- Hello Jeff - I had to send this to you...it is totally
unbelievable. Flu shots with mercury pose no risk? Are they crazy? Have
they totally lost it?
- Have they forgotten that people are advised to take flu
shots each year? Just think about it, mercury every year getting into
your body, i.e. on top of all the mercury and heavy metals that we already
ingest, breathe-in, etc.
-
- These health experts at the CDC are supposedly too dumb
to realize that, even if the mercury in one shot is below level, people
are getting this poison with EACH yearly shot? I don't think so.
-
- Stupidity...and malice aforethought.
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- Patty
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- Flu Shots With Mercury Pose No Problems -
CDC
- The China Post
- 10-2-7
-
- TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Officials at the Department of Health
(DOH) urged parents to let their young children receive the free injection
of anti-influenza vaccines despite the controversy over the mercury in
the vaccines. DOH officials said the annual flu vaccines will be given
to children under two years old and others over 65 for free.
-
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- The officials made the call after the annual free flu
vaccination program kicked off yesterday, providing flu shots for groups
of people considered to be at high risk of influenza with government funds. But
many parents became hesitant after learning from media reports that there
is mercury in the vaccines.
-
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- Shih Wen-yi, a deputy director of the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) under the DOH, confirmed the reports. But he and other medical
experts stressed that mercury is well below the hazardous limit.
-
-
- Chen Ding-shin, a member of the Academia Sinica and former
superintendent of the National Taiwan University Hospital, pointed out
that mercury is used in the flu vaccines to help stabilize bacteria,
but will pose no threats to health.
-
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- He said the chemical is also used in many other vaccines,
including the hepatitis B vaccines which are also in large demand in Taiwan. Other
medical experts also said that giving flu vaccines free of charge is a
well-intended move taken by the government to help fight the life-threatening
flu in the winter season.
-
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- Shih stressed that no medical records had shown negative
effects from flu vaccines containing mercury, though the international
trend is gradually shifting to mercury-free vaccines.
-
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- The CDC has advised flu vaccine recipients allergic to
eggs to stay at the same place where they receive their shots for at least
half an hour to make sure that they develop no allergic reaction to the
vaccine.
-
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- Shih explained that the CDC did not caution against mercury
because there are extremely few people allergic to the chemical. He
also emphasized that the DOH has provided over 80 million flu vaccines
containing mercury over the years and no cases with negative effects involving
the chemical was reported.
-
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- The free vaccine program is available for people over
65 years of age or children aged between six months and two years. First-line
medical professionals, hospital volunteer workers, community pharmacists,
medical lab workers, school nurses, crews of international airlines, quarantine
workers, poultry farmers and bird raisers, nursing home residents, people
suffering from severe injuries or diseases, as well as first-year and second-year
primary school students are also covered in the free flu shot program.
-
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- According to Shih, there will be 2.73 million doses of
free flu vaccine available for adults and 320,000 doses for children this
year. People need not to rush in an attempt to receive their shots
on the first days of the program, since there is adequate supply and the
free vaccines will be available for a long period over the next two months.
-
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- Shih said Taiwan usually enters flu season around the
end of November, with the number of flu cases reaching a peak around mid-December. After
analyzing all reported flu cases between 2000 and 2006, the CDC said the
incidence of flu turning into serious disease is much higher for children
under 12 years and people over 65. The mortality rate for these
two age groups is several times higher than other age groups.
-
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- CDC experts said the best way to prevent flu is to get
flu shots. Paid flu shots are also available at major hospitals
Some hospitals around the country have also started offering vaccines for
ordinary people for between NT$530 and NT$630 per dose.
-
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- Medical specialists said that parents or other people
concerned about the mercury issue may have their children and elderly family
members taken mercury-free doses and pay the bills themselves.
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- _________
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- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics
Univ of West Indies Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message board at:
http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php Also my new website:
- http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/ Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
Go with God and in Good Health
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