Thimerosal

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Concept.png Thimerosal 
(Safe and Effective,  Drug)Rdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
Start1927
Interest ofRobert F. Kennedy Jr
Preservative for vaccines that was declared safe after a very fraudulent safety study.

Thiomersal was used as a preservative in vaccines and other substances. The pharmaceutical corporation Eli Lilly marketed it as Merthiolate.

Concerns

Thimerosal contains mercury[1], an extremely neurotoxic heavy metal known to cause:[2][3]

  • birth defects
  • brain damage
  • fatigue
  • memory loss
  • sensory deprivation
  • tremors
  • depresssion
  • cognitive impairment
  • death

Safety concerns have forced to reduce its usage although that is not publicly acknowledged in such a way.[4] The introduction to Wikipedia's article on Thimerosal[5] states:

“In spite of the scientific consensus that fears about its safety are unsubstantiated,[5][6][7][8] its use as a vaccine preservative was called into question by anti-vaccination groups, and it was phased out from routine childhood vaccines in the United States, the European Union, and a few other countries in response to popular fears.[9]”
' [6]

However, in the Toxicology section[7] of the same article, it states:

“Thiomersal is very toxic by inhalation, ingestion, and in contact with skin (EC hazard symbol T+), with a danger of cumulative effects. It is also very toxic to aquatic organisms and may cause long-term adverse effects in aquatic environments (EC hazard symbol N).[21] In the body, it is metabolised or degraded to ethylmercury (C2H5Hg+) and thiosalicylate.[12] Cases have been reported of severe mercury poisoning by accidental exposure or attempted suicide, with some fatalities.[22] Animal experiments suggest that thiomersal rapidly dissociates to release ethylmercury after injection; that the disposition patterns of mercury are similar to those after exposure to equivalent doses of ethylmercury chloride; and that the central nervous system and the kidneys are targets, with lack of motor coordination being a common sign. Similar signs and symptoms have been observed in accidental human poisonings. The mechanisms of toxic action are unknown.[22]”
' [8]

At least 89 peer-reviewed articles[9] and studies have been published that show a link between autism spectrum disorders and high levels of ethylmercury used as a preservative in a number of childhood vaccines.[10][11]

Safety testing

Eli Lilly’s safety testing of it's product Thimerosal consisted of a 1929/30 study of 22 patients with terminal meningitis in an Indiana hospital. Patients were injected with solutions and followed until their death within weeks. Because the patients ultimately died of meningitis, they are declared to show no adverse reaction to Thimerosal and the product is declared safe for use. Thimerosal is subsequently introduced for use in vaccines to kill bacteria in the product and in over the counter remedies as a preservative.[12]

Dan Burton: Has thimerosal ever really been tested? Has thimerosal ever been tested by our health agencies?
William Egan: Only in those early tests that you know of that were done by Lily.
Dan Burton: When was that? That was done in 1929. Let's follow-up on that. In 1929, they tested this on 27 people that were dying of meningitis. All of those people died of meningitis, so they said there was no correlation between their death and the mercury in the vaccines. That is the only test that's ever been done on thimerosal that I know of. Can you think of any other?
William Egan: No, in people, no. Except for accidental exposures over time.
Dan Burton: So we have mercury that's being put into people's bodies in the form of this preservative, and has been since the 1930's, and it's never been tested by our health agencies. And yet you folks come here and you testify that there's no conclusive evidence, and the IOM says, they favor, get this, they don't say they're sure, they say they favor rejection of a causal relationship between mercury and autism and other neurological disorders. Nobody ever gives a categorical statement, that no, mercury does not cause this, no, it doesn't. And that's because you can't do it. So why in the world are we even putting a little bit of it in vaccinations?”

Dan Burton,  William Egan (SEPTEMBER 8, 2004)  [13]


 

Related Document

TitleTypePublication dateAuthor(s)Description
File:WatersKrausPressRelease031702.pdfDocument17 March 2002Waters & KrausFrom documentation obtained from Eli Lilly the law firm Waters & Kraus learned, that the company received repeated warnings over decades that their product Thimerosal has adverse health effects.
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