham
Recombivax HB – Merck,
GlaxoWellcome
Rabies Vaccine Adsorbed
– Bioport Corporation
Menomune A, C, AC and
A/C/Y/W – 135 CLI
DTwP – All brands
DT – All brands
Td – All brands
TT – All brands
Influenza – All brands
Various tetanus and
diphtheria toxoids
There are also many
non-vaccine products that contain thimerosal. According to the
GlaxoWellcome corporation, that list includes, among others:
Antibiotics for the Eye
Cortisporin® Ophthalmic Suspension
Neosporin® Ophthalmic Solution
Nasal Preparations
Nasal Moist® AF
Neo-Synephrine® Pediatric Formula, Mild Formula, Regular Strength, and
Extra Strength Nasal Spray
Ear Preparations
Coly-mycin® S Otic
Cortisporin® Otic Suspension
Pediotic® Suspension
Cosmetics
L'Oreal® Miracle Wear Mascara
Stagelight® Mascara
What Are My Legal Rights?
For detailed information on that, you really should
talk to one of our lawyers. There are many
lawsuits being filed to bring the companies that used thimerosal-vaccines
to justice, and if your child displays symptoms of mercury
poisoning and has been vaccinated with any of the drugs listed above,
you could have a case.
As far back as September 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics
directed physicians to warn parents about the risks that come with using
thimerosal-containing vaccinations, and to make alternatives to thimerosal
available wherever possible. Sadly, the message doesn’t seem to have got
out there, as thimerosal-laced vaccines continue to be stocked on
shelves.
If you would like to speak to one of our representatives, or would like
more information regarding your legal rights in this situation, please
contact us.
Has There Been A Cover-Up?
Well, let’s just say that certain parties have been much less than
forthcoming about information on the topic. Much like the cigarette
situation where Big Tobacco held back on providing evidence of nicotine
toxicity over the past several decades, drug companies could have
provided more information, done a lot more study and answered a lot more
of the questions that parents have been asking of late. Clearly when the
risks associated with mercury-based preservatives in children’s vaccines
cause many government departments and health organizations to warn
against it, there’s a case to answer.
Where questions of ethics truly raise their head is when looking at the
extremely controversial Homeland Security Bill, which protects the drug
companies from being held liable for their wrongdoing. Why a law
relating to vaccines was added to a bill that has nothing to do with
health is anyone’s guess, though it must be said – who would have voted
against the Homeland Security Bill after the events of 9/11/2001,
regardless of what surprises were snuck into it via the backdoor?
If the bill is left in place, any legal action against thimerosal would
be under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP), a
government fund created in 1986 essentially to deal with far less
damaging vaccine reactions than autism. Not only does the NVICP protect
vaccine producers from paying large punitive awards decided by juries in
state civil courts (of the size presently being paid by Big Tobacco),
but the claim must also be filed within three years of a child's first
symptoms. Added to that, it also limits pay-outs to a maximum of
$250,000, irrespective of the scope of damage to your child. When it
takes around four years to reach a decision through NVICP, clearly there
are parties determined to make it anything but easy for a claimant to
win a case against the drug companies.
But the wheels keep turning… change is in the wind. If you want to be a
part of that change, contact us.
Do I have a Thimerosal case?
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