As if Merck hasn't caused enough damage to the public's health
with its painkiller drug Vioxx, found to increase cardiovascular
risks, more evidence questioning the company's credibility has surfaced.
It turns out Merck continued to supply the infant hepatitis B vaccine,
which was contaminated with thimerosal, a mercury preservative,
for two years after announcing that it had eliminated the toxin
from the vaccine.
It was September 1999, in the midst of concerns about the risks
of mercury in childhood vaccines, when Merck stated that the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved a preservative-free version
of the vaccine. And despite Merck's news release that stated, "Now,
Merck's infant vaccine line is free of all preservatives,"
the company still distributed the vaccine containing thimerosal
until October 2001.
Thimerosal is:
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Fifty percent ethyl mercury
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Still present in most flu shots, though eliminated from most
routine childhood vaccines
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Used as a sterilizing agent to prevent bacterial contamination
(due to repeated insertion of needles into multidose vials of
vaccine)
A Merck spokeswoman explained that the company continued to supply
the preservative-containing version of the vaccine during the transition
period to make sure there was enough vaccine to aid in protecting
the nation's children. Regardless, both parents and doctors were
severely misled; more than 4,200 parents have filed claims in the
federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
Due to the mercury present in the shots, the parents argue their
children have suffered from autism or other neurological disorders.
However, vaccine makers and health officials claim there is no solid
evidence to prove that small doses of mercury, once widely present
in children's shots, caused such harm.
Los
Angeles Times March 8, 2005
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