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By Eliane Engeler
Associated Press

GENEVA — Many more people could become sick with swine flu this winter even though it has peaked in North America and some European countries, the head of the World Health Organization said Tuesday.

The worst of the swine flu outbreak is over in the United States, Canada, Britain and some other countries in the northern hemisphere, said Dr. Margaret Chan.

But there is still intensive flu activity in Egypt, India and elsewhere, she said.

“It is too premature and too early for us to say we have come to an end of the pandemic influenza worldwide,” Chan told reporters. Health experts should monitor the pandemic for another six to 12 months, she said, adding that the virus could still mutate and become more dangerous.

Over 11,500 people are known to have died from the disease since the outbreak began in April, according to WHO. Between 250,000 and 500,000 people die from regular flu each year.

When the U.N. health agency declared swine flu to be a pandemic in June, it described it as “moderate.”

While most people recover from the illness without needing medical treatment, officials are also continuing to see severe cases in people under 65 — people who are not usually at risk during regular flu seasons.

As many countries have rolled out massive swine flu vaccination programs, demand for swine flu shots in some European countries has been lower than expected, said Chan.

WHO is talking to these governments to see if superfluous vaccines can be shipped to developing countries, she said.

The agency has warned that the virus could have a devastating impact in countries across Africa with high numbers of people with health problems like malnutrition, AIDS, and malaria.

Drug makers and countries have promised to donate nearly 190 million doses of vaccines to WHO, she said. The figure is up from about 150 million doses two months ago.

Chan acknowledged she had yet to get her own swine flu shot. Only just back from leave, she said she asked her medical service to find out where she can get vaccinated.

Since flu viruses constantly evolve, experts have feared swine flu could mutate into a more dangerous form.

“One thing we need to guard against is the sense of complacency,” Chan said, adding that flu viruses are highly unpredictable.

“We will watch this virus with eagle’s eyes,” she said.

Last month, WHO warned that with fresh bird flu cases reported in poultry in Egypt, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, the risk of bird flu and the H1N1 pandemic swine flu virus mixing was heightened.

Scientists fear that bird flu, which remains hard for people to catch but kills about 60 percent of those infected, could combine with the current swine flu virus, which spreads easily among people but kills a low percentage.

Chan said although countries are now better prepared to cope with a global disease outbreak than a few years ago, the swine flu epidemic has shown that there remain numerous gaps in the health systems of many countries.

She said she hopes the world can avoid a pandemic triggered by the avian flu virus, which she said was more toxic and deadly than swine flu.

“The world is not ready for a pandemic caused by H5N1,” she said, referring to the scientific name of bird flu.

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By Josh Goldstein
Philly.com

Karen Williams had tried to get her twins, Liam and Declan, immunized against the swine flu virus as soon as they were old enough, but a Burlington County clinic in November was postponed for lack of the vaccine.

So yesterday, Williams arrived with her 8-month-old boys an hour before the clinic opened at the Burlington Center Mall. They were numbers 47 and 48 in line, and they got the vaccine after less than an hour’s wait.

That was very different from early November, when hundreds of people began lining up at 8:30 a.m. for a 2 p.m. clinic in Westampton. Seven hundred people were vaccinated that Friday, and 500 were turned away with tickets for a later date.

With vaccine becoming more widely available and the general public eligible, dozens of free clinics are scheduled throughout the region in the next few weeks.

And with swine flu almost completely gone, at least for the moment, health officials’ concerns seem to be shifting. Rather than fretting over inadequate supplies of vaccine, they are worrying that there might be too little public demand.

Nearly 300 people showed up at Burlington County’s two clinics yesterday. The lower numbers could reflect earlier successes in vaccinating highest-risk groups through public-health clinics, schools, and doctors’ offices. But they could also reflect a lack of interest.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health, anticipating a third wave of swine flu this winter or spring, is airing public-service announcements to encourage immunization.

“You might wonder, Do I need the novel H1N1 flu vaccine?” Stephen Ostroff, the state’s acting physician general, asks in one spot broadcast this week.

Ostroff answers his own question: Pregnant women, yes. Infant caregivers, yes. Aged 6 months to 24 years, yes. Chronically ill and under 65, yes.

Around the country, demand for the vaccine has varied from place to place, partly because disease outbreaks have not been uniform.

“We definitely are worried about people becoming complacent and thinking that this is all over,” Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said yesterday. “We could very easily experience a surge in [flu] activity after the new year when schools are back in session.”

About 120 million doses of the swine flu vaccine have been allocated to the states, and most have been distributed to providers, Skinner said. That is more than the 114 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine that manufacturers shipped earlier this year, he said.

In Pennsylvania, about four million doses of the swine flu vaccine have been distributed to 2,405 providers, which include private doctors, school districts, county health departments, and the state’s own clinics. New Jersey providers have received about 2.4 million doses.

“I think people still want the vaccine,” said David Damsker, director of the Bucks County Health Department, which immunized more than 40,000 schoolchildren before Thanksgiving and 20,000 additional county residents in three big free clinics earlier this month. Three more have been scheduled for next month.

“I expect to have several thousand people at these clinics in early January,” he said, adding that he still fields about a dozen calls a day about swine flu vaccine, many from elderly residents who were not eligible until recently.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health has vaccinated far more at dozens of clinics it has been running six days a week and will continue for at least another month.

Gloucester County has administered about 11,000 doses in several public-health clinics and has scheduled more than a dozen more for January, spokeswoman Debra Sellitto said.

Last night, 168 people came during the first hour of a clinic in Clayton, she said, somewhat fewer than anticipated.

At the Burlington Center Mall earlier in the day, Williams brought her twins early just in case.

“I was dreading it because I’d heard about the long waits,” she said.

Still the 28-year-old stay-at-home mother from Moorestown braved the blustery weather because she wanted be sure her family was protected from the new strain of flu virus that has hit the young, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems particularly hard.

“They did a great job,” she said of the county health workers and volunteers who ran yesterday’s clinic. She had already received the novel H1N1 vaccine, as had her husband, Brendan, and 2-year-old daughter, Abigail. The twins were ineligible until reaching 6 months of age.

The county’s two clinics yesterday and today were for people in specific groups. With vaccine supplies now plentiful, several clinics in January are open to all county residents.

“We would like to see more people come out,” said William Weisgarber, Burlington County’s program manager for disease prevention and control.

Weisgarber said that many of the children yesterday were in for their second dose. Two doses, about a month apart, are recommended for children under age 10 to build a robust immune response; everyone else gets a single dose.

Shelley and Keith Johnson and their five children all traveled to the Burlington Center Mall from their home in Laurel Springs for the vaccine yesterday.

“I’m a nurse, and I have seen too many people sick” with the flu, Shelley Johnson said.

“We were hunting for the shots,” she said. “I didn’t want to see them sick.”

More Swine Flu Clinics Set

Most public-health clinics are free but limited to county residents.

Many are open to the general public, but some are still restricted* to specific priority groups.

Call ahead or check the Web site below for details.

Public clinics in Pennsylvania

Philadelphia: Dozens of walk-in clinics around the city

are open to the general public daily except Sundays and holidays through January.

Information: 215-685-6458.

Bucks County: Walk-in clinics in Perkasie and Langhorne on Jan. 14 and in Newtown on Jan. 15 are open to the general public.

Information: 1-877-477-4492.

Chester County: Clinics* are by appointment on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9 in West Chester.

Reservations: 610-344-5353.

Delaware County: Clinics run by the state health department are open to the general public, by appointment only, Jan. 8 and Jan. 9 in both Media and Chester. Reservations: 1-877-724-3258.

Montgomery County: Walk-in clinics Jan. 8 in Lansdale and Jan. 9 in Plymouth Meeting are open to the general public. Information: 610-278-5117.

Public clinics in New Jersey

Burlington County: Walk-in clinics* today at the Burlington Center and Moorestown Malls, with different restrictions at each. More than a dozen more clinics, some for the general public, are scheduled Jan. 5 through Jan. 18.

Information: 609-265-5548.

Camden County:** Walk-in clinics at five sites around the county Jan 5 through Jan. 14 are open to the general public. Information: 1-800-999-9045.

Gloucester County:** Walk-in clinics at more than a dozen sites around the county Jan. 6 through Jan. 26 are open to the general public.

Information: 856-218-4141.

* Eligibility restrictions vary widely from county to county and sometimes from day to day. Call ahead or check the Web site below for details.

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By Rainer Buergin
Bloomberg

Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) — Germany aims to accept only half the Pandemrix swine flu vaccine doses it ordered from GlaxoSmithKline Plc because the disease has proven less severe than expected, the Health Ministry in the state of Thuringia said today.

The order of 50 million doses was based on the expectation that two shots per person would be required, which proved excessive given the progression of the disease, Deputy Health Minister Hartmut Schubert said today in comments confirmed by his press office.

Twenty-five million doses are enough to protect Germany’s population of more than 80 million people, said the ministry, which holds the rotating presidency of health ministries from the country’s 16 states. The state of Lower Saxony, which will take over on Jan. 1, will lead negotiations with GlaxoSmithKline on reducing the deliveries of the vaccine, it said.

Safety concerns and lower-than-expected death rates from pandemic influenza have damped demand for the vaccine in some European countries. More than 8,768 people worldwide have died from swine flu since it was first identified in Mexico and the U.S. in April, the World Health Organization said on Dec. 4.

About 20 million units of Pandemrix have been delivered to Germany and an estimated 6 million people have been immunized, according to the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, located in Langen outside Frankfurt.

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Christina England
American Chronicle
December 30th, 2009

Christmas time is a time for families and a time for children but sadly many families this year faced a Christmas without their children because child protection agencies and paediatricians misdiagnosed very real conditions, opting instead to accuse parents of shaking their babies. As a result many families could not join in the seasons festivities with the children they love, they could not buy them presents or prepare their Christmas stockings and some were left with no idea where their children were or even who they were with. One such family is Zabeth and Paul Baynes, their children were removed from their care on October 22, 2007 after they say they were falsely accused of Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Their story began after their baby daughter of just a few weeks old, lay on the floor on a blanket, her two year old brother came running along, tripped and fell, landing on her, banging her head with his. The baby showed no visible injuries at the time but just to be safe Zabeth and Paul had her checked by their GP who also found no apparent injury. A few days later however, she vomited after a feed and gasping for air she suddenly became listless, her parents rushed her to emergency giving her CPR on the way. Despite the need for emergency resuscitation on route the hospital were dismissive and Zabeth and Paul were surprised when, after initially hooking her up to oxygen she was given a brief examination and sent home as the hospital said that they were not equipped to treat infants. No further tests took place at the time.

Over the next few weeks the infant was repeatedly taken to the hospital, Zabeth was worried as she remained dazed and began refusing her feeds. Eventually she was transferred to another hospital where she was diagnosed with anaemia and reflux and began medication. This medication included Domperidone, Ranitidine and at one point Diazepan, it should be noted that Zabeth was also taking Domperidone to stimulate breast milk. Over the next few weeks the babies vomiting became worse and she became weaker. Zabeth also noticed that she began to have fit like episodes. On the 6th October a CT scan was requested due to the swelling of her head, however, due to sickness of the technician this could not be done for another 12 days, eventually some weeks after her initial injury had taken place a CT scan finanlly revealed subdural haemorrhaging. As soon as a bleed was identified, instead of the facts of this case being examined in detail, Dr. Colbourne a child protection doctor was brought in and accused Zabeth and Paul of shaking their little girl in a fit of rage, an accusation this couple have always refuted.

So lets examine the facts.

It took a total of 22 days from the first visit to a hospital for this vital CT scan to take place despite swelling to the head being noted. This child had endured several episodes where she stopped breathing and at one point she flat lined altogether, this is an obvious sign that all is not well, she visited a total of four hospitals, was seen by eight doctors which included the GP, she had been given a combination of various drugs including Domperidone a drug known to be dangerous and a drug that her mother was also on.

Zabeth said

“There were many other visits that I have lost track of. We went many times to the Hope Clinic, went to the Public Health Department, called the 24 Hour Nurse Helpline and also went to office visits to Dr. Sorial and Dr. Ebesch. There were also more visits to the Fraser Valley Emergency as she would not stop vomiting and the nurse helpline advised me to go back. I was always sent home.”

Immediately after the accusation of child abuse their two boys were placed in the care of their grandparents, even though both boys were reported to be healthy. Due to the couple making a TV appearance they were then abruptly removed from their grandparents care in the middle of their sons third birthday party which caused two very young children a great deal of unnecessary distress and trauma.

“They told us to pass the children to their arms, while our children were reaching out to us to come back out of these strangers arms. They were shoeless, coatless and they did not wait for any of their supplies like training diapers, clothes, stuffy toys, etc.

My screams had caught our neighbors ears and they were standing outside their homes looking at what was happening. I cried so hard my nose was bleeding.” Zabeth said.

What stands out about this case is not only was a highly potent cocktail of drugs including the highly controversial drug Domperidone given to this sick baby but that no one even noticed that Zabeth had also been prescribed Domperidone at the time for the stimulation of breast milk and that this would drastically alter the intake of Domperidone that this small baby was taking, it beggars belief that this major fact was totally overlooked and instead this family was accused of shaking this child so violently that it caused severe bleeding in the brain and behind her eyes.

Another very interesting fact is that this is not the only case where Domeridone has featured and parents have been falsely accused of injuring their children.

English case paves way for woman to appeal salt death-bid

Ordeal of innocent mother in salt baby death investigation | Mail

In fact in the USA Domperidone has been banned completely for mothers breastfeeding because it has been found to be unsafe, the FDA also have chosen against its use for gastric conditions. In 2004 in the paper FDA Warns Against Women Using Unapproved Drug, Domperidone, to Increase Milk Production the FDA said :-

“Although domperidone is approved in several countries outside the U.S. to treat certain gastric disorders, it is not approved in any country, including the U.S., for enhancing breast milk production in lactating women and is also not approved in the U.S. for any indication.”

Another major fact not picked up until this child was in care was that she had the genetic condition Glutaric Acidemia. This was innocently divulged by one of the other children’s foster carers to the mother, although this diagnoses has since been denied by the MCFD or Ministry of Children and Family Development . It is easy to see why it may be denied because it would be crucial to the Baynes defence, this is because it has been repeatedly reported that some individuals with Glutaric Acidemia have developed bleeding in the brain or eyes that could be mistaken for the effects of child abuse.

Med Pedia – Glutaric Acidemia Type reports the following:-

“Glutaric Acidemia type I is an inherited disorder in which the body is unable to process certain proteins properly. People with this disorder have inadequate levels of an enzyme that helps break down the amino acids lysine, hydroxylysine, and tryptophan, which are building blocks of protein. Excessive levels of these amino acids and their intermediate breakdown products can accumulate and cause damage to the brain, particularly the basal ganglia, which are regions that help control movement. Mental retardation may also occur.

Some babies with glutaric acidemia type I are born with unusually large heads (macrocephaly). Affected individuals may have difficulty moving and may experience spasms, jerking, rigidity, or decreased muscle tone. Some individuals with glutaric acidemia have developed bleeding in the brain or eyes that could be mistaken for the effects of child abuse. Strict dietary control may help limit progression of the neurological damage. Stress caused by infection, fever or other demands on the body may lead to worsening of the signs and symptoms, with only partial recovery.”

Sadly, instead of receiving the treatment that this vulnerable and ill baby needed in foster care, and despite the fact she was ill and continuing to vomit despite being removed from her parents this baby was given yet another cocktail of lethal chemicals, this time in the form of her routine vaccines.

Zabeth said:-

“We were told she was sick, but that she was scheduled to have her vaccinations that day. Both my father and I called the social worker trying to get them to stop the vaccinations. She was vomiting and had even been taken to the hospital the night before due to fever and vomiting.

They called late that night to tell us that the vaccines had been done anyways and that they gave her Tylenol. They promoted the caregiver and told us that they thought she was a medically fragile baby.

On Nov 9, 2007 the social worker called to tell us that she was bleeding still behind the left eye. I don’t know if this was true or not. I do know that she has been constantly sick while in care.”

I am not a medical professional but common sense tells me that something in this case does not add up. Here is an obviously sick child, who not only has had a lethal mixture of medications in her short life but has a genetic illness which has according to her family been left untreated, then whilst in care an environment meant to protect her she is vaccinated with a combination of vaccines which according to a growing number of physicians are also known to cause bleeding in the brain as seen in the on Shaken Baby Syndrome the Vaccination Link Were these vaccinations so important they could not wait until this little girl was stronger?

Ten leading professionals agree and all have written reports saying that in their professional opinion this baby was not a victim of child abuse.

In a lengthy report Dr Peter J Stephens M.D Board certified in Anatomic, Clinical and Forensic Pathology summarized:-

“In summary I see no evidence whatsoever of any intentionally inflicted injury.”

Dr Harry J Bonnell M.D Pathology says:-

“I agree with the comments made by Dr John Plunkett and opine that the findings are totally consistent with the history of accidental injury. To say anything more would be repetitively verbose: suffice it to say that there is no evidence of abuse in the manner in which these injuries were suffered.”

So why is this family, who have no less than ten full medical reports written by some of the top SBS experts in the world, including Dr Michael Innis and Dr Horrace B Gardner stating that in their opinion there is no evidence to support that this case is a case of child abuse, still being hounded and why are their three children still in care? Could it be that the hospital that diagnosed this as a SBS case have a massive conflict of interest? It has since materialised that at the same time as this case came to light that this hospital received $1.4 million of government money in an education and prevention program that will give every new parent in B.C. resources and information to better understand inconsolable crying in infants and help lower the incidence of Shaken Baby Syndrome, Children and Family Development. It has now been revealed that are they involved very heavily in a programme with specialists from around the world including UK’s very own Prof Roy Meadows, an expert who has been proven to get it wrong time and time again Great Britain and who has been found guilty of sending innocent parents to prison.

Prof Meadow has appeared as an expert witness for the prosecution in several trials. His evidence has seen many mothers go to jail for murder of their babies. The General Medical Council (GMC) struck off Meadow after he was found to have offered “erroneous” and “misleading” evidence in the Sally Clark case. Clark was a lawyer wrongly convicted in 1999 of the murder of her two baby sons, largely on the basis of Meadow’s evidence; her conviction was quashed in 2003 after she had spent three years in jail. In 2006 an appeal court reversed the decision on Meadow and the GMC reinstated him.

It has also been revealed that the child protection doctor that the hospital brought in, who should have been impartial had lectured worldwide on Shaken Baby Syndrome at some very impressive conferences along with others involved in this case. This surely shows that this doctor was not impartial and had possible conflicts of interest.

In two weeks from now this case goes to court. So far reports from experts have been ignored and good character witnesses have also been ignored and this has resulted in this family being torn apart for not just one Christmas but two. This time let justice be done and the truth be seen, there is a strong possibility that this was not a case of Shaken Baby syndrome and any number of other causes could so easily have led to this babies head trauma.

Zabeth says:-

“We feel heartbroken daily as we wake up in the morning. We no longer feel a little hand pushing our shoulders to wake up. We no longer have a tiny one crawling into bed with us to wrap our arms around. We have no one to make breakfast for and to dress in the morning. We pass by empty rooms and toys placed neatly around the room. We long for the sound of children laughing, crying and running around the home. We long to have toys to clean up, eyes to dry, times of sharing the good and the bad life brings. We long for the privilege to care for our children and to bring them the security of a loving and caring home, where they feel unconditionally loved by both of their parents and extended family. We long for the opportunity to have our rights restored that belong to so many other families to raise their children with their own values, ethics and religious beliefs.

Our thoughts are constantly with our dear children and our hearts will always mourn them until they are returned.

We also however feel the sting of being falsely accused. We abhor child abuse and to live under the blanket of that title is one that brings such humiliation. We are seen as guilty and have not had the opportunity to defend ourselves in court. We have endured the disregard of the protection of our rights and our children’s rights under the Act and are frustrated with the disrespect seen here regarding the Law. We have been horrified to learn that it is not about what is the best interests of the children, but rather making a case and when the facts don’t stand then the manipulation and introduction of false information to try to make the case. We have been appalled by the lack of care from the government regarding the conditions our children must do visitations with us in and other issues regarding our children’s safety and well being in care. We have been disappointed in the governments one track focus on making a case around a medical misdiagnosis and not seeking further medical opinion, instead of looking at the possibility of the ten experts reports we submitted that support the accident that occurred. It is hard to be branded as guilty of such a horrific crime and are in fact innocent.

This case does not seem to be mindful of the truth, ethical practices, justice, the welfare of our children or justice. We pray that in a legal system where so many innocent people slip through the cracks our family does not wind up another statistic. Daily the tears flow. We weep after visitations. We cry as we hear of the problems our children have in care and our hearts break as we hear their pleas to come home.

After you have children. there is no life without them. They are your very heart and soul and life is devoted to their needs, welfare and complete unconditional undying love.

Yesterday when we had to put our children back in the drivers van to take them away our son ***** pulled Daddy to the back of the van and whispered. “Daddy do I have to go in her van again. When can I come home?” Daddy told him that it would be soon…..In the van as I hugged them goodbye I said in three more sleeps we will see you again. He kicked his feet and said yeah in three sleeps I can come home. Sadly I told him no we would only be visiting, but we see the king (judge) in I think sixteen sleeps and we are asking him to have you come home. Our children are praying too.”

To prove a case of abuse, there has to be proof that goes beyond all reasonable doubt that abuse took place. There are several sound possibilities as to why this baby had subdural haemorrhaging, ranging from her brother falling on her, a genetic condition, Hypoxia from an Apparent Life Threatening event causing subdural and retinal haemorrhages (as mentioned in report from Dr Michael Innis) through to the possible overdose of Domperidone and poor medical care from the hospital.For a guilty verdict the court will have to disprove ten reports from leading experts and prove this couple shook this baby so hard that they caused her brain to bleed.

I would like to thank Zabeth and Paul for giving me their permission to highlight this case and wish them all the best in their court case. May God Bless you all.

I would also like to congratulate Mike and Elizabeth Bruce, a case I highlighted some months ago and who I featured in my webinar in October, this family were reunited just before Christmas, when Dalton their beautiful son was returned home to them. Daltons return was down to the dedication and love of his devoted family and especially Mike his father who researched over many months to uncover the truth of what happened to Cameron, Daltons twin brother who sadly died aged two months.

The Zabeth Case goes to Court January 12th.

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Written by Roman Bystrianyk
Health Sentinel
Wednesday, 30 December 2009 02:28

April, 1948 an article is published in the journal Pediatrics:

“Inspection of the records of the Children’s Hospital for the past ten years has disclosed 15 instances in which children developed acute cerebral symptoms within a period of hours after the administration of pertussis vaccine. The children varied between 5 and 18 months in age and, in so far as it is possible to judge children of this age range, were developing normally according to histories supplied by their parents. None had convulsions previously.”

“Twelve of the children were boys and three were girls, a sex difference also encountered in relation to other substances, such as lead, causing gross injury to the developing nervous system. At inoculation time, the children varied in age between 5 and 18 months. Developmental data were obtained in detail on all but two of the children, whose mothers simply stated that they had developed normally. Reference to the case histories showed that such objective activities such as sitting, walking, and talking had appeared in many of the children prior to the inoculations; and the regressions or failure of further development occurred after the encephalopathies [Any disease or symptoms of disease referable to disorders of the brain] in several instances. In so far as it was possible to judge none of the children were defective prior to their acute illness.”

“In common with many other biologic materials used parenterally [not by mouth], an important risk of encephalopathy attends the use of prophylactic pertussis vaccine. The mechanism whereby the encephalopathy is produced is not elucidated by the present study. The universal use of such vaccine is warranted only if it can be shown to be effective in preventing encephalopathy or death from pertussis itself in large groups of children. If avoidance of the inconvenience of the average attack of pertussis is all that is expected, the risk seems considerable. Efforts to diminish the hazard by modification of the vaccine or new methods of administration seem indicated.”
Fast forward 60 years to the present; parents state their children were developing normally until the time of a vaccine; boys are 3 to 4 times more likely to have autism than girls; often times sitting, walking, talking are all normal in a child until 12-30 months followed by a major regression. The parallels to the present day epidemic in childhood neurologic disorders to this 1948 article are striking and concerning. What is equally disturbing is the observation of the authors that the neurologic problem occurred near the administration of the pertussis vaccine and that the “sex difference” in the “gross injury to the developing nervous system” was similar to the heavy metal lead.

Coal-burning power plants, use of mercury in gold mining, industrial manufacturing, incineration of municipal and medical waste, are some of the sources of heavy metals found in our modern environment. These pollutants contaminate our environment and enter our food supply and eventually our bodies. In some cases heavy metals were added to products, such as in mercury amalgam fillings, and one substance in particular, Thimerosal, has been believed by many to be a major cause of neurologic problems that we encounter today.

Thimerosal is a mercury-containing organic compound or organomercurial. In the 1930s, Eli Lily developed Thimerosal as a preservative and it has been used in a number of biological and drug products, including many 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.

Many still believe that Thimerosal is safe and effective and that there is little to no evidence that there is any health problems associated with this substance. According to the FDA website:

“Thimerosal has been the subject of several studies and has a long record of safe and effective use preventing bacterial and fungal contamination of vaccines, with no ill effects established other than minor local reactions at the site of injection.”

The article references eight studies supporting their position. But is there evidence that shows Thimerosal isn’t safe?

A Material Safety Data Sheet or MSDS is a document that provides the proper procedures for handling or working with a particular substance. The information includes physical data (such as melting point, boiling point, etc.), toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill/leak procedures.

The hazard rating information that appears on the MSDS is summarized on a diamond-shaped diagram that can rapidly alert personnel to substances that require special caution. Hazards are rated from 0 indicating no unusual hazard to 4 a severe hazard. The blue area of the diamond relates to health and a rating of 2 in the case of Thimerosal indicates “Intense or continued exposure could cause temporary incapacitation or possible residual injury unless prompt medical attention is given.”

Here are some disturbing excerpts from the MSDS for thimerosal (trade name Merthiolate):

“Section 3: Hazards Identification – Potential Chronic Health Effects: The substance may be toxic to kidneys, liver, spleen, bone marrow, central nervous system (CNS). Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. Repeated exposure to a highly toxic material may produce general deterioration of health by an accumulation in one or many human organs.”

“Section 6: Accidental Release Measures – Poisonous solid. Stop leak if without risk. Do not get water inside container. Do not touch spilled material. Use water spray to reduce vapors. Prevent entry into sewers, basements or confined areas; dike if needed.”

“Section 11: Toxicological Information – Chronic Effects on Humans: MUTAGENIC EFFECTS: Mutagenic for mammalian somatic cells. May cause damage to the following organs: kidneys, liver, spleen, bone marrow, central nervous system (CNS). Special Remarks on Chronic Effects on Humans: May cause cancer based on animal data. No human data found.”

“Inhalation and Ingestion: Repeated or prolonged exposure may cause kidney damage, and may affect the liver, and bone marrow. Chronic exposure to mercury vapors behavior/central nervous system and peripheral nervous system (depression, irritability, nervousness, weakness, ataxia, fatigue, tremor, jerky gait, limb spasms, personality changes), metabolism (anorexia, weight loss) and cause gastrointestinal disturbances which is collectively referred to as “aesthenic-vegetative syndrome.” Chronic ingestion may cause accumulation of mercury in body tissues and may result in salicylism which is characterized by nausea, vomiting, gastric ulcers, and hemorrhagic strokes.”

In addition Elli Lilly’s 1999 MSDS contains more disturbing information:

“Section 3: Hazards Identification – … Exposure to mercury in utero and in children may cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination impairment.”

“Section 6: Accidental Release Measures – Wear protective equipment, including eye protection, to avoid exposure. This material is a mercury compound which are CERCL Hazardous Substances and SARA 313 Toxic Chemicals.”

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, was enacted by Congress on December 11, 1980. This law created a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries and provided broad Federal authority to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment. SARA 313 requires the EPA and State Regulatory Agencies to annually collect data on releases and transfers of certain toxic chemicals from industrial facilities, and make the data available to the public through a public database called the Toxics Release Inventory, or TRI.

These data safety sheets alone are certainly a cause for concern. One has to question why would anyone use such a dangerous substance in any medical product let alone one that is injected directly into the blood stream? But in addition to the MSDS there are numerous studies from the medical and scientific literature that clearly show thimerosal is not a safe substance. The following are a few excerpts from a number of scientific journals:

1977 – Archives of Disease in Childhood

“Although thiomersal [thimerosal] is an ethyl mercury compound, it has similar toxicological properties to methyl mercury and in long-term neurological sequelae [a pathological condition resulting from a disease, injury, or other trauma] produced by the ingestion of either methyl or ethyl mercury-based fungicides and indistinguishable … Since it is clear that treatment of exomphalos [an umbilical hernia at birth in which some abdominal organs push into the umbilical cord] by the application of alcoholic mercurial antiseptics can produce blood and tissue levels of mercury well above the threshold at which damage occurs in all other age groups, it is extremely unlikely that these infants escape neurological damage, which may be subtle. We therefore suggest that treated survivors should be examined neurologically and psychologically as a matter of urgency. Organic mercurial antiseptics should be heavily restricted or withdrawn from hospital use, as the fact that mercury readily permeates intact membranes and is highly toxic seems to have been forgotten. Equally effective and far less toxic broad-spectrum antifungal and antibacterial topical antiseptics are currently available.”

2003 – Toxicological Sciences

“In clinical cases of accidental or intentional usage in high concentrations, thimerosal was administered in doses from 3 mg/kg to several hundred mg/kg. Such doses resulted in local necrosis [The death of living cells or tissues] at the application site and severe central nervous system and kidney injury … In this paper we demonstrated that extending the time of incubation with thimerosal from 2 to 6 hours is associated with toxicity that was not seen after a shorter time of exposure. For this reason, further studies of lower concentrations and longer exposure times appear to be warranted. These results indicate that additional research is needed to fully delineate the dose- and time-dependent toxicity of thimerosal in sub-micro-molar concentrations and suggests that toxicity may occur at even lower doses than those utilized in these experiments, with longer times of exposure. Because mercury can be retained in body organs for months to years, the study of longer incubation times is warranted.”

2003 – Archives of toxicology

“In conclusion, thimerosal induced strong effects in the cytochalasin B in vitro [outside the living organism] micronucleus test in human lymphocytes … Since thimerosal was repeatedly shown to be genotoxic [damaging to DNA] in vitro and in vivo [inside the living organism], there is reason for concern about its widespread use.”

2004 – Toxicology

“Both thimerosal and methylmercury increased the [Ca2+]i and oxidative stress in cerebellar granule cells. In rat cerebellar granule neurons, the increase in [Ca2+]i induces an increase in oxidative stress while the oxidative stress increases the [Ca2+]i. It is a possibility that uncontrolled and sustained elevation of [Ca2+]I increases the formation of reactive oxygen species that induce a further increase in [Ca2+]i. If so, such insults induced by thimerosal and methylmercury would lead to cell injury or death in brain neurons … In can be concluded that the potency of thimerosal to induce cytotoxic [substances that are toxic to cells] action on brain neurons dissociated from 2-week-old rats under the in vitro conditions is similar to that of methylmercury.”

2005 – NeuroToxicology

“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. Thimerosal induces oxidative stress and apoptosis [programmed cell death] 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.”

2007 – Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health

“The high order of toxicity from Thimerosal and its ethylmercury breakdown product has been known and published for decades. Nonetheless, Thimerosal remains in the drug supply, especially in various vaccines manufactured both for the United States and globally. The ubiquitous and largely unchecked place of Thimerosal in pharmaceutical products, therefore, represents a medical crisis in the modern day. Reforms in the manufacture and the licensing of vaccines and other drugs, which should have been accomplished proactively, had anyone properly assessed their mercury content, must now be conducted, reactively, under significant systemic stress. With no warning, recall, or ban of mercury in vaccines and other drugs as of yet, the victim of this mandated, unwarranted, and massive mercury exposure is still an unsuspecting public, and most especially its unborn and newborn children.”

2007 – Anales de la Facultad de Medicina

“Due to the vast gaps in knowledge of thimerosal’s pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, as its toxic properties over the immune system, it is required to make more studies of quantitative character in animal models as soon as possible. Nevertheless, while it is true, it is difficult to extrapolate these findings to other animal experimentation groups and over human beings, our results, as the multiple scientific evidence recently published about thimerosal, clearly indicates the toxic nature of this substance, at the same dose and the same chronology as human immunizations; therefore we suggest the employment of alternative preservatives in vaccines, especially those intended to pregnant women, neonates, and small children based in the prevention and precaution principles of all medical interventions.”

2008 – Neuroendocrinology Letters

“Thimerosal has been recognized by the California Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a developmental toxin. This implies that Thimerosal may produce birth defects, low birth weight, biological dysfunctions, or psychological or behavior deficits that become manifest as the child grows. Maternal exposure during pregnancy may disrupt the development or even cause the death of the fetus. … It is clear from these data that additional ND research should be undertaken in the context of evaluating mercury-associated exposures, especially from Thimerosal containing Rho(D)-immune globulins administered during pregnancy. Further studies should also be undertaken in additional databases/registries to assess the compatibility of the present results with trends in NDs in other US populations, and to observe whether Thimerosal-containing Rho(D)-immune globulins were associated with other birth defects in children. … CONCLUSION: This study associates TCR [Thimerosal (49.55% mercury by weight) - containing Rho(D) immune globulins] exposure with some NDs [neurodevelopmental disorders] in children.”

2008 – International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine

“Biological findings in autism that are consistent with mercury poisoning include elevated oxidative stress, depleted levels of glutathione, neurochemical irregularities, gastro-intestinal distress, immune dysregulation and generalized and neural inflammation. All of these are also well documented effects of
mercury poisoning and, specifically, mercury poisoning in infants … Autism is a modern disease. It was first identified in the late 1930s and reported in 1943 by Kanner. It is important to place the arrival and subsequent epidemic growth of autism into the historical context of environmental exposure to mercury. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge that the commencement of widely available vaccinations (containing mercury) commenced in the 1930s. Additionally, the early 1900s saw the increasing availability and popularity of dental care where mercury amalgam fillings were the dominant restorative material … The existing scientific literature provides grounds for strong suspicion that mercury plays a causal role in the development of autism. Given this suspicion, and the severe nature, devastating lifelong impact and extremely high prevalence of autism, it would be negligent to continue to expose pregnant and nursing mothers and infant children to any amount of avoidable mercury. Health authorities worldwide should move without hesitation to ban and remove all mercury in all medical products at the earliest possible date.”

2009 – Behavioral and Brain Functions

“A disruption of the GSH (glutathione) system by mercury leads to GSH depletion and cell destruction. An in vitro study of Jurkat T cells exposed to thimerosal demonstrated concentration-dependent apoptosis. It was found that the mercury moiety [part of the molecule], not the thiosalicylic acid moiety, of thimerosal was responsible for glutathione depletion. GSH depletion is linked to several neurodegenerative disorders.”

2009 – NeuroToxicology

Our study design does not enable us to determine whether it is the vaccine per se, the exposure to Th [thimerosal], or a combination of both that is causing the observed effects. None-the-less, the developing brain is considered the most vulnerable organ to mercury exposure, and experimental studies suggest that the brainstem – whose function is central to the reflexes described herein – may be one of the more sensitive targets … Since the acquisition of motor reflexes is controlled by the brainstem, it is possible that very early exposure to ethyl mercury may adversely affect the emerging brainstem function … this study provides preliminary evidence of abnormal early neurodevelopmental responses in male infant rhesus macaques [type of monkey] receiving a single dose of Th-containing [Thimerosal containing] HB [Hepatitis B] vaccine at birth and indicates that further investigation is merited.”

There are still more studies not included in this article simply because the volume of information would be overwhelming, but the Material Data Safety Sheets and these scientific excerpts speak for themselves – Thimerosal is clearly a dangerous substance.

What the authors of that 1948 study probably didn’t know when they said “If avoidance of the inconvenience of the average attack of pertussis is all that is expected” was that the historical data shows the death rate from pertussis had already fallen by 99% by the time they were writing their article and that their call to “diminish the hazard” of the vaccine would be apparently largely unheeded.

Sources:
Randolph K. Byers, M.D. and Frederic C. Moll, M.D., Encephalopathies Following Prophylactic Pertussis Vaccine, Pediatrics, April 1948, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 437-456

FDA website Thimerosal in Vaccines: http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/ucm096228.htm

Thimerosal Material Safety Data Sheet – http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Thimerosal-9925236

Thimerosal Material Safety Data Sheet – Elli Lilly and Company, 22-Dec-1999

Fagan DG, Pritchard JS, Clarkson TW, Greenwood MR., Organ mercury levels in infants with omphaloceles treated with organic mercurial antiseptic. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1977 Dec;52(12):962-4.

David S. Bakin, Hop Ngo, and Vladimir V. Didenko, Thimerosal Induced DNA Breaks, Caspase-3 Activation, Membrane Damage, and Cell Death in Cultured Human Neurons and Fibroblasts, Toxicological Sciences, Aug 2003, pp. 361-8.

WESTPHAL Götz A.; ASGARI Soha; SCHULZ Thomas G.; BÜNGER Jürgen; MÜLLER Michael; HALLIER Ernst; Thimerosal induces micronuclei in the cytochalasin B block micronucleus test with human lymphocytes, Archives of toxicology, 2003, vol. 77, no1, pp. 50-55

Toshiko Ueha-Ishibashi, Yasuo Oyama, Hiromi Nakao, Chisato Umebayashi, Yasutaka Nishizaki, Tomoko Tatsuishi, Kyoko Iwase, Koji Murao and Hakaru Seo, Effect of thimerosal, a preservative in vaccines, on intracellular Ca2+ concentration of rat cerebellar neurons, Toxicology, Volume 195, Issue 1, 15 January 2004, Pages 77-84

S.J. James, William Slikker III, Stepan Melnyk, Elizabeth New, Marta Pogribna, Stefanie Jernigan, Thimerosal Neurotoxicity is Associated with Glutathione Depletion: Protection with Glutathione Precursors, NeuroToxicology, Vol. 26, 2005, pp. 1-8

David A. Geier, Lisa K. Sykes, Mark R. Geier, A REVIEW OF THIMEROSAL (MERTHIOLATE) AND ITS ETHYLMERCURY BREAKDOWN PRODUCT: SPECIFIC HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B, 10:575-596, 2007

Jonny Laurente, Fany Remuzgo, Betthina Ávalos, Johnnie Chiquinta, Bladimir Ponce, Ronald Avendaño, Luis Maya, Neurotoxic effects of thimerosal at vaccine doses on the encephalon and development in 7 day-old hamsters, Anales de la Facultad de Medicina, 2007; 68(3), pp. 222-237

David A. Geier, Elizabeth Mumper, Bambi Gladfelter, Lisa Coleman, and Mark R. Geier, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Maternal Rh-Negativity, and Rho(D) Immune Globulins: A Multi-Center Assessment, Neuroendocrinology Letters, Volume 29, No. 2 2008

David Austin, An epidemiological analysis of the ‘autism as mercury poisoning’ hypothesis, International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, 20 (2008) pp. 135-142

Renee Dufault, Roseanne Schnoll, Walter J Lukiw, Blaise LeBlanc, Charles Cornett, Lyn Patrick, David Wallinga, Steven G Gilbert and Raquel Crider, Mercury exposure, nutritional deficiencies and metabolic disruptions may affect learning in children, Behavioral and Brain Functions, 2009, 5:44

Laura Hewitson, Lisa A. Housera, Carol Stottc, Gene Sackett, Jaime L. Tomko, David Atwood, Lisa Blue, E. Railey Whited and Andrew J. Wakefield, Delayed acquisition of neonatal reflexes in newborn primates receiving a thimerosal-containing Hepatitis B vaccine: Influence of gestational age and birth weight, NeuroToxicology, October 2009