|
|
Click here for a less brilliant, straight forward discussion about flu vaccine ingredients.
And so I happily shared it on Facebook, only to receive a comment from a friend who is known to be both an intellectual and a sceptic.
He wrote: Mercury, in the form of thimerosal, used as a preserrvative has been banned by the US Food and Drug Administration, American Pediatrics Association ... since 1997 or thereabouts.
Really? Mercury, or rather, thimerosal, is banned as one of the flu vaccine ingredients?
I recall that wnen the newspapers carried an article about the latest H1N1 vaccine, it had a photograph of it and someone commented, in the online version of the article, that thimerosal is listed as one of the flu vaccine ingredients.
Just to be sure, I did a Google search on "thimerosal ban" and what I found were mainly articles talking about various medical groups resisting petitions to ban the substance. Finally, I found a 2006 article that listed seven states that have banned thimerosal - California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, New York and Washington. I am not sure if the number of states has since increased.
To be doubly sure, I did another Google search for "flu vaccine without thimerosal". This time, right at the top of the list was an article by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It starts off describing thimerosal in glowingly positive language:
|
Thimerosal is a very effective preservative that has been used since the 1930s to prevent contamination in some multi-dose vials of vaccines (preservatives are not required for vaccines in single dose vials). Thimerosal contains approximately 49% ethylmercury.
There is no convincing evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site. |
This article clarifies, however, that in July 1999, the Public Health Service (PHS) agencies, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure.
But what about flu vaccines? The CDC article continues...
|
Does the influenza vaccine contain thimerosal?
Yes, the majority of influenza vaccines distributed in the United States currently contain thimerosal as a preservative. However, some contain only trace amounts of thimerosal and are considered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be preservative-free. |
The article goes on to reiterate the "safety" of thimerosal, saying it only causes swelling at the injection site, that there is "no evidence" of it causing more serious problems like autism, blah, blah, blah... Up to you whether or not you believe these assertions. But thimerosal, or mercury, is there alright, as one of themmmnn flu vaccine ingredients.
As for the other flu vaccine ingredients, my sceptic friend commented: Not sure about ether and formaldehyde being used to make vaccines. Seems unlikely as the formaldehyde would kill the bacteria and the ether used, if any, is PEG (polyrthylene glycol) also found in condoms as the lubricant.
Well, my intellectual friend is partially right. Formaldehyde does kill the bacteria. But that is precisely why the vaccine manufacturers add it in - they need to kill or deactivate the bacteria / virus - not why formaldehyde is unlikely to be used. Likewise, they have reasons to add ether, detergent and other stuffs. These are definitely among the major flu vaccine ingredients.
There will always be sceptics. They will choose what they wish to believe or disbelieve. And in that sense, I am a sceptic too, For I find it very hard to believe all the claims and assurances that vaccines containing mercury, formaldehyde, ether, detergent and other toxic chemicals can ever be "safe",