i am deathly afraid of the dentist. horrible experiences as a child. i have the old mercury fillings. logically i know they need to be removed. emotionally...i'd rather have ALL my teeth pulled and never see a dentist again.

it has actually been 33 years since i have been to a regular dentist....30 since an orthodontist and oral surgeon.

i had my kids teeth "sealed" and none have had any cavities. it was a clear coating put on their molars.

i wonder if they can use that sealent over the mercury filings?

Rick, you mentioned thimerasol in flu vaccines--you may request your physician obtain "single dose vial" flu vaccine to be given to you if you think a flu vaccine is necessary. thimerasol (mercury) is used as a preservative in the multiple dose vials...single dose vials can be used for babies too so they are not exposed to thimerasol, if one has the vaccine administered to a baby...ask your physician early, before the flu season begins , to order single dose vial for you (and any other family member who takes the vaccine)--it may be a bit more expensive, but cannot be more than $5.00 extra. seems to me, for patients with neurological disorders, only mercury free vaccines should be used....madelyn

The EPA has raised concerns regarding mercury exposure.


These concerns have been in the context of chronic exposure to methyl mercury in milligram amounts. In contrast, blood plasma-derived products (except anti-venoms) containing ethyl mercury are usually given as one or two injections. Furthermore, the ethyl mercury content of these products is in the form of a preservative, thimerosal, which breaks down to form ethyl mercury in microgram amounts.

In the past, plasma-derived products made in multiple-use vials, e.g. Immune Globulin (Human), used for Hepatitis A prophylaxis, contained a preservative, such as ethyl mercury-containing thimerosal, to avoid contamination. This type of multi-dose presentation has been discontinued for all licensed plasma derivative products.



Rho (D) Immune Globulin (Human) products -

RhoGAM, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Inc
BayRho, Bayer Corporation
WinRho, Cangene Corporation



RhoGAM, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Inc [licensed 1968]

On April 16, 2001, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics was approved by FDA to produce RhoGAM without thimerosal, and at that time, Ortho agreed to distribute only thimerosal-free product to the US market. The product has a 2-year dating period, so there is no longer any RhoGAM that contains thimerosal that is still in-date.

The following information does not apply to any RhoGAM product currently on the market, but is provided to allow interested individuals to estimate the ethyl mercury content of any RhoGAM treatment that might have been administered in the past, when the thimerosal preservative was still a component of that product.

RhoGAM is manufactured in two doses only: the standard dose of "300 micrograms" of anti-D, and the micro-dose of "50 micrograms" of anti-D. The fill volume for both the standard dose and micro-dose products is typically between 0.6 and 0.8 mL. Preservative-containing RhoGAM contained thimerosal at 0.003%, or 30 micrograms per milliliter. Thimerosal is about 50% ethyl mercury by weight. Hence, a patient who had received a dose of RhoGAM (0.7 ml on average) would have received 10.5 micrograms of ethyl mercury.

There are three indications for which an Rh-negative pregnant woman would receive a significantly larger dose of RhoGAM: a fetal-maternal hemorrhage early in the pregnancy, a fetal-maternal hemorrhage greater than 15 ml of Rh+ red cells, and an Rh+ transfusion. In the first case, a single 300 microgram dose of RhoGAM, is recommended at 12-week intervals. For the second two indications, a procedure exists by which to determine the dose of RhoGAM required, based on the amount of Rho+ red cells in the maternal circulation: the Kleihauer-Betke elution test (see the AABB Technical Manual, 13th ed., pp. 507-8.) The total dose of mercury that would hve been received can be calculated by multiplying the number of RhoGAM syringes administered by 10.5 micrograms.

BayRho, Bayer Corporation [licensed 1971]

The Bayer Corporation makes a Rho (D) Immune Globulin product (BayRho) which in the past contained thimerosal; this product has been manufactured without preservative since 1996, so that no in-date BayRho contains thimerosal. Regarding the previously distributed product, the volume of a single dose of the Bayer product was approximately 0.7 ml. The thimerosal concentration was 0.01%, so the total mercury in a single dose would have been approximately 35 micrograms of ethyl mercury.

WinRho SD, Cangene Corporation [licensed 1996]

The Cangene Corporation makes a freeze-dried Rho (D) Immune Globulin Intravenous (WinRho SD); this product has never contained a preservative.



In addition, four other plasma-derived products remain on the market that contain or contained ethyl mercury preservatives. They are as follows:

Antivenin (Crotalidae) Polyvalent (Equine); Pit viper snake antivenom, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc
Antivenin (Micrurus fulvius); Coral snake antivenom (Equine), Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc
Crotalidae Polyvalent Immune Fab (Ovine); Pit viper snake antivenom, Protherics Inc
Antivenin (Lacrodectus mactans); Black Widow spider antivenom Equine), Merck & Co, Inc

Pit Viper [Antivenin (Crotalidae) Polyvalent, licensed 1954] and
Coral Snake [Antivenin (Micrurus fulvius), licensed 1967] antivenoms by Wyeth

These products are equine antisera. They are in lyophilized form and when reconstituted contain 0.005% thimerosal (50 micrograms per milliliter). The diluent, WFI, contains the preservative phenylmercuric nitrate at 0.001% concentration (10 micrograms per milliliter). A patient bitten by a snake may receive 15 or more vials (doses of 50 vials have been reported) if the envenomization is severe. A 15 vial dose of this antivenom would contain 4.7 milligrams of mercury.

Wyeth plans to discontinue these products; however, the current supply will last several years, until each lot reaches its expiration date. Rattlesnake bites are dangerous and can cause serious morbidity or mortality. In the interest of the public health these products need to be available until sufficient ethyl mercury-free product can be provided to the public.

Pit Viper antivenom [Crotalidae Polyvalent Immune Fab (Ovine) licensed October 2000, Protherics]

Mercury is not added to the final product in the form of a preservative, but thimerosal is used to assure that the chromatography columns used in the manufacturing of this product do not become bacterially contaminated with repeated use. The product was approved but the ethyl mercury content was limited to not more than 104.5 micrograms ethyl mercury per vial, with a recommended maximum dose of 18 vials. A patient receiving this product would receive about 1.88 milligrams of mercury.
Black Widow Spider antivenom [Antivenin (Lactrodectus mactans), licensed 1936, Merck]

This product is an equine antiserum. The reconstituted product contains 0.1 milligrams of mercury per milliliter, so that the maximum 2-vial dose would contain 0.25 milligrams of mercury. Black Widow Spider bites can be lethal, and the dose is limited to not more than two vials. It has been determined that removal of the product from the market by the FDA would not be in the best interests of public health.

Mercury Is Related To Numerous Health Issues...
Evidence and research—both new and old—show that mercury causes or plays a significant role in the following health issues (this is a partial list only):

Allergies
Asthma
Nearsightedness & Farsightedness
Autoimmune diseases
Amylotrophic lateral sclerosis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Myasthenia gravis
Parkinson's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Borderline personality disorder
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Dysbiosis
Leaky gut syndrome
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Learning disabilities
Endocrine problems
Depression
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Manic depressive disorder
Rheumatoid arthritis
Juvenile arthritis
Lupus erythematosus
Multiple chemical sensitivities
Environmental illness
Chronic fatigue
Fibromyalgia
Sciatica
Gastritis
Irritable bowel syndrome
Colitis
Crohn's disease
Sleep disorders
Anorexia nervosa
Floaters in the eyes
Bulimia
Hypothyroidism
Yeast syndrome
Uncontrollable weight gain
Hair loss
Constipation
Flatulence (gas)
Shifted circadian rhythm (inability to sleep on a normal schedule)
Hypoglycemia
Hyperglycemia
Multiple Sclerosis
Weak immune system
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
Grinding teeth while sleeping
...and many more.


It's difficult for some to believe that so many diseases—both physical and psychological—may originate from mercury poisoning. Yet, the scientific evidence plainly shows the relationship. Just the fact that mercury aggressively binds with sulfur-groups and that it raises homocysteine levels can cause many of the diseases mentioned above.

For more information, see the section below entitled "What Does Mercury Do To The Body?" for more detailed information.

How Do You Know If You Have It?

Although very few doctors know how to cope with mercury poisoning—much less properly test for it—science has clearly given us the indicators we need to make informed decisions.

Those who have been properly trained in mercury poisoning often start by looking for a source of exposure. They will ask questions like:

Do you have "silver" dental fillings?
Have you been vaccinated recently?
Do you eat a lot of seafood?
Do you work with or manufacture fluorescent lights?
Do you live near a coal-burning power plant?
Next, they will search for certain combinations of symptoms. They will ask:

Do you have allergies?
Do you have trouble sleeping?
Do you have bouts with depression or anger?
Do you have digestive problems or acid reflux?
Do you grind your teeth when you sleep?
Do your hands or feet tingle or go numb?
Do you have ringing in your ears?
Do you have frequent muscle spasms?
Are you frequently low on energy?
If you seem to have a source of mercury exposure and some of the symptoms, they may order tests. Some of these may include a blood test, but not a test directly for mercury. This is because educated toxicologists understand that mercury does not stay in the blood very long—usually only minutes—before being absorbed into certain body tissues, including the brain.

Competently ordered blood tests may include ALT, AST, Mg, K, Na, Glucose, BUN, creatine, venous CO2, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. An educated doctor or student of mercury toxicity will be able to draw an educated conclusion as to whether the test results are indicative of mercury poisoning.

Other tests may include hair analysis, but again—not for mercury. This is because hair-mercury levels can be high or low in a mercury toxic person. This is because of the tendency of the body to "harbor" the mercury rather than let it remain in the blood stream. Generally, hair calcium above 1,150 ppm (parts per million) combined with hair lithium below .004 ppm is a "suggestive" indicator of mercury poisoning.

Urine tests can be particularly valuable. A competent doctor will probably order a creatine clearance test to check for kidney damage which is often associated with mercury poisoning. Blood in the urine can also be an indicator, but only under certain conditions. The book (Amalgam Illness) provides incredible detail to aid you and your doctor in making these determinations. In fact, the author suggests that you give (or loan) a copy of the book to your doctor.

The bottom line is that the choice is yours. If you suspect you have mercury poisoning, you can find a doctor that is skilled in this subject (which can be difficult to do), or just have your fillings replaced and see if you notice a difference (this can be expensive).

We (my business partner and I) both decided to skip trying to find a doctor and just have our fillings replaced. The results were dramatic—completely life-changing for both of us. This is why we are passionately attempting to inform others about this subject. If you have "silver" fillings, please take time to read my story.

Does Mercury Leach Out Of The Filling?

It's common when dealing with this (or any) politically-charged issue to find contradictions. These usually stem from lies propagated from parties who profit from misinformation.

On the mercury-amalgam issue, you find two camps. One camp says amalgams are completely safe although, in rare instances, people may have "allergic" reactions to it. They go on to say more research has to be done in order to determine the truth. The other camp says amalgams are poisonous and no one can completely escape some degree of bodily damage. So where is the truth?

The claim that more research must be done is nearly always a delay tactic. The mercury-amalgam camp wants to sustain their profits as long as possible and, of course, avoid criminal prosecution. Being in the field of collecting and publishing natural-health related research for over seven years—being exposed to more information and research than most will see in a lifetime—I have learned that there is absolutely no shortage of research on the toxicity of mercury, and the ADA knows this. The only issue they can attempt to use as a scapegoat is whether mercury comes out of the fillings while in your mouth.

The ADA's former position was to state that study after study showed that mercury, once bound to the other metals (in a filling), does not leach out. Studies have now shown that mercury does leach out of fillings. Not surprisingly, the ADA—in the face of multiple requests—has yet to provide a single study (that we know of) to the contrary.

What Does Mercury Do To The Body?

As mentioned above, mercury loves to bind with sulfur groups. This causes countless issues in the body by interfering with many protein-related processes (cystine is a protein unit). Mercury also causes a rise in homocysteine levels. This alone can cause numerous health consequences. Additionally, new research at the University of Calgary plainly shows how mercury can destroy nerve cells at low doses and in very little time.

Let's look in more depth at specific ways mercury damages the body.

Allergies

The human intestinal system contains a myriad of friendly bacteria which are beneficial in the digestion of food. Mercury is a well-known mutagen meaning that it causes mutations (which are harmful) in organism structure and function.

When mercury reaches the intestinal tract, it causes these friendly bacteria to mutate. The result is that these bacteria cannot properly or completely play their role in the digestion of proteins. This improperly (or incompletely) digested protein is reabsorbed into the blood stream. The immune system sees this material as a foreign protein and sets up an antigen/antibody reaction which manifests itself as an allergic reaction.

Dysbiosis and Leaky Gut Syndrome

Leaky gut syndrome is a condition where the gut lining develops small holes. Bacteria and fungi begin to leak into this lining (specifically, the gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) which are known as Peyer's Patches). These bacteria produce acidic toxins which, over time, interfere with the function of the gut lining. The net-effect is an overabundance of candida, bacteria, viruses, and other undesirable substances in the intestines—a condition called Dysbiosis. With this, you may experience the following symptoms:

Fatigue
Headaches
Poor digestion
Immune suppression
Inability to think clearly ("brain fog")
Anxiety
Depression
Mood swings
Constantly feeling tired
Excessive gas
Indigestion
Other symptoms similar to Yeast Syndrome
Mercury's roll in Dysbiosis is believed to be simple. Mercury causes mutations to intestinal bacteria. These bacteria (either directly or indirectly) cause the formation of the small holes in the gut lining which eventually leads to Dysbiosis and Leaky Gut Syndrome.

The condition is further exacerbated in what appears to be an undesirable positive feedback cycle when the production of Secretory A is reduced.

Under normal conditions, the lining of the gut regulates intestinal flora. It does this by depositing Secretory A (an antibody) on its surface. This antibody kills dysbiotic organisms on contact. In the absence of Secretory A, harmful organisms overpopulate the gut thus producing and/or exacerbating the symptoms of Dysbiosis.

Diabetes

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas which controls blood-glucose (sugar) levels. Insulin is necessary in order to allow cells to utilize glucose. Insulin has 3 sulfur binding sites. Mercury aggressively binds with molecules that have sulfur or a hydrogen+sulfur combination. In fact, sulfur groups are often called mercaptans because of their affinity for mercury. Mercury, once bound to insulin, prevents its normal function and thereby results in a diabetic condition that may cause a person to require insulin supplementation.

Mercury is also known to interfere with cysteine which is involved with the supply of insulin to the pancreas. It can also elevate homocysteine levels which has been linked to type II Diabetes.

Alzheimer's Disease

Nerve cells are a special kind of cell that participate in the transmission of electrical signals. They contain long appendage-like conductive "wires" called dendrites. Just like an electrical wire, these dendrites are wrapped in a layer of insulation which is composed of Tublin and Actin (proteins).

Mercury aggressively binds with these proteins (all or most proteins have sulfur binding sites [i.e. cystine] and mercury is well known to bind with sulfur) and causes them to rapidly detach, leaving the bare "wires" of nerve cells exposed and subject to degeneration and "shorting out".

Research has shown that mercury causes "Alzheimer's-like neurodegeneration". A growing number of researchers now believe that mercury causes a perfect Alzheimer's "signature" and believe that this is the cause of the disease.

Take a look at this video showing time-lapse dendrite degeneration caused by mercury.

Depression, Hypothyroidism and Fatigue

Depression is the most frequent complaint from mercury-toxic people. Depression can be related to a number of chemical processes in the body including the decreased production of thyroid hormones, lower ATP (adenosine triphosphate) levels, and poor sugar regulation (see Diabetes above).

Mercury inhibits the conversion of thyroid hormones T4 (thyroxine) to T3 (triiodothyronine)—a process called monodeiodination. Decreased T3 levels are often associated with fatigue, depression, erratic heat regulation, high cholesterol, and numerous other thyroid-related ailments.

ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is known as the source of cellular energy. Mercury interferes with the production of ATP by blocking enzymes involved in the porphyrin-hemoglobin-ATP reaction. A lack of ATP can result in fatigue, poor metabolism (weight gain, etc.) and depression.

In Conclusion
Because mercury reacts with and interferes with so many chemical processes in the body, and because mercury literally destroys nerve cells (by interfering with tubulin and actin binding which form nerve cells' insulative sheathing), different people can experience completely different sets of symptoms. The key is to look for patterns that fit the mercury signature and related "sets" or groups of conditions. "Amalgam Illness: Diagnosis and Treatment " clearly explains how to do this.

What Are Common Sources Of Mercury Exposure?
Mercury exposure can come from a variety of sources. Below, we've listed a number of ways you may be exposed to mercury:

Amalgam dental fillings (a.k.a. "silver" fillings)
Shellfish
Tuna
Grains treated with fungicides that contain methyl mercury
Waterproof mascara
Some hair dyes
Preservatives found in some vaccines (Thimerosal)
Hemorrhoidal medicines
Yellow, vermillion and cinnabar paint pigments
Mildew-resistant paints
Gardening chemicals
Fluorescent light bulbs
many more...
Thank You

We sincerely, hope you find this information helpful. If you have amalgam ("silver") dental fillings, we hope you will consider purchasing the book "Amalgam Illness" as it may be the answer you've been searching for. Educating ourselves and having our fillings replaced (with a safer substance) changed our lives and health dramatically and in a relatively short period of time.

Whether you decide to purchase this book or not, we are truly glad you've stopped by our website. We sincerely hope the information you've seen here will make you aware of the dangers of mercury from amalgam ("silver") fillings and will prevent suffering for yourself or someone you know in the future.

April 13, 2007- WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal appeals court said Friday
it could not force the Food and Drug Administration to tighten
restrictions on dental fillings containing mercury.


Advocacy groups sought to ban the use of such fillings and to force
the FDA to classify them as risky, subjecting them to tougher
regulations.


The groups say the fillings pose health risks to patients who inhale
mercury vapors and dental office employees who handle the materials.


The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
unanimously ruled that, while certain FDA actions can be appealed, the
court has no jurisdiction to review agency inaction.


The mercury mixture has stirred controversy since dentists began using
it to fill cavities in the 1800s. Significant levels of mercury
exposure can cause permanent damage to the brain and kidneys, but the
FDA has said for years that mercury fillings don't harm patients,
except in rare cases when they have allergic reactions.


Amalgam fillings are about 50 percent mercury, joined with silver,
copper and tin. Tens of millions of Americans receive mercury fillings
each year. Many doctors have begun switching to resin composite
fillings that blend better with the natural coloring of teeth.


Federal health officials began a new review of the safety of the
fillings last year.

Texas Governor Defends Vaccine Order
2007-02-22, MSNBC/Associated Press
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/pro...feed=AP&Date=2...

Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday angrily defended his relationship with Merck & Co. and his executive order requiring that schoolgirls receive the drugmaker's vaccine against the sexually transmitted cervical-cancer virus. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that Perry's chief of staff had met with key aides about the vaccine on Oct. 16, the same day Merck's political action committee donated $5,000 to the governor's campaign. In issuing the order, the governor made Texas the first state to require the vaccine Gardasil for all schoolgirls. But many lawmakers have complained about his bypassing the Legislature altogether. The executive order has inflamed conservatives, who said it contradicts Texas' abstinence-only sexual education policies and intrudes into families' lives. Critics have previously questioned Perry's ties to Merck. Mike Toomey, Perry's former chief of staff, now lobbies for the drug company. And the governor accepted a total of $6,000 from Merck during his re-election campaign. Merck has waged a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign to get state legislatures to require girls to get the three-dose vaccine to enroll in school. But on Tuesday the pharmaceutical company announced it was suspending the effort because of pressure from parents and medical groups. The Kentucky House on Thurday passed a bill that would require the vaccination for middle school girls unless their parents sign a form opposing it. Virginia lawmakers have also passed legislation requiring the vaccine, but the governor has not decided if he will sign it.

Note: The drug company lobby is the most powerful in the U.S., as reported by the former editor-in-chief of one of the most respected medical journals in the U.S. Click here for more.





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Merck Suspends Lobbying for Vaccine
2007-02-21, CBS News/Associated Press
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/...8NDU4AG0.shtml

Pediatricians, gynecologists and even health insurers all call Gardasil, the first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, a big medical advance. But medical groups, politicians and parents began rebelling after disclosure of a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign by Gardasil's maker, Merck & Co., to get state legislatures to require 11- and 12-year-old girls to get the three-dose vaccine as a requirement for school attendance. Some parents' groups and doctors particularly objected because the vaccine protects against a sexually transmitted disease. Vaccines mandated for school attendance usually are for diseases easily spread through casual contact, such as measles and mumps. Bowing to pressure, Merck said Tuesday that it is immediately suspending its controversial campaign, which it had funded through a third party. Legislatures in roughly 20 states have introduced measures that would mandate girls have the vaccine to attend school. Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Feb. 2 issued an executive order requiring Texas girls entering the sixth grade as of 2008 get the vaccinations. Dr. Anne Francis, who chairs an American Academy of Pediatrics committee [stated] "I believe that their timing was a little bit premature," she said, "so soon after (Gardasil's) release, before we have a picture of whether there are going to be any untoward side effects." The country has been "burned" by some drugs whose serious side effects emerged only after they were in wide use, including Merck's withdrawn painkiller Vioxx. The vaccine also is controversial because of its price - $360 for the three doses required.

Note: $360 for every girl in school would amount to quite a hefty transfer of funds from taxpayers into the pockets of Merck. Could profit and campaign contributions be behind the move to make this mandatory?





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FDA rejects new limits on mercury in vaccines
2006-10-24, MSNBC/Associated Press
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15405274

Federal health officials won’t put new restrictions on the use of a mercury-based preservative in vaccines and other medicines. A group called the Coalition for Mercury-free Drugs petitioned the Food and Drug Administration in 2004 seeking the restrictions on thimerosal, citing concerns that the preservative is linked to autism. The FDA rejected the petition. Thimerosal, about 50 percent mercury by weight, has been used since the 1930s to kill microbes in vaccines. There have been suspicions that thimerosal causes autism. However, studies that tracked thousands of children consistently have found no association between the brain disorder and the mercury-based preservative. Critics contend the studies are flawed. Since 2001, all vaccines given to children 6 and younger have been either thimerosal-free or contained only trace amounts of the preservative. Thimerosal has been phased out of some, but not all, adult vaccines as well. Most doses of the flu vaccine still contain thimerosal. There also are minute amounts of mercury, as thimerosal or phenylmercuric acetate, in roughly 45 eye ointments, nasal sprays and nasal solutions, the FDA said.

Note: Why are they still using mercury in flu shots when it is not necessary? Heavy metals are well known to be toxic to the human body. The studies mentioned above are almost entirely funded by pharmaceutical interests and government bodies working with them. For lots more on this major cover-up, click here.





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Merck's infant vaccine stirs new controversy
2005-03-08, Newsday/Los Angeles Times
http://www.nynewsday.com/news/health...,3713664.story

Merck & Co. continued to supply infant vaccine containing a mercury preservative for two years after declaring that it had eliminated the chemical. Thimerosal, which is nearly 50 percent ethyl mercury, has largely been eliminated from most routine childhood vaccines, although it is present in most flu shots. More than 4,200 parents have filed claims in the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, alleging that their children suffered autism or other neurological disorders from mercury in their shots.





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Deadly Immunity - by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
2005-06-16, Common Dreams/Boston Globe
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0616-31.htm

In June 2000, a group of top government scientists and health officials gathered for a meeting at the isolated Simpsonwood conference center...to ensure complete secrecy. The federal officials and industry representatives had assembled to discuss a disturbing new study that raised alarming questions about the safety of a host of common childhood vaccines administered to infants and young children. A mercury-based preservative in the vaccines -- thimerosal -- appeared to be responsible for a dramatic increase in autism. But instead of taking immediate steps to alert the public and rid the vaccine supply of thimerosal, the officials and executives at Simpsonwood spent most of the next two days discussing how to cover up the damaging data. According to transcripts obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, many at the meeting were concerned about how the damaging revelations about thimerosal would affect the vaccine industry's bottom line. The CDC paid the Institute of Medicine to conduct a new study to whitewash the risks of thimerosal, ordering researchers to "rule out" the chemical's link to autism. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who has received $873,000 in contributions from the pharmaceutical industry, has been working to immunize vaccine makers from liability in 4,200 lawsuits that have been filed by the parents of injured children. More than 500,000 kids currently suffer from autism. The disease was unknown until 1943, when it was identified and diagnosed among 11 children born in the months after thimerosal was first added to baby vaccines in 1931. Internal documents reveal that Eli Lilly, which first developed thimerosal, knew from the start that its product could cause damage -- and even death -- in both animals and humans.

Note: A good, though somewhat watered down version of the above article was published in the Boston Globe on July 1, 2005. To see this article on the Globe website, click here.





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A child's return from autism
2005-05-25, San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco's leading newspaper)
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...AGU0CU2K71.DTL

A Lafayette couple, certain that chelation therapy has helped their autistic son, stepped squarely into the controversy surrounding the causes of autism and its treatment Tuesday as they joined 150 other parents in launching an international support group that will aggressively promote the treatment. The Handleys are now among a small minority of parents -- who, believing that the autism was caused by the mercury in thimerosal, a preservative that was routinely used in vaccines until recently -- are treating their children with chelation therapy, a lotion or pill that strips the body of heavy metals. It has been used for decades to detoxify people contaminated in industrial accidents, but no studies have proved whether it is an effective treatment for autism. For Jamie's parents, the proof they need is in front of them: Jamie, now 3 years old and several months into treatment, is plump and playing baseball. His smile has returned. The Handleys said the new support group, Generation Rescue, www.generationrescue.com, will offer information on chelation therapy and connect parents with those who can help.

Note:For why the some powerful people may be covering up this important information, click here.





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The Man Behind The Vaccine Mystery
2002-12-12, CBS News
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/...in532886.shtml

It's been a mystery in Washington for weeks. Just before President Bush signed the homeland security bill into law an unknown member of Congress inserted a provision into the legislation that blocks lawsuits against the maker of a controversial vaccine preservative called "thimerosal," used in vaccines that are given to children. Drug giant Eli Lilly and Company makes thimerosal. It's the mercury in the preservative that many parents say causes autism in thousands of children. But nobody in Congress would admit to adding the provision, reports CBS News Correspondent Jim Acosta – until now. House Majority Leader **** Armey tells CBS News he did it to keep vaccine-makers from going out of business under the weight of mounting lawsuits. "I did it and I'm proud of it," says Armey, R-Texas. "It's a matter of national security," Armey says. Because Armey is retiring at the end of the year, some say the outgoing majority leader is the perfect fall guy to take the heat and shield the White House from embarrassment.

Note: Though this is old news, it is very important news showing how beholden the government is to the powerful drug companies.





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Bird flu vaccine recommended
2007-02-28, Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...feb28,1,454874...

A federal advisory committee on Tuesday recommended approval of the first bird flu vaccine for humans, despite concerns about its safety and evidence that the shots won't protect most people. The panel said although the vaccine had significant shortcomings, it was safe and effective for use during a pandemic or in high-risk situations, such as military deployment to regions facing an outbreak. The government plans to buy and stockpile enough doses for 20 million people. [The] director of the FDA's vaccine office told the panel that the vaccine was a stopgap measure. "There are numerous vaccines under development that are potentially better than this one," he said. The bird flu strain known as H5N1 originated in Asia. Although it rarely infects people, experts fear a mutation could make it easily transmissible, triggering a pandemic. From the start of 2003, 167 people, mostly in Asia, have died of the virus, according to the World Health Organization. In clinical trials, a two-shot series of the Sanofi vaccine provided protection in 45% of adults who received the highest dose, according to an FDA analysis this week. No serious side effects were detected among the 450 healthy adults who participated in a clinical test. However, some panel members were concerned that the trial was too small to reveal rare side effects. Some experts also worried about possible allergic reactions to the vaccine because it requires a massive dose — 12 times that of the seasonal inoculation.

Note: Who pays for and who profits from the purchase of these 20 million vaccine doses? It's pretty clear that the taxpayer covers the costs and the big drug companies make huge profits. Fear is quite useful for driving up profits. For lots more on profiteering from the avian flu, click here.





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Remember Anthrax?
2005-11-02, Newsweek
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9900947/site/newsweek

Just as President George W. Bush is launching an ambitious plan to guard against an avian flu pandemic, an administration program to prepare for a potential anthrax attack is running into new and unexpected hurdles. VaxGen Inc., a California biotech firm that last year was awarded an $877.5 million contract to supply a newly invented, and so far unlicensed, anthrax vaccine, acknowledged this week that it won't begin to start deliveries to the federal government until the latter part of next year -- six months later than it originally intended. For months, investigators on both sides of the aisle have expressed concerns that the administration may have invested too big a chunk of the nation's biodefenses in one obscure and relatively untested company. Last year's decision by HHS to award the contract to the little-known VaxGen is being scrutinized by at least two congressional committees. The company's product will have to pass more large-scale tests proving its safety and effectiveness on people before it is fully licensed by the Food and Drug Administration for use on humans, and company officials say they do not expect it to be fully licensed at least until 2007. A New York Times report last December noted that...the company had faced lawsuits filed by investors who claimed VaxGen misinformed them about an AIDS vaccine that the company had heavily promoted but which later failed to work.

Note: For more on how greed and corruption in the pharmaceutical industry affects your health and wallet, see our Health Information Center.





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The Age of Autism: The Amish anomaly
2005-04-18, Washington Times
http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breakin...5921-9566r.htm

Where are the autistic Amish? Here in Lancaster County, heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, there should be well over 100 with some form of the disorder. I have come here to find them, but so far my mission has failed, and the very few I have identified raise some very interesting questions about some widely held views on autism. The Amish have a religious exemption from vaccination. So far, there is evidence of only three, all of them children, the oldest age 9 or 10. Julia is one of them. She...is adopted from China. She had most of her vaccines given to her in the United States before we got her. [Of the other one definitely had a vaccine, and the other's vaccine status is unknown.] The mainstream scientific consensus says autism is a complex genetic disorder, one that has been around for millennia at roughly the same prevalence. That prevalence is now considered to be 1 in every 166 children born in the United States.





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Smallpox vaccine 'triggered Aids virus'
1987-05-11, WantToKnow.info/London Times
http://www.WantToKnow.info/870511vaccineaids

The Aids epidemic may have been triggered by the mass vaccination campaign which eradicated smallpox. The World Health Organization, which masterminded the 13-year campaign, is studying new scientific evidence suggesting that immunization with the smallpox vaccine Vaccinia awakened the unsuspected, dormant human immuno defence virus infection (HIV). Doctors who accept the connection between the anti-smallpox campaign and the Aids epidemic now see answers to questions which had baffled them. How, for instance, the Aids organism, previously regarded by scientists as 'weak, slow and vulnerable,' began to behave like a type capable of creating a plague. The smallpox vaccine theory would account for the position of each of the seven Central African states which top the league table of most-affected countries; why Brazil became the most afflicted Latin American country; and how Haiti became the route for the spread of Aids to the US. The greatest spread of HIV infection coincides with the most intense immunization programmes. Although detailed figures of Aids cases in Africa are difficult to collect, the more than two million carriers, and 50,000 deaths...are concentrated in the Countries where the smallpox immunization programme was most intensive. Brazil, the only South American country covered in the eradication campaign, has the highest incidence of Aids in that region.





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'What's in that bill?' The risk of deadline votes
2005-12-28, Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1228/p01s03-uspo.html

The first session of the 109th Congress is over, but lawmakers and interest groups are still sorting out what surprises may have been buried in its final bills. A clause added here or lifted there can shift the fortunes of whole industries and regions. The year ended in a crush of tough negotiations, late-night votes, and hastily printed bills so vast that few lawmakers had time to read them. Early in the morning on Dec. 19, lawmakers got their first glimpse of the 774-page final version of a nearly $40 billion spending cut bill. The time? 1:12 a.m. House members had to vote on the measure just four and a half hours later. While the rules say that a conference agreement can't include elements that haven't been voted in either the House or Senate...they are often violated. Senate negotiators were stunned to learn that GOP House leaders had added a whole campaign-finance bill to the final conference report on the Defense authorization bill they had already signed. The new language...was added to the bill after the conference had closed. Another provision, granting immunity from liability to manufacturers of flu vaccine, was added at the last minute to the FY 2006 Defense Appropriations bill.

Note: Few people are aware that in clear violation of Congressional rules, the Patriot Act was passed only hours after significant changes were made to what had been previously agreed upon. No members of Congress had the opportunity to read all of these changes, which eroded significantly more civil rights and liberties than had been previously agreed. For more on this, click here.





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The Age of Autism: 'A pretty big secret'
2005-12-07, Washington Times/UPI
http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi/2...0313-6829r.htm

Thousands of children cared for by Homefirst Health Services in metropolitan Chicago have at least two things in common with thousands of Amish children in rural Lancaster: They have never been vaccinated. And they don't have autism. "We have about 30,000 or 35,000 children that we've taken care of over the years, and I don't think we have a single case of autism in children delivered by us who never received vaccines," said Dr. Mayer Eisenstein, Homefirst's medical director who founded the practice in 1973. The autism rate in Illinois public schools is 38 per 10,000. Eisenstein, in fact, is author of the book "Don't Vaccinate Before You Educate!" Earlier this year Florida pediatrician Dr. Jeff Bradstreet said there is virtually no autism in home-schooling families who decline to vaccinate for religious reasons -- lending credence to Eisenstein's observations. "It's largely non-existent," said Bradstreet, who treats children with autism from around the country. Thimerosal, which is 49.6 percent ethyl mercury by weight, was phased out of most U.S. childhood immunizations beginning in 1999, but the CDC recommends flu shots for pregnant women and last year began recommending them for children 6 to 23 months old. Most of those shots contain thimerosal.





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Possible Mercury, Autism Connection Found in Study
2005-03-17, Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/...,1770760.story

Studying individual school districts in Texas, the epidemiologists found that those districts with the highest levels of mercury in the environment also had the highest rates of special education students and autism diagnoses. There was a strong, direct relationship between mercury and autism levels. The incidence of autism has grown dramatically over the last two decades, from about one in every 2,000 children to as high as one in every 166. The purported link between autism and mercury has been a subject of intense debate. In the past it has centered primarily on the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal, which was once widely used in vaccines. Many parents have argued that thimerosal causes autism because their children seemed to develop the neurological disorder shortly after they received childhood vaccinations.





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Vaccine makers helped write Frist-backed shield law
2006-05-08, The Tennessean
http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...WS02/605080356

Vaccine industry officials helped shape legislation behind the scenes that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist secretly amended into a bill to shield them from lawsuits, according to e-mails obtained by a public advocacy group. E-mails and documents written by a trade group for the vaccine-makers show the organization met privately with Frist's staff and the White House about measures that would give the industry protection from lawsuits filed by people hurt by the vaccines. Frist, along with House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., ordered the vaccine liability language inserted in a defense spending bill in December without debate and in violation of usual Senate practice. In a written statement, Frist spokeswoman Amy Call stated that the senator had promised publicly to include the vaccine liability protection in the defense spending bill. She did not address the issue of the influence of industry lobbyists.

Note: For one-paragraph summaries of media articles showing why the vaccine makers want this protection, click here.





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Debate over vaccines, autism won't die
2005-06-26, MSNBC
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8336821

Mercury in shots blamed for rise in brain disorder among children. Vested interests make it tough to know who to believe. Many parents have filed lawsuits. Many scientists have ties to vaccine makers or are selling their expertise in court cases. Government officials don’t want people to turn away from vaccines, which have clearly benefitted public health. Flu vaccine sold in multidose vials still contains the [mercury] preservative, and the government urges flu shots for pregnant women and young children even though not enough thimerosal-free ones are available, critics say. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr....who has pushed the issue on news shows and in an article in Rolling Stone magazine, said that when he looked at the government’s evidence it was laughably flawed. “It was clear to me that the reports they’re relying on are ’cigarette science,”’ he said, referring to tobacco companies’ past arguments that there was no proof cigarettes caused cancer.





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US study supports claims of MMR link to autism
2006-05-29, London Times
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...201494,00.html

American researchers say that their study supports the findings of Andrew Wakefield, the discredited gastroenterologist who raised fears that the measles, mumps and rubella injection might be causing autism. His research, published in The Lancet in 1998, detected traces of the measles virus in the guts of 12 children with autism. The latest study, led by Arthur Krigsman, of New York University School of Medicine, involved 275 children. Serious intestinal inflammations were found in some of the autistic children and biopsies of gut tissue were performed on 82 of them. Of these, 70 are said to have shown evidence of the measles virus, which so far has been confirmed in 14 cases by more stringent DNA tests. Steve Walker, assistant professor at Wake Forest University Medical Centre, North Carolina, who analysed the gut samples, said the work mirrored Dr Wakefield's study. All the children involved were diagnosed with autism and had come to Dr Krigsman and Dr Walker seeking help for symptoms of serious digestive problems for which no explanation could be found. Mainstream science has repeatedly examined the theory of a link between MMR and autism and found no evidence to back it.

Note: Though "mainstream science" has allegedly found no links, many other scientific and media sources have found strong evidence of a link. See http://www.WantToKnow.info/060215vaccinesmercurydangers





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CDC Shifts Vaccine-Data Focus
2006-11-01, Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn.../AR20061031013...

Federal health officials have decided to forgo gathering detailed data on whether children in 22 big cities are receiving recommended immunizations and instead will survey teenagers, who are the target of several new vaccines. The decision is drawing protests from local health officials, who say the soon-to-be-lost information is essential to their efforts to make sure that infants and toddlers, many from poor families, are protected against childhood infections. Each year, the CDC contracts a polling company to get data on vaccination rates in various age, demographic and income groups nationwide. "We need to know if the new vaccine has helped, or had no change, or hurt [coverage], and we cannot really make those judgments without the NIS data," [one health official] said. CDC officials said they are redirecting about $3 million to survey adolescents. The only way to pay for the 22-city sampling would be to use money now used to help states buy vaccine, they added. The decision comes at a time when the government is spending record amounts on public health. The CDC's budget has risen 42 percent since 2001 and is now $8.73 billion.

Note: This unusual decision makes sense if you consider that the powerful pharmaceutical industry doesn't want tracking on toddler vaccinations, as it may show what they have long denied -- that there is a link between autism and childhood vaccinations. The mercury-derivative Thimerosal was largely taken out of childhood vaccinations just a few years ago. The much-awaited data needed to prove or disprove a link will now be more difficult to obtain.





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Chiron Gets Contract for Bird Flu Vaccine
2005-10-27, ABC/Associated Press
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=1256959

A second manufacturer is beginning mass production of a vaccine to protect against bird flu, and the Senate moved Thursday to invest far more -- $8 billion -- on preparations in case the influenza strain ever sparks a worldwide epidemic. Before the Senate acted, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt awarded a $62.5 million contract to Emeryville, Calif.-based Chiron Corp. to manufacture bird flu vaccine. Sanofi-Aventis of Paris began manufacturing $100 million worth of a similar vaccine last month. The Bush administration is putting the final touches on its plan for how to fight the next super-flu...amid growing concern that the H5N1 influenza strain spreading among birds from Asia to Europe could trigger a pandemic if it mutates into a form easily spread from person to person. The massive out-of-budget expenditure...would increase stockpiles of the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza, thought to be effective against current strains of bird flu. "The money that we spend now will not be wasted even if this particular strain of the virus, H5N1, ends up not becoming a pandemic flu," said Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. "We know that over the next two, three decades there will be a pandemic flu. That's almost certain."

Note: Isn't is interesting that over $60 million dollars (potentially $8 billion!) has been "awarded" for a vaccine against a bird flu that hasn't even mutated yet? How are these people so certain that it will mutate and kill millions of people? How do we know these vaccines will work when it hasn't even mutated? Note also that the pharmaceutical industry, which manufactures vaccines, has the largest lobby in all Washington and is raking in huge profits. For lots more on this, don't miss the vital information in our Health Information Center.

I remembered about this disease from my university and research days, (nothing wrong with my memory!! LOL)
Minimata disease is a disorder resulting from methyl mercury poisoning, which occurred in epidemic proportions in 1956 in Minimata Bay, a Japanese coastal town, where the inhabitants ate fish contaminated by industrial pollution; the most obvious symptoms are tremors and involuntary movements.
Do a Google on "minimata" alone and you get 42,000 entries, yet most people have never heard of it. It is also spelt MInamata, which gives 414,000 entries in Google. See http://www1.umn.edu/ships/ethics/minamata.htm
Most of the story is at
http://www.asianresearch.org/articles/2324.html

http://www.hazardcards.com/card.php?id=26
For half a century, the Chisso Corporation dumped methyl mercury into the Minamata Bay, thereby affecting the lives of an estimated 100,000 people.

From 1932 to 1968, the Chisso Corporation dumped approximately 27 tons of mercury compounds into the bay. First the fishing diminished, then cats and birds started dancing in circles before collapsing, and finally humans got sick and died from the ‘Minamata Disease’.

The strategy of the Chisso Cooperation had been clear from the beginning: rather than implementing a sustainable environmental behaviour, they would provide small economic compensations to those affected by the pollution.

During the decades of continuous pollution, the communities along the bay became an unintentional ally of the corporation. When the contamination became known, the sale of fish from certain areas was forbidden.

In order to sustain themselves, the fishermen did whatever they could to shut the disease out of their lives. They would keep it a secret if a catch was contaminated, and people with the disease were isolated from the community.

Furthermore, people would avoid suing the corporation because they were afraid of losing the small economic compensation they did get from Chisso.

The Japanese government, too, played a leading role in the disaster. Instead of banning all fishing from the bay, the government prohibited selling the catch. The locals, off course, kept on eating the fish as they had always done. The dumping was implicitly accepted.

The corporation was not taken to court until 1969, where it was convicted for polluting the bay from 1932-1968. But the trial did not stop the dumping – the use of methyl mercury simply got outdated and was replaced by other methods.

40 years later many of the more than 3,000 victims are still fighting for compensation.

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Then there is "Itai-Itai" disease. In Japanese, that means "It hurts, it hurts"
This is caused by cadmium poisoning.
See http://www.kanazawa-med.ac.jp/~pubhe...-e/itai01.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/itai-itai-disease
calls it the "Ouch-ouch" disease, which is as good a translation as any.
Why raise this one, you guessed it, yours truly also handled cadmium chemicals. I worked for a chemical company making PVC stabilisers which increased the thermal stability of PVC. These compounds contain barium, cadmium and zinc.
I guess it was in the stars that I should get PD!!
Ron

Just browsing the literature, I came across this one which says
“Silver" dental fillings contain mercury (a cause of Parkinson's disease and many other neurological disorders).
http://www.thehealthyvillage.com/bod...getic-you.html

Ron