I was aware that some parents are concerned
about a potential correlation between childhood vaccinations and the onset of
autism - concerned enough to think twice about vaccinating their children
against formerly lethal, now preventable diseases.
But I received the following from a trusted
correspondent, that I thought would be worth sharing with all of
you:
Thanks for the
link to the NYT
article.
I work for a
company that recycles mercury and so I'm very interested in anything that could
relate to
mercury.
There has
been a battle on for years over the use of thimerosal as a preservative in
vaccines. The early indicators of autism occur around the same age at which
children receive most of their
shots.
The timing
seemed to be proof, to the parents of autistic children, that there could be a
link, but all empirical evidence weighs against a link. There have been some
truly massive numbers of children studied in Europe over the past 5 - 10 years
that show no connection. But if the parents have an S-type mind, the seeming
conjunction of events could seem
irrefutable.
There was
an excellent article in the WSJ a few years ago by a doctor concerning the
differences between thimerosal, which is an ethylmercury compound, and the
methylmercury found in fish. It reminded me of the differences between ethyl
alcohol and methyl
alcohol.
Because of
their structure, they are metabolised by the body in completely different ways.
Ethyl mercury is relatively harmless and easily excreted, while methyl mercury
is much harder to excrete and can accumulate over time with continuous exposure.
Methyl mercury is the form found in fish and causes all kinds of neurological
problems at higher concentrations in the
body.
The use of
thimerosal in vaccines prevents other nasty microorganisms from getting a
foothold. But because of the lack on understanding of mercury chemistry by the
press, there are parents who are afraid to have their children vaccinated
against the plethora of childhood diseases that once plagued the human race.
Now some of them are making a
comeback.
Some drug
manufacturers have stopped using thimerosal for fear of lawsuits. More vaccines
which lack thimerosal become contaminated which also provides an opportunity for
lawsuits. The profit margin is so low for these drugs that it isn't worth the
risk to manufacture them in the US. This results in shortages such as the flu
vaccine last year because we have to rely on foreign
sources.
Unfortunately,
all mercury gets lumped together. We deal primarily with elemental mercury.
Quicksilver. The dense liquid silvery stuff. We also work with some inorganic
compounds. We do not handle organic mercury compounds, which can be the most
hazardous, depending on the type of
exposure.
Wow, this
got long. Sorry for the rant. Thanks again for the NYT
link...
Technical I know, and I've no
intent to add to the suffering of people who have tremendous crosses to bear. I
do share this, however in the hope of contributing to the victory of scientific
knowledge against fear, uncertainty and doubt.
Posted @
05:53 PM
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Credo
"Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed my call, Come to the sea. Come Sail with me." - John Paul Jones
"Pardon him, Theodotus; he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature" --George Bernard Shaw, "Ceasar and Cleopatra"
"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."--Friederich Nietzsche
