- Four of the seven flu jabs being issued by the government
this winter contain a mercury-based preservative which is being withdrawn
in the US amid fears of its links to autism.
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- The Department of Health has confirmed that most of the
flu vaccines being issued through the National Health Service contain
thimerosal,
a preservative which is 50 per cent composed of ethyl mercury.
-
- Thimerosal is already being withdrawn in the US, where
a government health authority has warned that it has a "biologically
plausible" link to autism and should not be given to pregnant
women.
-
- The UK government has this year chosen seven vaccines
to combat three expected strains of the flu virus, and is aiming to
vaccinate
70 per cent of people aged over 65 in a UK-wide programme.
-
- The Scotsman can today name the four which, according
to the Department of Health, contain thimerosal - and, therefore, mercury.
They are Fluvirin, Fluarix, Influvac and Agrippal. The mercury-free
vaccines
are Inflexal V, Begrivac and this year,s flu vaccine from Aventis
Pasteur.
-
- Officials have said they do not recognise any health
risk posed by the mercury in thimerosal. As a result, patients - whether
pregnant or not - are not being advised which vaccines contain
mercury.
-
- "There is no evidence of long-term adverse effects
due to the exposure levels of thimerosal in vaccines," a Department
of Health spokeswoman said.
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- "The risk-benefit balance of thimerosal-containing
vaccines remains overwhelmingly positive."
-
- She added that the Institute of Medicine in the US had
looked at the issue and had "concluded that evidence does not support
a causal association between thimerosal contained in vaccines and
neuro-developmental
disorders".
-
- The IoM,s exact conclusion, however, argued that such
a link was "biologically plausible" - and said there is not
enough
evidence to accept or reject a link between thimerosal and neurological
disorders.
-
- In a statement which fuelled fears about thimerosal
safety,
it urged that "full consideration should be given to removing
thimerosal
from any biological product to which infants, children and pregnant women
are exposed".
-
- Pregnant women are advised to avoid thimerosal because
the mercury affects the foetus to a greater extent than the mother. For
the same reason, pregnant women are advised against having silver dental
fillings fitted as the amalgam is 50 per cent composed of mercury.
-
- However, the Department of Health does not include
pregnant
women among the categories of people at risk from the flu vaccine.
-
- It instead lists those with heart problems and people
allergic to hen,s eggs, because the vaccines are incubated in a similar
substance.
-
- The Department of Health said its decision to buy
mercury-free
vaccines is "a purely precautionary measure", which is part of
"a move in both the US and Europe to minimise the exposure of infants
to mercury".
-
- Robert McKay, a Scottish co-ordinator of the National
Autistic Society, said he was astonished that dangers about mercury in
vaccines have not been spelled out by the government. "We need access
to the same information given to parents in other countries."
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- "If we have a choice in vaccine, we would like to
know about it. This information should be given to families in this country
so they can make decisions for themselves."
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- Mercury,s links to autism and neuro-developmental
disorders
have been well documented.
-
- Children born in the Faroe Islands in 1987 were found
to have developmental disorders after their mothers ate
mercury-contaminated
whale meat.
-
- Two years ago, the Journal of Neurochemistry ran a study
showing brain cells exposed to even minute levels of mercury developed
the exact set of neuro-deformations associated with Alzheimer's
disease.
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- Last year, Canadian research reinforced the suggested
link between exposure to mercury and Alzheimer's.
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- http://www.ncirs.usyd.edu.au/facts/f-thiomersal.html
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- Table 2: Vaccines available in Australia that contain
thiomersal
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- Vaccine
- Trade Name
- Manufacturer
- Dose of thiomersal
-
- Combined diphtheria and tetanus vaccine
- CDT
- CSL
- 50 micrograms
-
- Adult diphtheria and tetanus vaccine
- ADT
- CSL
- 50 micrograms
-
- Diphtheria vaccine
-
- CSL
- 50 micrograms
-
- Hepatitis B
- Engerix B Adult
- GlaxoSmithKline
- <2 micrograms
-
- *Influenza vaccines
- Fluarix, Influvac, Fluvax
- GlaxoSmithKline, Solvay, CSL
- 50 micrograms
-
- Japanese encephalitis vaccine
- JE Vax
- CSL
- 35 micrograms
-
- Q fever vaccine
- Q vax
- CSL
- 50 micrograms
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- http://www.thescotsman.co.uk
- /index.cfm?id=1912003
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