Vaccines that contain thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, may not contribute to elevated levels of mercury in the blood, according to a recent study.
The study involved 40 infants who had received thimerosal-containing vaccines and 21 who had received vaccines without the substance. When urine, blood and stool samples were looked at, the highest blood mercury level found was 4.11 ng/ml and most of the children had levels of 1 or 2 ng/ml. All participants had mercury levels below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s public safety limit for mercury, which is 5.8 ng/ml.
Additionally, researchers believe that thimerosal mercury is eliminated from the blood, primarily through the stool, up to six times faster than methyl mercury. While it was thought that the mercury had a half-life in the blood of 45 days, they now say that the half-life is six or seven days. This would mean that the mercury would be close to eliminated from the body by the time a child received his or her next round of mercury-containing vaccines.
Investigators noted that, if vaccines were changed to be thimerosal-free, millions of children in developing countries would not be vaccinated due to the costliness of the venture.
The Lancet November 30, 2002 Full Text Article
Safe Minds has posted a comprehensive analysis that refutes the findings of this study. The biggest clue of the study’s shortcomings is that the researcher is a paid consultant to Lilly, the manufacturer of the mercury that is used in the vaccines. Lilly has also been in the news lately, as they were given an exemption in the recently passed Homeland Security Bill that protects them from any liability related to their vaccines.
The other critical flaw in this study is that they are using methyl mercury toxicology data and making false assumptions that it is similar to the ethyl mercury in thimerosal. Even the FDA admits the studies have never been done and this assumption can’t be made.
Additionally, the study only analyzed blood from a single draw per child, and the collection times varied greatly. No other analysis on mercury, which may have reached the brain -- the place where most damage would occur -- was performed.
Moreover, the main author has no specific training in toxicology. He is a vaccine researcher who has heavy financial ties to the vaccine industry.
Safe Minds’ comprehensive analysis of the thimerosal-containing vaccine study goes into far more detail of how the study is flawed. Of course, this study will be used to "prove" that these vaccines are safe, when nothing could be further from the truth.
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Safe Minds’ Assessment of the Thimerosal-Containing Vaccine Study
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