'Trace' mercury

Remember when it says "trace" it equals 2000 parts per billion - see below
for dangers of 0.5 parts per billion, 2 parts per billion, 20 parts per
billion and 200 parts per billion. TRACE is 2000 parts per billion!

From Gary Goldman
Vaccines with trace amounts of Thimerosal, by definition, contain less than
1 microgram of mercury (Hg) per dose (
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm).

For example, consider that the reduced-Thimerosal flu vaccine with 0.0002%
mercury is equivalent to 1 microgram [µg] of Hg per 0.5 mL, or 2 µg of Hg
per mL, which is the same as 2000 µg per liter; or 2000 parts per billion
[ppb][2].

0.5 parts per billion (ppb) mercury has been shown to kill human
neuroblastoma cells (Parran et al., Toxicol Sci 2005; 86:132-40).
2 ppb mercury is the U.S. EPA limit for drinking water (
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contami...dex.html#mcls).
20 ppb mercury destroys neurite membrane structures (Leong et al.,
Neuroreport 2001:12733-7).
200 ppb mercury is the level in liquid that the EPA classifies as
hazardous waste
2000 ppb - TRACE is 2000 parts per b

*********
From HAPI

Vaccines Are Not Mercury Free

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2004
Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI) Health Advocacy in the Public
Interest
Contact: Dawn Winkler 970-641-7413

Vaccines Are Not Mercury Free

After much public controversy surrounding the mercury content of childhood
vaccinations, Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI) raised $500 to
have four vaccines tested for heavy metal content. The vials were sent to
Doctor's Data, an independent lab which specializes in heavy metal testing.

Many manufacturers voluntarily began producing supposed "mercury free"
vaccines in 1999. Some product inserts currently claim that a "trace"
amount of mercury still exists in the final product but that the amount has
been greatly reduced. Others claim to be producing completely mercury free
products.

During an investigation into the mercury issue, HAPI learned that
Thimerosal, a 50% mercury compound, is still being used to produce most
vaccines and that the manufacturers are simply "filtering it out" of the
final product. However, according to Boyd Haley, PhD, Chemistry Department
Chair, University of Kentucky, mercury binds to the antigenic protein in the
vaccine and cannot be completely, 100% filtered out.

All four vaccine vials tested contained mercury despite manufacturer claims
that two of the vials were completely mercury free. All four vials also
contained aluminum, one nine times more than the other three, which
tremendously enhances the toxicity of mercury causing neuronal death in the
brain.

The mercury content of routine childhood vaccinations has been linked to the
current autism epidemic as well as numerous other neurological disorders
affecting children today. Currently, one in six children are affected in
some way and one in 250 children are diagnosed as autistic compared to one
in 10,000 prior to mercury containing vaccines.

It is the position of Dr. Haley as well as HAPI that if mercury can be
detected in any vaccine using standard instrumentation, the content should
be disclosed in the product insert and manufacturers should not be allowed
to call the product "mercury free".

Executive Director of HAPI, Dawn Winkler, met with FDA officials in Silver
Spring, Maryland on July 27, 2004 to discuss blatant mislabeling and
misrepresentation of ingredients in vaccinations which are licensed by the
FDA. Clearly, more testing is needed. The FDA has the ability and
authority to take on the necessary testing, however, at present, this task
sadly appears to be up to the public.

HAPI will be attempting to raise more funds to test more vaccines in an
effort to pressure the FDA to crack down on manufacturers to label their
products correctly. To help with this effort call 970-641-7413 or email
. (noshots(at)earthlink.net)



More..........



http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm

http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm

There is also the issue of not shaking the vial to distribute the contents,
which could mean an unfortunate child could get much more mercury than
intended

http://www.hapihealth.com/index.php?...tpage&Itemid=1

And, more importantly in my opinion, vaccine injury is not simply about
the Thimerosal.

In message , JOHN wrote:

Remember when it says "trace" it equals 2000 parts per billion - see below
for dangers of 0.5 parts per billion, 2 parts per billion, 20 parts per
billion and 200 parts per billion. TRACE is 2000 parts per billion!

Actually, John, if you were to even read your own sources (see below)
you'd find that it's "less than" (not "equal to") 1000 (not 2000) ppb.

From Gary Goldman
Vaccines with trace amounts of Thimerosal, by definition, contain less than
1 microgram of mercury (Hg) per dose (
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm).

Yup. Part of "less than" is zero. It's just impossible to test for zero,
so instead they use "homeopathic 6X" instead.

For example, consider that the reduced-Thimerosal flu vaccine with 0.0002%
mercury is equivalent to 1 microgram [µg] of Hg per 0.5 mL, or 2 µg of Hg
per mL, which is the same as 2000 µg per liter; or 2000 parts per billion
[ppb][2].

And is, conveniently, the only remaining vaccine which routinely contains
mercury. The rest have too little to measure.

0.5 parts per billion (ppb) mercury has been shown to kill human
neuroblastoma cells (Parran et al., Toxicol Sci 2005; 86:132-40).
2 ppb mercury is the U.S. EPA limit for drinking water (
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contami...dex.html#mcls).
20 ppb mercury destroys neurite membrane structures (Leong et al.,
Neuroreport 2001:12733-7).
200 ppb mercury is the level in liquid that the EPA classifies as
hazardous waste

Excellent. Now, let's examine what that 0.5 microgram of mercury amounts
to (we'll ignore the blood-brain barrier and pretend that the same
concentrations make it to the CNS):

0.5 microgram per 6 kg (5th percentile at six months) infant:
less than 0.1 ppb, or 1/5th the lowest value that has been found
to cause damage when applied directly to cell cultures.

However, I'm confident that the dishonesty of presenting the upper bound
of the concentration in the vaccine as though it were a blood transfusion
won't bother any of the True Believers.

2000 ppb - TRACE is 2000 parts per b

Apparently, innumeracy also goes along with being able to contradict
oneself in the same page.

--
| "Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against |
| unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct |
| before reason can act on them" -- Thomas Jefferson |
+-------- D. C. Sessions ---------+

"JOHN" wrote in message
...
Remember when it says "trace" it equals 2000 parts per billion - see below
for dangers of 0.5 parts per billion, 2 parts per billion, 20 parts per
billion and 200 parts per billion. TRACE is 2000 parts per billion!

From Gary Goldman
Vaccines with trace amounts of Thimerosal, by definition, contain less
than 1 microgram of mercury (Hg) per dose (
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm).

For example, consider that the reduced-Thimerosal flu vaccine with 0.0002%
mercury is equivalent to 1 microgram [µg] of Hg per 0.5 mL, or 2 µg of
Hg per mL, which is the same as 2000 µg per liter; or 2000 parts per
billion [ppb][2].

0.5 parts per billion (ppb) mercury has been shown to kill human
neuroblastoma cells (Parran et al., Toxicol Sci 2005; 86:132-40).
2 ppb mercury is the U.S. EPA limit for drinking water (
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contami...dex.html#mcls).
20 ppb mercury destroys neurite membrane structures (Leong et al.,
Neuroreport 2001:12733-7).
200 ppb mercury is the level in liquid that the EPA classifies as
hazardous waste
2000 ppb - TRACE is 2000 parts per b

*********
From HAPI

Vaccines Are Not Mercury Free

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2004
Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI) Health Advocacy in the
Public Interest
Contact: Dawn Winkler 970-641-7413

Vaccines Are Not Mercury Free

After much public controversy surrounding the mercury content of childhood
vaccinations, Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI) raised $500 to
have four vaccines tested for heavy metal content. The vials were sent to
Doctor's Data, an independent lab which specializes in heavy metal
testing.

Many manufacturers voluntarily began producing supposed "mercury free"
vaccines in 1999. Some product inserts currently claim that a "trace"
amount of mercury still exists in the final product but that the amount
has been greatly reduced. Others claim to be producing completely mercury
free products.

During an investigation into the mercury issue, HAPI learned that
Thimerosal, a 50% mercury compound, is still being used to produce most
vaccines and that the manufacturers are simply "filtering it out" of the
final product. However, according to Boyd Haley, PhD, Chemistry
Department Chair, University of Kentucky, mercury binds to the antigenic
protein in the vaccine and cannot be completely, 100% filtered out.

Removing almost all mercury from vaccines has not influenced the incidence
of autism, but some antivax propagandists cannot admit they were wrong about
that. As has been pointed out here before, this is a ridiculously small
mercury exposure. Vaccines and many other medical products containing
much more thiomerosal have STILL never been shown to have any adverse
effects of humans.

A meal of fish would contain more. The above complains about vaccines
containing 2000 parts per billion. What about fish, such as tuna, that
can contain over 1000 parts per billion (see
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/reprints/mercury.html ) as highly toxic methyl
mercury, and are consumed in much larger volumes and much more frequently?

PM

In message , Peter Moran wrote:

What about fish, such as tuna, that
can contain over 1000 parts per billion (see
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/reprints/mercury.html ) as highly toxic methyl
mercury, *and are consumed in much larger volumes and much more frequently?

I believe that the top antivax theologians have been working
hard on this problem and have come up with some answers.

First, they have deduced from the vastly greater toxicity
of vaccines relative to fish that ethyl mercury is much
more toxic than methyl mercury.

Second is the ability of the human nervous system (alone
in the animal kingdom) to selectively take up ethyl mercury
directly to the brain so that all of it goes there instead
of to other tissues.

Third is the human brain's ability to sequester ethyl
mercury where only chelation therapy and Lupron can
tease it out.

Research on these topics continues, and when enough monkeys
have been killed there are sure to be some which can be
used to prove other important claims.

--
| "Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against |
| unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct |
| before reason can act on them" -- Thomas Jefferson |
+-------- D. C. Sessions ---------+

"JOHN" wrote in message
...
Remember when it says "trace" it equals 2000 parts per billion - see below
for dangers of 0.5 parts per billion, 2 parts per billion, 20 parts per
billion and 200 parts per billion. TRACE is 2000 parts per billion!

From Gary Goldman
Vaccines with trace amounts of Thimerosal, by definition, contain less
than
1 microgram of mercury (Hg) per dose (
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm).

For example, consider that the reduced-Thimerosal flu vaccine with 0.0002%
mercury is equivalent to 1 microgram [µg] of Hg per 0.5 mL, or 2 µg of
Hg
per mL, which is the same as 2000 µg per liter; or 2000 parts per billion
[ppb][2].

0.5 parts per billion (ppb) mercury has been shown to kill human
neuroblastoma cells (Parran et al., Toxicol Sci 2005; 86:132-40).
2 ppb mercury is the U.S. EPA limit for drinking water (
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contami...dex.html#mcls).
20 ppb mercury destroys neurite membrane structures (Leong et al.,
Neuroreport 2001:12733-7).
200 ppb mercury is the level in liquid that the EPA classifies as
hazardous waste
2000 ppb - TRACE is 2000 parts per b

*********
From HAPI

Vaccines Are Not Mercury Free

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2004
Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI) Health Advocacy in the
Public
Interest
Contact: Dawn Winkler 970-641-7413

Vaccines Are Not Mercury Free

After much public controversy surrounding the mercury content of childhood
vaccinations, Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI) raised $500 to
have four vaccines tested for heavy metal content. The vials were sent to
Doctor's Data, an independent lab which specializes in heavy metal
testing.

Many manufacturers voluntarily began producing supposed "mercury free"
vaccines in 1999. Some product inserts currently claim that a "trace"
amount of mercury still exists in the final product but that the amount
has
been greatly reduced. Others claim to be producing completely mercury free
products.

During an investigation into the mercury issue, HAPI learned that
Thimerosal, a 50% mercury compound, is still being used to produce most
vaccines and that the manufacturers are simply "filtering it out" of the
final product. However, according to Boyd Haley, PhD, Chemistry
Department
Chair, University of Kentucky, mercury binds to the antigenic protein in
the
vaccine and cannot be completely, 100% filtered out.

All four vaccine vials tested contained mercury despite manufacturer
claims
that two of the vials were completely mercury free. All four vials also
contained aluminum, one nine times more than the other three, which
tremendously enhances the toxicity of mercury causing neuronal death in
the
brain.

The mercury content of routine childhood vaccinations has been linked to
the
current autism epidemic as well as numerous other neurological disorders
affecting children today. Currently, one in six children are affected in
some way and one in 250 children are diagnosed as autistic compared to one
in 10,000 prior to mercury containing vaccines.

It is the position of Dr. Haley as well as HAPI that if mercury can be
detected in any vaccine using standard instrumentation, the content should
be disclosed in the product insert and manufacturers should not be allowed
to call the product "mercury free".

Executive Director of HAPI, Dawn Winkler, met with FDA officials in Silver
Spring, Maryland on July 27, 2004 to discuss blatant mislabeling and
misrepresentation of ingredients in vaccinations which are licensed by the
FDA. Clearly, more testing is needed. The FDA has the ability and
authority to take on the necessary testing, however, at present, this task
sadly appears to be up to the public.

HAPI will be attempting to raise more funds to test more vaccines in an
effort to pressure the FDA to crack down on manufacturers to label their
products correctly. To help with this effort call 970-641-7413 or email
. (noshots(at)earthlink.net)



More..........



http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm

http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm

There is also the issue of not shaking the vial to distribute the
contents,
which could mean an unfortunate child could get much more mercury than
intended

http://www.hapihealth.com/index.php?...tpage&Itemid=1

And, more importantly in my opinion, vaccine injury is not simply about
the Thimerosal.

"Peter Moran" wrote:

As has been pointed out here before, this is a ridiculously small mercury
exposure.

What has been pointed out is that NO amount of mercury exposure is safe.
Low levels with adverse effects have been posted numberous times.

Vaccines and many other medical products containing
much more thiomerosal have STILL never been shown to have any adverse
effects of humans.

Blatant lie.

Even the FDA has FINALLY admitted the harmful effect after covering it up
for years.

http://www.thecre.com/quality/2005/2...f_quality.html

Thursday, June 16, 2005
Why Won't the CDC Allow Access to the Vaccine Safety Datalink?

Memo to CDC: We're not getting our money's worth
David Kirby
May 23, 2005

Can mercury in vaccines cause autism in children? This hotly disputed
question will only burn brighter as more biological evidence surfaces to
suggest a link. But a definitive answer might take years. Meanwhile, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sitting on a
multi-million-dollar database - paid for by you and me - that could probably
resolve this contretemps within weeks.

They have the data. We paid for the data. Yet we cannot see the data. The
information is kept under lock and key within the massive health agency --
as jealously guarded as nuclear secrets.

The CDC tells us that they have looked at the data exhaustively and found
"no evidence of harm." They implied that their own scientists are perfectly
capable of analyzing the data, thank you very much, and outside researchers
cannot be trusted to independently verify their analyses, nor to protect the
confidentiality of patients whose numbers they would be crunching.

But, as any high school student can tell you, the replication of a study is
the hallmark of all good science. Without access to the raw data originally
used by the CDC researchers, it is impossible to verify their work. All we
can do is trust that they got it right.

The CDC, which has budgeted nearly $200 million to operate the Vaccine
Safety Datalink, spent four years analyzing data from children who received
varying amounts of thimerosal in their vaccines. The study went through five
different permutations before being published in November, 2003. Early study
"generations," which were never meant to see the light of day, showed highly
elevated, statistically significant increased risks for autism and other
disorders among the kids receiving the most mercury.

But by the time the study was published, most of these associations had
somehow disappeared entirely.

Only two outside researchers, Mark and David Geier, have managed to gain
access to the raw CDC data. They faced daunting hurdles to get into the CDC
computer center, and nearly crippling software malfunctions once they were
inside. But among the data they did manage to mine, they reportedly found
highly elevated risks for autism among children in the highest mercury
exposure group.

So we now have two extremely different interpretations of the same data. It
is way past time that the CDC allow a third team - outside researchers
completely acceptable to all parties involved in this dispute - into the
database to conduct any analyses they see fit. (Patients names are removed
from the data, making it exceedingly hard for researchers to identify
anyone, even if they desired, which is extremely unlikely in itself).

It sounds reasonable, it sounds nice. But don't hold your breath. The CDC is
hardly issuing engraved invitations to come trawl its mainframes, despite a
harshly written report earlier this year from the Institute of Medicine. The
IOM complained of CDC foot dragging, and even insolence, on this matter, and
suggested that vaccine officials at the health agency seek "legal counsel."
Why? Because the original datasets of children used by the government have,
as they say, gone missing. (Actually, the official explanation was that they
"were not archived in a standard fashion.") The intentional loss or
destruction of taxpayer funded data or datasets is a violation of the
Federal Data Quality Act. It is a felony, and someone could go to jail for
it.

Meanwhile, the data just sit there. Our data, not theirs. CDC officials
insist they have an "open mind" on this issue, and that thimerosal has not
been ruled out as a possible cause of autism and other disorders. But they
also insist that the vaccine safety database yielded no evidence of harm.

If that is true, then why are they so reluctant to let someone else in to
verify this claim? I cannot answer that question, because the CDC is not
talking to me. But I do know that people with nothing to hide are
unencumbered by doubts of what others will find if they rifle through their
closet.

If the data can prove that injecting a known neurotoxin into infants at
levels up to 125 times over federal safety limits was a safe and sane thing
to do, then why isn't the CDC having an open house for all researchers worth
their salt to come on down and have a look-see for themselves?

Without access to the raw data, parents who support the thimerosal theory -
and their allies in Congress, academia and law - are falling back on other
recent studies that show a possible link between mercury and autism. They
may not have the epidemiology on their side, yet, but the mounting evidence
emerging from the fields of biology and toxicology is becoming too urgent to
ignore. Recent published studies have shown:

+ Autistic children retain mercury at much higher rates than non-autistic
kids.

+ Autistic children lack certain sulfur-based proteins that bind to heavy
metals and remove them from the body.

+ Autistic children have a dysfunctional immune profile generally consistent
with mercury toxicity.

+ The rate of increase in reported autism cases peaked between 1987 and
1992, the same years that new mercury-containing vaccines were added to the
U.S. schedule.

+ Mice with autoimmune disorders react horrifically to mercury exposure from
vaccines, whereas typical mice of the same species do not.

+ In primates, mercury from vaccines was more likely to become trapped in
the brain than mercury from fish.

+ Children who live near mercury spewing power plants have an elevated risk
of developing autism.

These are all intriguing, to be sure. But what we really need is to get our
hands on the raw CDC data - our data.

David Kirby is author of "Evidence of Harm"

By Tara Parker-Pope
The Wall Street Journal

Just a few months after the nation's top medical adviser rejected a link
between vaccines and autism, a mouse study has reignited the debate and
raised new fears among parents considering vaccinations and flu shots for
their kids.


For years, a cadre of parents and physicians have contended that thimerosal,
an ethyl-mercury compound that has been one of the most widely used vaccine
preservatives, is partly responsible for an apparent rise in autism in
recent decades. But broad population studies haven't supported the claim. In
May, a major report from the Institute of Medicine's Immunization Safety
Review Committee rejected a link between autism and vaccines.



But today, a congressional committee will review a June study from Columbia
University, which found that a preservative used in vaccines can cause
autism-like symptoms in a specific strain of mice. The research raises
questions about whether some people might be genetically vulnerable to the
effects of thimerosal.



The study also raises questions about a new push by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention to add flu shots to the immunization schedule for
school-age kids. The vast majority of flu shots given still contain the
preservative.



In the study, researchers administered thimerosal to four strains of young
mice. Three of the mice strains were unaffected by thimerosal, but the
fourth developed problems consistent with autism such as delayed growth,
social withdrawal and brain abnormalities. The mice were known to have a
genetic susceptibility to mercury.



Thimerosal, found in childhood vaccines, can increase the risk of
autism-like damage in mice



A new study indicates that postnatal exposure to thimerosal, a mercury
preservative commonly used in a number of childhood vaccines, can lead to
the development of autism-like damage in autoimmune disease susceptible
mice. This animal model, the first to show that the administration of
low-dose ethylmercury can lead to behavioral and neurological changes in the
developing brain, reinforces previous studies showing that a genetic
predisposition affects risk in combination with certain environmental
triggers. The study was conducted by researchers at the Jerome L. and Dawn
Greene

Infectious Disease Laboratory at the Mailman School of Public Health,
Columbia University. Over the past 20 years, there has been a striking
increase--at least ten-fold since 1985--in the number of children diagnosed
with autism spectrum disorders. Genetic factors alone cannot account for
this rise in prevalence. Researchers at the Mailman School, led by Dr. Mady
Hornig, created an animal model to explore the relationship between
thimerosal (ethylmercury) and autism, hypothesizing that the combination of
genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure to mercury in childhood
vaccines may cause neurotoxicity.

Cumulative mercury burden through other sources, including in utero
exposures to mercury in fish or vaccines, may also lead to damage in
susceptible hosts. Timing and quantity of thimerosal dosing for the mouse
model were developed using the U.S. immunization schedule for children, with
doses calculated for mice based on 10th percentile weight of U.S. boys at
age two, four, six, and twelve months.

The researchers found the subset of autoimmune disease susceptible mice with
thimerosal exposure to express many important aspects of the behavioral and
neuropathologic features of autism spectrum disorders, including:

Abnormal response to novel environments;

Behavioral impoverishment (limited range of behaviors and decreased
exploration of environment); Significant abnormalities in brain
architecture, affecting areas subserving emotion and cognition; Increased
brain size.

These findings have relevance for identification of autism cases relating to
environmental factors; design of treatment strategies; and development of
rational immunization programs. The use of thimerosal in vaccines has been
reduced over the past few years, although it is still present in some
influenza vaccines. Identifying the connection between genetic
susceptibility and an environmental trigger for autism--in this case
thimerosal exposure--is important because it may promote discovery of
effective interventions for and limit exposure in a specific population,
stated the lead author Dr. Mady Hornig. Because the developing brain can be
exposed to toxins that are long gone by the time symptoms appear, clues
gathered in these animal models can then be evaluated through prospective
human birth cohorts--providing a powerful to tool to dissect the interaction
between genes and the environment over time.

Citation source: Molecular Psychiatry 2004 Volume 9, advance on line
publication doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001529

For further information on this work, please contact Mady Hornig, MD,
Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, Greene Infectious
Disease Laboratory, 722 W 168th St, New York, New York 10032, United States
of America, phone: 212-342-9036; FAX: 949-824-1229; e-mail:


ARTICLE: "Neurotoxic effects of postnatal thimerosal are mouse
strain-dependent"

M Hornig, D Chian, W. I. Lipkin

Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, Mailman School of Public Health,
Columbia University, 722 W 168th St, New York, New York 10032

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q..._uids=15527868

1: Neurotoxicology. 2005 Jan;26(1):1-8. Related Articles, Links


Thimerosal neurotoxicity is associated with glutathione depletion:
protection with glutathione precursors.

James SJ, Slikker W 3rd, Melnyk S, New E, Pogribna M, Jernigan S.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and
Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA.


Thimerosol is an antiseptic containing 49.5% ethyl mercury that has been
used for years as a preservative in many infant vaccines and in flu
vaccines. Environmental methyl mercury has been shown to be highly
neurotoxic, especially to the developing brain. Because mercury has a high
affinity for thiol (sulfhydryl (-SH)) groups, the thiol-containing
antioxidant, glutathione (GSH), provides the major intracellular defense
against mercury-induced neurotoxicity. Cultured neuroblastoma cells were
found to have lower levels of GSH and increased sensitivity to thimerosol
toxicity compared to glioblastoma cells that have higher basal levels of
intracellular GSH. Thimerosal-induced cytotoxicity was associated with
depletion of intracellular GSH in both cell lines. Pretreatment with 100
microM glutathione ethyl ester or N-acetylcysteine (NAC), but not
methionine, resulted in a significant increase in intracellular GSH in both
cell types. Further, pretreatment of the cells with glutathione ethyl ester
or NAC prevented cytotoxicity with exposure to 15 microM Thimerosal.
Although Thimerosal has been recently removed from most children's vaccines,
it is still present in flu vaccines given to pregnant women, the elderly,
and to children in developing countries. The potential protective effect of
GSH or NAC against mercury toxicity warrants further research as possible
adjunct therapy to individuals still receiving Thimerosal-containing
vaccinations.

PMID: 15527868 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q..._uids=15184908

Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Sep;9(9):833-45. Related Articles, Links


Neurotoxic effects of postnatal thimerosal are mouse strain dependent.

Hornig M, Chian D, Lipkin WI.

Jerome L and Dawn Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, Department of
Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New
York, NY 10032, USA.

The developing brain is uniquely susceptible to the neurotoxic hazard posed
by mercurials. Host differences in maturation, metabolism, nutrition, sex,
and autoimmunity influence outcomes. How population-based variability
affects the safety of the ethylmercury-containing vaccine preservative,
thimerosal, is unknown. Reported increases in the prevalence of autism, a
highly heritable neuropsychiatric condition, are intensifying public focus
on environmental exposures such as thimerosal. Immune profiles and family
history in autism are frequently consistent with autoimmunity. We
hypothesized that autoimmune propensity influences outcomes in mice
following thimerosal challenges that mimic routine childhood immunizations.
Autoimmune disease-sensitive SJL/J mice showed growth delay; reduced
locomotion; exaggerated response to novelty; and densely packed,
hyperchromic hippocampal neurons with altered glutamate receptors and
transporters. Strains resistant to autoimmunity, C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ, were
not susceptible. These findings implicate genetic influences and provide a
model for investigating thimerosal-related neurotoxicity.

PMID: 15184908 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://poisonevercure.150m.com/autism.htm

Autistic children are shown to retain abnormally high concentrations of
mercury from environmental sources such as vaccines.

********* (Until recently, the FDA administration concealed their knowledge
that thimerosal has been known to cross through the blood-brain barrier and
concentrate in the brain).***********

In a recent communication with Congressman Dr. Weldon, CDC conceded that
some of the routinely recommended vaccines contained the full amount of
thimerosal (25 mcg) as late as 2003. Those are not to expire until towards
the end of 2005. There is no existing reason to believe that manufactures
have it in mind to completely remove thimerosal from childhood vaccines in
the near future. Much to my alarm, documents recently obtained from the
World Health Organization (WHO)state that their policy is to lobby strongly
for maintaining thimerosal in vaccines as they see it necessary to use
childhood vaccines in third world countries. The mentality is that if
thimerosal is taken out of American childhood vaccines, the third world
countries will not accept thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines. This
seems to be a clear disturbing indication that, for whatever reason, WHO
desires to inoculate third world country populations with thimerosal
containing vaccines. This is an agency that claims to have an interest in
making sure that children in developing countries have the best
opportunities at life. How is that possible when they are being
deliberately poisoned with high concentrations of a neurotoxins?
There exists many decades worth of peer-reviewed literature (literally
hundreds) on the dangers of thimerosal which include case-reports, animal
studies, tissues culture studies, genetic studies, toxicology studies, and
biochemical studies. According to the above article, CDC, HHS and AAP warns
that 1/166 children have autistic spectrum disorders and even more alarming,
1/6 children have developmental and or behavioral disorders.
The World Health Organization's (WHO) Expert Committee on Biological
Standardization acknowledges that thimerosal is essential during vaccine
production to inactivate certain pathogenic organisms and toxins and prevent
microbial growth during vaccine storage and use. (click here to view
document). Read the Eli Lilly's, manufacturer of thimerosal, safety data
sheet on thimerosal. According to this document, thimerosal will react with
strong oxidizing agents and one listed is peroxides. Another vaccine
component. Also listed are the effects, including signs and symptoms of
exposure such as topical allergic dermatitis, topical hypersensitivity
reactions. Early signs of mercury poisoning are noted as nervous system
effects which include narrowing of the visual field and numbness in the
extremities. "Exposure to mercury in utero and in children can cause mild
to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination's
impairment". Primary routes of entry are listed as inhalation and skin
contact. For shipping information, there's no question of the label:
POISONS accompanied by the skull and bones picture label.
Mercury over stimulates the brain's immune system. Over stimulation of the
brain results in activation of the microglia widely dispersed in the brain.
When the microglia are activated, they release toxins killing surrounding
brains cells. Prolonged stimulation of the microglia by too many vaccines
kills far too many brain cells.
Though, some may find the reasoning of this imitation form of immunization
to make sense and logic, studying the peer review, lab work and studies
conducting the safety of such the practice will encourage you to think
twice. The dangers of inoculating children and adults with vile
microorganisms is potentially fatal. World Health Organization is privy to
this information. Other material indicate they know that more children
would die and or die quicker without the thimerosal. Sounds insane, but a
fact worth keeping in mind and or researching on your own. So, in order to
inactivate these microorganisms something even more toxic is needed to do
just that. That's where the thimerosal comes in. These facts alone should
raise a few eyebrows. Remember, in the records of mercury toxicology, it
only takes 35 mcg to kill a rabbit. Now, think about how much is in each
vaccine. There's 25mcg in Hib, Pneumococcal (except for Prevnar), DTaP, all
Tetanus brands. Then there's 12.5 in the Hep b. How much thimerosal is
needed should be your other indicator of the dangers of vaccines. The next
indicator is how many doses children receive by school registration.
It's one Russian roulette game after another to keep the big bucks packing
into the pockets of the big dogs.

Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Sep;9(9):833-45.Related Articles, Links


Neurotoxic effects of postnatal thimerosal are mouse strain dependent.

Hornig M, Chian D, Lipkin WI.

Jerome L and Dawn Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, Department of
Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New
York, NY 10032, USA.

The developing brain is uniquely susceptible to the neurotoxic hazard posed
by mercurials. Host differences in maturation, metabolism, nutrition, sex,
and autoimmunity influence outcomes. How population-based variability
affects the safety of the ethylmercury-containing vaccine preservative,
thimerosal, is unknown. Reported increases in the prevalence of autism, a
highly heritable neuropsychiatric condition, are intensifying public focus
on environmental exposures such as thimerosal. Immune profiles and family
history in autism are frequently consistent with autoimmunity. We
hypothesized that autoimmune propensity influences outcomes in mice
following thimerosal challenges that mimic routine childhood immunizations.
Autoimmune disease-sensitive SJL/J mice showed growth delay; reduced
locomotion; exaggerated response to novelty; and densely packed,
hyperchromic hippocampal neurons with altered glutamate receptors and
transporters. Strains resistant to autoimmunity, C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ, were
not susceptible. These findings implicate genetic influences and provide a
model for investigating thimerosal-related neurotoxicity.

PMID: 15184908 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

1: Neurotoxicology. 1989 Winter;10(4):699-706.Related Articles, Links


Effect of organic and inorganic mercuric salts on Na+K+ATPase in different
cerebral fractions in control and intrauterine growth-retarded rats:
alterations induced by serotonin.

Chanez C, Flexor MA, Bourre JM.

Unite 26, INSERM, Hopital Fernand WIDAL, Paris, France.

An intrauterine growth-retarded (IUGR) model based on restriction of blood
supply to the rat fetus at the 17th day of pregnancy was studied. We
investigated in vitro the effects of thimerosal and mercuric chloride on
Na+K+ATPase activity in total brain homogenate, synaptosomes and myelin at
weaning. In addition, we evaluated the reversal effect of serotonin on
mercury-inhibited Na+K+ATPase activity. The toxicity, in terms of inhibition
of Na+K+ATPase activity was greater with mercuric chloride than with
thimerosal. Synaptosomes and principally myelin were more sensitive to the
metal salts than total homogenate. Serotonin stimulated the Na+K+ATPase
activity in total brain homogenate and synaptosomes but inhibited the enzyme
in the myelin fraction. This effect was more marked in the IUGR group than
in the control group. Serotonin (1 mM) added to total homogenate pretreated
with the mercury salts produced variable reversal effects. In the
synaptosomal fraction reverse effect was noted with serotonin. In myelin
fraction, added serotonin increased inhibition caused by thimerosal.

PMID: 2562765 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

1: Int J Biochem. 1983;15(1):5-7.Related Articles, Links


Rat brain (Na+-K+)ATPase: modulation of its ouabain-sensitive K+-PNPPase
activity by thimerosal.

Lewis RN, Bowler K.

1. The (Na+ + K+) ATPase activity of a rat brain synaptic membrane
preparation was inhibited by 10(-5) M thimerosal. 2. The ouabain inhibitable
K+-PNPPase activity of thimerosal treated membranes was compared with that
of untreated membranes with respect to sensitivity to temperature, ouabain,
K+ and ATP. 3. All those kinetic characteristics were substantially altered
by treatment with thimerosal.

PMID: 6298022 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

pharmacist friend maintains multiple dose vials of flu vaccine all
contain mercury as a preservative/antibacterial. the single dose vials
do not have mercury as a preservative, but have had mercury added
during the initial processing of the vaccine. the resultant single
dose vials have a minute amount of mercury, esp in comparison to the
multiple dose vials. one can request one's physician order single
dose vial flu vaccine. It is more expensive.
(2-5-04) BOSTON, Mass. - According to new research from Northeastern
University pharmacy professor Richard Deth and colleagues from the
University of Nebraska, Tufts, and Johns Hopkins University, there is
an apparent link between exposure to certain neurodevelopmental toxins
and an increased possibility of developing neurological disorders
including autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The
research - the first to offer an explanation for possible causes of
two increasingly common childhood neurological disorders - is
published today in the April 2004 issue of the journal Molecular
Psychiatry.

Though some speculation exists regarding this link, Deth and his
colleagues found that exposure to toxins, such as ethanol and heavy
metals (including lead, aluminum and the ethylmercury-containing
preservative thimerosal) potently interrupt growth factor signaling,
causing adverse effects on methylation reactions (i.e. the transfer of
carbon atoms). Methylation, in turn, plays a significant role in
regulating normal DNA function and gene expression, and is critical to
proper neurological development in infants and children. Scientists and
practitioners have identified an increase in diagnoses of autism and
ADHD in particular, though the reasons why are largely unknown.

In their work, the scientists found that insulin-like growth factor-1
(IGF-1) and the neurotransmitter dopamine both stimulated
folate-dependent methylation pathways in neuronal cells. At the same
time they noted that compounds like thimerosal, ethanol and metals
(like lead and mercury) effectively inhibited these same biochemical
pathways at concentrations that are typically found following
vaccination or other sources of exposure. By better understanding what
happens when infants and children are exposed to these materials, the
work of Deth and his colleagues helps to explain how environmental
contact with metals and administration of certain vaccines may lead to
serious disorders that manifest themselves during childhood, including
autism and ADHD.

"Scientists certainly acknowledge that exposure to neurotoxins like
ethanol and heavy metals can cause developmental disorders, but until
now, the precise mechanisms underlying their toxicity have not been
known," said Deth. "The recent increase in the incidence of autism
led us to speculate that environmental exposures, including vaccine
additives might contribute to the triggering of this disorder."

Thimerosal, which was largely phased out in the U.S. and in Europe
starting in 2000,was often used for its preservative abilities in
multi-dose units of vaccines for diseases like hepatitis, whooping
cough, tetanus and diptheria. Today, most vaccines carry only trace
amounts of it, according to the CDC. But in larger, multi-dose vials of
these vaccines, often shipped to and used in third world countries,
thimerosal is still very common. Multi-dose flu vaccines still contain
thimerosal.

Additionally, the scientists recently obtained more insight into the
mechanism by which thimerosal interferes with folate-dependent
methylation. It acts by inhibiting the biosynthesis of the active form
of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), which is of particular interest
because doctors treating autistic kids are having good success with the
administration of methycobalamin.

Northeastern University, a private research institution located in
Boston, Massachusetts, is a world leader in practice-oriented
education. Building on its flagship cooperative education program,
Northeastern links classroom learning with workplace experience and
integrates professional preparation with study in the liberal arts and
sciences. U.S. News & World Report, in its annual guide America's
Best Colleges, 2003, ranked Northeastern University number one in the
country among programs that "require or encourage students to apply
what they're learning in the classroom out in the real world." In
addition, Northeastern's career services was top ranked by Kaplan
Newsweek's "Unofficial Insiders Guide to the 320 Most Interesting
Colleges and Universities," 2003 edition. For more information, please
visit http://www.northeastern.edu.

Paper in full at this link:

http://www.nupr.neu.edu/2-04/deth_article.pdf
Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Apr;9(4):358-70. Related Articles, Links


Activation of methionine synthase by insulin-like growth factor-1 and
dopamine: a target for neurodevelopmental toxins and thimerosal.

Waly M, Olteanu H, Banerjee R, Choi SW, Mason JB, Parker BS, Sukumar S,
Shim S, Sharma A, Benzecry JM, Power-Charnitsky VA, Deth RC.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston,
MA 02115, USA.

Methylation events play a critical role in the ability of growth
factors to promote normal development. Neurodevelopmental toxins, such
as ethanol and heavy metals, interrupt growth factor signaling, raising
the possibility that they might exert adverse effects on methylation.
We found that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)- and
dopamine-stimulated methionine synthase (MS) activity and
folate-dependent methylation of phospholipids in SH-SY5Y human
neuroblastoma cells, via a PI3-kinase- and MAP-kinase-dependent
mechanism. The stimulation of this pathway increased DNA methylation,
while its inhibition increased methylation-sensitive gene expression.
Ethanol potently interfered with IGF-1 activation of MS and blocked its
effect on DNA methylation, whereas it did not inhibit the effects of
dopamine. Metal ions potently affected IGF-1 and dopamine-stimulated MS
activity, as well as folate-dependent phospholipid methylation: Cu(2+)
promoted enzyme activity and methylation, while Cu(+), Pb(2+), Hg(2+)
and Al(3+) were inhibitory. The ethylmercury-containing preservative
thimerosal inhibited both IGF-1- and dopamine-stimulated methylation
with an IC(50) of 1 nM and eliminated MS activity. Our findings outline
a novel growth factor signaling pathway that regulates MS activity and
thereby modulates methylation reactions, including DNA methylation. The
potent inhibition of this pathway by ethanol, lead, mercury, aluminum
and thimerosal suggests that it may be an important target of
neurodevelopmental toxins.

PMID: 14745455 [PubMed - in process]

Medical News Today
Thimerosal, found in childhood vaccines, can increase the risk of
autism-like damage in mice
09 Jun 2004

A new study indicates that postnatal exposure to thimerosal, a mercury
preservative commonly used in a number of childhood vaccines, can lead to
the development of autism-like damage in autoimmune disease susceptible
mice. This animal model, the first to show that the administration of
low-dose ethylmercury can lead to behavioral and neurological changes in
the developing brain, reinforces previous studies showing that a genetic
predisposition affects risk in combination with certain environmental
triggers. The study was conducted by researchers at the Jerome L. and Dawn
Greene

Infectious Disease Laboratory at the Mailman School of Public Health,
Columbia University. Over the past 20 years, there has been a striking
increase--at least ten-fold since 1985--in the number of children
diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Genetic factors alone cannot
account for this rise in prevalence. Researchers at the Mailman School,
led by Dr. Mady Hornig, created an animal model to explore the
relationship between thimerosal (ethylmercury) and autism, hypothesizing
that the combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure
to mercury in childhood vaccines may cause neurotoxicity.

Cumulative mercury burden through other sources, including in utero
exposures to mercury in fish or vaccines, may also lead to damage in
susceptible hosts. Timing and quantity of thimerosal dosing for the mouse
model were developed using the U.S. immunization schedule for children,
with doses calculated for mice based on 10th percentile weight of U.S.
boys at age two, four, six, and twelve months.

The researchers found the subset of autoimmune disease susceptible mice
with thimerosal exposure to express many important aspects of the
behavioral and neuropathologic features of autism spectrum disorders,
including:

Abnormal response to novel environments;

Behavioral impoverishment (limited range of behaviors and decreased
exploration of environment); Significant abnormalities in brain
architecture, affecting areas subserving emotion and cognition; Increased
brain size.

These findings have relevance for identification of autism cases relating
to environmental factors; design of treatment strategies; and development
of rational immunization programs. The use of thimerosal in vaccines has
been reduced over the past few years, although it is still present in some
influenza vaccines. Identifying the connection between genetic
susceptibility and an environmental trigger for autism--in this case
thimerosal exposure--is important because it may promote discovery of
effective interventions for and limit exposure in a specific population,
stated the lead author Dr. Mady Hornig. Because the developing brain can
be exposed to toxins that are long gone by the time symptoms appear, clues
gathered in these animal models can then be evaluated through prospective
human birth cohorts--providing a powerful to tool to dissect the
interaction between genes and the environment over time.

Citation source: Molecular Psychiatry 2004 Volume 9, advance on line
publication doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001529

For further information on this work, please contact Mady Hornig, MD,
Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, Greene Infectious
Disease Laboratory, 722 W 168th St, New York, New York 10032, United
States of America, phone: 212-342-9036; FAX: 949-824-1229; e-mail:


http://www.altcorp.com/DentalInformation/asdexperts.htm

http://www.nupr.neu.edu/2-04/deth_article.pdf

Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Apr;9(4):358-70. Related Articles, Links


Activation of methionine synthase by insulin-like growth factor-1 and
dopamine: a target for neurodevelopmental toxins and thimerosal.

Waly M, Olteanu H, Banerjee R, Choi SW, Mason JB, Parker BS, Sukumar S,
Shim S, Sharma A, Benzecry JM, Power-Charnitsky VA, Deth RC.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston,
MA 02115, USA.

Methylation events play a critical role in the ability of growth
factors to promote normal development. Neurodevelopmental toxins, such
as ethanol and heavy metals, interrupt growth factor signaling, raising
the possibility that they might exert adverse effects on methylation.
We found that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)- and
dopamine-stimulated methionine synthase (MS) activity and
folate-dependent methylation of phospholipids in SH-SY5Y human
neuroblastoma cells, via a PI3-kinase- and MAP-kinase-dependent
mechanism. The stimulation of this pathway increased DNA methylation,
while its inhibition increased methylation-sensitive gene expression.
Ethanol potently interfered with IGF-1 activation of MS and blocked its
effect on DNA methylation, whereas it did not inhibit the effects of
dopamine. Metal ions potently affected IGF-1 and dopamine-stimulated MS
activity, as well as folate-dependent phospholipid methylation: Cu(2+)
promoted enzyme activity and methylation, while Cu(+), Pb(2+), Hg(2+)
and Al(3+) were inhibitory. The ethylmercury-containing preservative
thimerosal inhibited both IGF-1- and dopamine-stimulated methylation
with an IC(50) of 1 nM and eliminated MS activity. Our findings outline
a novel growth factor signaling pathway that regulates MS activity and
thereby modulates methylation reactions, including DNA methylation. The
potent inhibition of this pathway by ethanol, lead, mercury, aluminum
and thimerosal suggests that it may be an important target of
neurodevelopmental toxins.
Thimerosal neurotoxicity and protection with
N-Acetylcysteine supplementation", Health Sentinel, January 3, 2005,

In the 1930s, Eli Lily developed Thimerosal as a preservative and it
was widely used in vaccines. Until the removal of Thimerosal, which
contains 49.9% ethyl mercury by weight, from most pediatric vaccines in
2001, the source of the largest human exposure to mercury in the US was
in children under 18 months of age undergoing routine childhood
immunization schedules. Before 2001, a child may have received a
cumulative dose of over 200 µg/kg (micrograms per kilogram) in the
first 18 months of life.

Although Thimerosal has been removed from most childhood vaccines, it
is still present in the flu vaccine, which is given to pregnant women,
the elderly, and children. Also, many vaccines given to children in
developing countries still contain Thimerosal.

In the 2005 issue of NeuroToxicology, the authors of a study examine
the toxicity of Thimerosal within the body including neurons. They
examine the neurotoxic mechanisms, how the body detoxifies mercury, and
the use of N-Acetylcysteine, or NAC for short, in facilitating the
detoxification pathway within the body.

Glutathione, a tripeptide composed of cysteine, glutamate, and glycine,
is manufactured in the liver and also in the brain. Normally, the
concentrations of glutathione in the cells are quite high providing for
detoxification of a variety of heavy metals including mercury. However,
when this essential antioxidant is depleted the excess mercury can bind
to internal cellular proteins leading to toxic damage. Studies have
shown that, "low micromolar concentrations of Thimerosal induced DNA
strand breaks, caspase-3 activation, membrane damage and cell death."

Although the brain can produce glutathione, it can only manufacture
this from its immediate precursor cysteine. The liver, on the other
hand, is able through a long series of biochemical steps to create
glutathione from methionine. Methionine is an essential amino acid that
supplies the body with sulfur and methyl groups. The liver uses a
number of enzyme systems along with various B vitamins to produce
glutathione. The liver then exports the glutathione to the blood that
then is broken down to cystine. Cystine crosses the blood-brain barrier
to be used by the brain to make glutathione. Thus, the brain is reliant
on the liver to manufacture chemicals to keep it free from toxins.

The brain contains neurons and other cells called astrocytes.
Astrocytes use the cystine that crosses the blood-brain barrier to make
glutathione. The astrocytes then export the glutathione to the space
between the cells where it is broken down to cysteine. The neurons take
up the cysteine and manufacture glutathione. This complex series of
biochemical events is what is necessary to keep the brain free from
heavy metal damage.

The authors first examined the level of Thimerosal that would cause
toxic damage to cells. They found that the higher the concentration of
Thimerosal the greater the number of cells that were killed although
the nerve cell response occurred with only a 3 hour exposure, whereas
the other cell line required a 48 hour exposure demonstrating that
nerve cells are more sensitive to Thimerosal toxicity. "In both cell
lines, a progressive increase in cytotoxicity (decrease in viability)
was observed when Thimerosal dose was progressively doubled from 2.5
µmol/L [micromoles per liter] to 5, 10, and 20 µmol/L. Viability was
reduced more than 50% in both cell lines with exposure to 10 µmol/L
Thimerosal and less than 10% of cells survived a dose of 20 µmol/L."

The authors then pretreated cells with NAC before adding a dose of 15
µmol/L Thimerosal. They found that, "Thimerosal alone induced more
than a 6-fold decrease in viability", and that NAC, "provided
significant protection against cell death". The authors note,
"Thimerosal induces oxidative stress and apoptosis by activating
mitochondrial cell death pathways. A subsequent study using cultured
human neuron and fibroblast cell lines similarly showed that low
micromolar concentrations of Thimerosal induced DNA strand breaks,
caspase-3 activation, membrane damage and cell death."

The authors conclude that, "numerous clinical studies have
demonstrated the efficacy of NAC in increasing intracellular
glutathione levels and reducing oxidative stress in humans. Since
cytotoxicity with both ethyl- and methyl- mercury have been shown to be
mediated by glutathione depletion, dietary supplements that increase
intracellular glutathione could be envisioned as an effective
intervention to reduce previous or anticipated exposure to mercury.
This approach would be especially valuable in the elderly and in
pregnant women receiving Rho D immunoglobulin shots, and individuals
who regularly consume mercury-containing fish."

SOURCE: NeuroToxicology, Vol. 26, 2005, pp. 1-8

http://www.childproofing.org/vaccine&autism.html


New Research Suggests Link Between Vaccine Ingredients and Autism, ADHD
[Source: Northeastern University.]
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/503041/NewsWise

Newswise - According to new research from Northeastern University pharmacy
professor Richard Deth and colleagues from the University of Nebraska,
Tufts, and Johns Hopkins University, there is an apparent link between
exposure to certain neurodevelopmental toxins and an increased possibility
of developing neurological disorders including autism and attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder. The research - the first to offer an explanation for
possible causes of two increasingly common childhood neurological
disorders - is published today in the April 2004 issue of the journal
Molecular Psychiatry.

Though some speculation exists regarding this link, Deth and his colleagues
found that exposure to toxins, such as ethanol and heavy metals (including
lead, aluminum and the ethylmercury-containing preservative thimerosal)
potently interrupt growth factor signaling, causing adverse effects on
methylation reactions (i.e. the transfer of carbon atoms). Methylation, in
turn, plays a significant role in regulating normal DNA function and gene
expression, and is critical to proper neurological development in infants
and children. Scientists and practitioners have identified an increase in
diagnoses of autism and ADHD in particular, though the reasons why are
largely unknown.

In their work, the scientists found that insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1)
and the neurotransmitter dopamine both stimulated folate-dependent
methylation pathways in neuronal cells. At the same time they noted that
compounds like thimerosal, ethanol and metals (like lead and mercury)
effectively inhibited these same biochemical pathways at concentrations that
are typically found following vaccination or other sources of exposure.

By better understanding what happens when infants and children are exposed
to these materials, the work of Deth and his colleagues helps to explain how
environmental contact with metals and administration of certain vaccines may
lead to serious disorders that manifest themselves during childhood,
including autism and ADHD.

"Scientists certainly acknowledge that exposure to neurotoxins like ethanol
and heavy metals can cause developmental disorders, but until now, the
precise mechanisms underlying their toxicity have not been known," said
Deth. "The recent increase in the incidence of autism led us to speculate
that environmental exposures, including vaccine additives might contribute
to the triggering of this disorder."

Thimerosal, which was largely phased out in the U.S. and in Europe starting
in 2000, was often used for its preservative abilities in multi-dose units
of vaccines for diseases like hepatitis, whooping cough, tetanus and
diptheria.

Today, most vaccines carry only trace amounts of it, according to the CDC.
But in larger, multi-dose vials of these vaccines, often shipped to and used
in third world countries, thimerosal is still very common. Multi-dose flu
vaccines still contain thimerosal.

Additionally, the scientists recently obtained more insight into the
mechanism by which thimerosal interferes with folate-dependent methylation.

It acts by inhibiting the biosynthesis of the active form of vitamin B12
(methylcobalamin), which is of particular interest because doctors treating
autistic kids are having good success with the administration of
methycobalamin.

http://www.altcorp.com/DentalInformation/thimerosal.htm

Medical News Today
Thimerosal, found in childhood vaccines, can increase the risk of
autism-like damage in mice
09 Jun 2004

A new study indicates that postnatal exposure to thimerosal, a mercury
preservative commonly used in a number of childhood vaccines, can lead to
the development of autism-like damage in autoimmune disease susceptible
mice. This animal model, the first to show that the administration of
low-dose ethylmercury can lead to behavioral and neurological changes in
the developing brain, reinforces previous studies showing that a genetic
predisposition affects risk in combination with certain environmental
triggers. The study was conducted by researchers at the Jerome L. and Dawn
Greene

Infectious Disease Laboratory at the Mailman School of Public Health,
Columbia University. Over the past 20 years, there has been a striking
increase--at least ten-fold since 1985--in the number of children
diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Genetic factors alone cannot
account for this rise in prevalence. Researchers at the Mailman School,
led by Dr. Mady Hornig, created an animal model to explore the
relationship between thimerosal (ethylmercury) and autism, hypothesizing
that the combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure
to mercury in childhood vaccines may cause neurotoxicity.

Cumulative mercury burden through other sources, including in utero
exposures to mercury in fish or vaccines, may also lead to damage in
susceptible hosts. Timing and quantity of thimerosal dosing for the mouse
model were developed using the U.S. immunization schedule for children,
with doses calculated for mice based on 10th percentile weight of U.S.
boys at age two, four, six, and twelve months.

The researchers found the subset of autoimmune disease susceptible mice
with thimerosal exposure to express many important aspects of the
behavioral and neuropathologic features of autism spectrum disorders,
including:

Abnormal response to novel environments;

Behavioral impoverishment (limited range of behaviors and decreased
exploration of environment); Significant abnormalities in brain
architecture, affecting areas subserving emotion and cognition; Increased
brain size.

These findings have relevance for identification of autism cases relating
to environmental factors; design of treatment strategies; and development
of rational immunization programs. The use of thimerosal in vaccines has
been reduced over the past few years, although it is still present in some
influenza vaccines. Identifying the connection between genetic
susceptibility and an environmental trigger for autism--in this case
thimerosal exposure--is important because it may promote discovery of
effective interventions for and limit exposure in a specific population,
stated the lead author Dr. Mady Hornig. Because the developing brain can
be exposed to toxins that are long gone by the time symptoms appear, clues
gathered in these animal models can then be evaluated through prospective
human birth cohorts--providing a powerful to tool to dissect the
interaction between genes and the environment over time.

Citation source: Molecular Psychiatry 2004 Volume 9, advance on line
publication doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001529

For further information on this work, please contact Mady Hornig, MD,
Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, Greene Infectious
Disease Laboratory, 722 W 168th St, New York, New York 10032, United
States of America, phone: 212-342-9036; FAX: 949-824-1229; e-mail:



A meal of fish would contain more. The above complains about vaccines
containing 2000 parts per billion. What about fish, such as tuna, that
can contain over 1000 parts per billion (see
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/reprints/mercury.html ) as highly toxic methyl
mercury, and are consumed in much larger volumes and much more
frequently?

PM

JOHN wrote:
Remember when it says "trace" it equals 2000 parts per billion - see below
for dangers of 0.5 parts per billion, 2 parts per billion, 20 parts per
billion and 200 parts per billion. TRACE is 2000 parts per billion!

The amount injected is usually less than 0.5 ml (less than 1/2 cc). So 2
parts per million (2000 parts per billion = 2 parts per million), means
1 microgram (1 mcg).

From Gary Goldman
Vaccines with trace amounts of Thimerosal, by definition, contain less than
1 microgram of mercury (Hg) per dose (
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm).

For example, consider that the reduced-Thimerosal flu vaccine with 0.0002%
mercury is equivalent to 1 microgram [µg] of Hg per 0.5 mL, or 2 µg of Hg
per mL, which is the same as 2000 µg per liter; or 2000 parts per billion
[ppb][2].

0.5 parts per billion (ppb) mercury has been shown to kill human
neuroblastoma cells (Parran et al., Toxicol Sci 2005; 86:132-40).

This is really misleading, because this doesn't say what the volume is.
If this is the blood or fluid concentration, then then you would have to
divide the concentration by 1000 to get the concentration in a 1
kilogram baby (1 kg = 2.2 lbs - which is a tiny baby) to get the maximum
effective concentration of the mercury - and that doesn't take into
account the fact that mercury is rapidly excreted by the kidneys.

Jeff

2 ppb mercury is the U.S. EPA limit for drinking water (
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contami...dex.html#mcls).
20 ppb mercury destroys neurite membrane structures (Leong et al.,
Neuroreport 2001:12733-7).
200 ppb mercury is the level in liquid that the EPA classifies as
hazardous waste
2000 ppb - TRACE is 2000 parts per b

*********
From HAPI

Vaccines Are Not Mercury Free

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2004
Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI) Health Advocacy in the Public
Interest
Contact: Dawn Winkler 970-641-7413

Vaccines Are Not Mercury Free

After much public controversy surrounding the mercury content of childhood
vaccinations, Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI) raised $500 to
have four vaccines tested for heavy metal content. The vials were sent to
Doctor's Data, an independent lab which specializes in heavy metal testing.

Many manufacturers voluntarily began producing supposed "mercury free"
vaccines in 1999. Some product inserts currently claim that a "trace"
amount of mercury still exists in the final product but that the amount has
been greatly reduced. Others claim to be producing completely mercury free
products.

During an investigation into the mercury issue, HAPI learned that
Thimerosal, a 50% mercury compound, is still being used to produce most
vaccines and that the manufacturers are simply "filtering it out" of the
final product. However, according to Boyd Haley, PhD, Chemistry Department
Chair, University of Kentucky, mercury binds to the antigenic protein in the
vaccine and cannot be completely, 100% filtered out.

All four vaccine vials tested contained mercury despite manufacturer claims
that two of the vials were completely mercury free. All four vials also
contained aluminum, one nine times more than the other three, which
tremendously enhances the toxicity of mercury causing neuronal death in the
brain.

The mercury content of routine childhood vaccinations has been linked to the
current autism epidemic as well as numerous other neurological disorders
affecting children today. Currently, one in six children are affected in
some way and one in 250 children are diagnosed as autistic compared to one
in 10,000 prior to mercury containing vaccines.

It is the position of Dr. Haley as well as HAPI that if mercury can be
detected in any vaccine using standard instrumentation, the content should
be disclosed in the product insert and manufacturers should not be allowed
to call the product "mercury free".

Executive Director of HAPI, Dawn Winkler, met with FDA officials in Silver
Spring, Maryland on July 27, 2004 to discuss blatant mislabeling and
misrepresentation of ingredients in vaccinations which are licensed by the
FDA. Clearly, more testing is needed. The FDA has the ability and
authority to take on the necessary testing, however, at present, this task
sadly appears to be up to the public.

HAPI will be attempting to raise more funds to test more vaccines in an
effort to pressure the FDA to crack down on manufacturers to label their
products correctly. To help with this effort call 970-641-7413 or email
. (noshots(at)earthlink.net)



More..........



http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm

http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm

There is also the issue of not shaking the vial to distribute the contents,
which could mean an unfortunate child could get much more mercury than
intended

http://www.hapihealth.com/index.php?...tpage&Itemid=1

And, more importantly in my opinion, vaccine injury is not simply about
the Thimerosal.

In message NY%2k.229$7A1.201@trndny04, Jeff wrote:
JOHN wrote:
* * *0.5 parts per billion (ppb) mercury has been shown to kill human
neuroblastoma cells (Parran et al., Toxicol Sci 2005; 86:132-40).

This is really misleading, because this doesn't say what the volume is.
If this is the blood or fluid concentration, then then you would have to
divide the concentration by 1000 to get the concentration in a 1
kilogram baby (1 kg = 2.2 lbs - which is a tiny baby) to get the maximum
effective concentration of the mercury - and that doesn't take into
account the fact that mercury is rapidly excreted by the kidneys.

1 kg isn't a "tiny" baby, it's a scary-premature baby.
Mine were more than six weeks early and still weighed
more than two kg each; gestational age for a 1 kg
neonate ranges from 24 to 30 weeks (10th to 90th
percentile, single births) -- an infant that premature
isn't going to be getting *any* vaccines. It'll be in
a NICU.

And, yes, I realize that when dealing with the innumerate
it's a good idea to avoid using numbers like "2" that are
past their usual scope.

--
| "Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against |
| unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct |
| before reason can act on them" -- Thomas Jefferson |
+-------- D. C. Sessions ---------+

Jeffrey Peter Joseph Utz is NOT a kids doc."Jeff"
wrote:
JOHN wrote:
Remember when it says "trace" it equals 2000 parts per billion - see
below for dangers of 0.5 parts per billion, 2 parts per billion, 20 parts
per billion and 200 parts per billion. TRACE is 2000 parts per billion!

The amount injected is usually less than 0.5 ml (less than 1/2 cc). So 2
parts per million (2000 parts per billion = 2 parts per million), means 1
microgram (1 mcg).

From Gary Goldman
Vaccines with trace amounts of Thimerosal, by definition, contain less
than 1 microgram of mercury (Hg) per dose (
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm).

For example, consider that the reduced-Thimerosal flu vaccine with
0.0002% mercury is equivalent to 1 microgram [µg] of Hg per 0.5 mL, or 2
µg of Hg per mL, which is the same as 2000 µg per liter; or 2000 parts
per billion [ppb][2].

0.5 parts per billion (ppb) mercury has been shown to kill human
neuroblastoma cells (Parran et al., Toxicol Sci 2005; 86:132-40).

This is really misleading, because this doesn't say what the volume is. If
this is the blood or fluid concentration, then then you would have to
divide the concentration by 1000 to get the concentration in a 1 kilogram
baby (1 kg = 2.2 lbs - which is a tiny baby) to get the maximum effective
concentration of the mercury - and that doesn't take into account the fact
that mercury is rapidly excreted by the kidneys.

Jeff

After absorption in the body by four ways, each type of mercury undergoes a
specific metabolism. Elementary mercury as mercury vapour becomes rapidly
oxidized to Hg2+ and, afterwards, is metabolized as an inorganic mercurial
compound. From the blood circulation mercury reaches target organs like the
kidneys, the central nervous system, the liver and the hypophysis, in which
mercury accumulates. The retention time varies by organ and is longest in
the brain. Mercury is mainly eliminated with urine and faeces, to a lesser
degree with transpiration and mother's milk and sometimes by respiration.


Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial


PMID: 11822127 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]




2 ppb mercury is the U.S. EPA limit for drinking water (
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contami...dex.html#mcls).
20 ppb mercury destroys neurite membrane structures (Leong et al.,
Neuroreport 2001:12733-7).
200 ppb mercury is the level in liquid that the EPA classifies as
hazardous waste
2000 ppb - TRACE is 2000 parts per b

*********
From HAPI

Vaccines Are Not Mercury Free

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2004
Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI) Health Advocacy in the
Public Interest
Contact: Dawn Winkler 970-641-7413

Vaccines Are Not Mercury Free

After much public controversy surrounding the mercury content of
childhood vaccinations, Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI)
raised $500 to have four vaccines tested for heavy metal content. The
vials were sent to Doctor's Data, an independent lab which specializes in
heavy metal testing.

Many manufacturers voluntarily began producing supposed "mercury free"
vaccines in 1999. Some product inserts currently claim that a "trace"
amount of mercury still exists in the final product but that the amount
has been greatly reduced. Others claim to be producing completely mercury
free products.

During an investigation into the mercury issue, HAPI learned that
Thimerosal, a 50% mercury compound, is still being used to produce most
vaccines and that the manufacturers are simply "filtering it out" of the
final product. However, according to Boyd Haley, PhD, Chemistry
Department Chair, University of Kentucky, mercury binds to the antigenic
protein in the vaccine and cannot be completely, 100% filtered out.

All four vaccine vials tested contained mercury despite manufacturer
claims that two of the vials were completely mercury free. All four
vials also contained aluminum, one nine times more than the other three,
which tremendously enhances the toxicity of mercury causing neuronal
death in the brain.

The mercury content of routine childhood vaccinations has been linked to
the current autism epidemic as well as numerous other neurological
disorders affecting children today. Currently, one in six children are
affected in some way and one in 250 children are diagnosed as autistic
compared to one in 10,000 prior to mercury containing vaccines.

It is the position of Dr. Haley as well as HAPI that if mercury can be
detected in any vaccine using standard instrumentation, the content
should be disclosed in the product insert and manufacturers should not be
allowed to call the product "mercury free".

Executive Director of HAPI, Dawn Winkler, met with FDA officials in
Silver Spring, Maryland on July 27, 2004 to discuss blatant mislabeling
and misrepresentation of ingredients in vaccinations which are licensed
by the FDA. Clearly, more testing is needed. The FDA has the ability
and authority to take on the necessary testing, however, at present, this
task sadly appears to be up to the public.

HAPI will be attempting to raise more funds to test more vaccines in an
effort to pressure the FDA to crack down on manufacturers to label their
products correctly. To help with this effort call 970-641-7413 or email
. (noshots(at)earthlink.net)



More..........



http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm

http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm

There is also the issue of not shaking the vial to distribute the
contents, which could mean an unfortunate child could get much more
mercury than intended

http://www.hapihealth.com/index.php?...tpage&Itemid=1

And, more importantly in my opinion, vaccine injury is not simply about
the Thimerosal.