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Risks of Swine Flu Shot Containing Thimerosal

Mercury-Based Preservative Used in H1N1 Vaccination May Be Dangerous

Oct 20, 2009 Victoria Nicks

Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative, eliminated from most children's vaccines to prevent mercury toxicity, but not from multi-dose formulations of swine flu shots.

Some formulations of the H1N1 vaccine, also known as the swine flu shot, will contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal. This preservative is included in multi-dose formulations of vaccines in order to kill bacteria and fungus growing in the formulation. Thimerosal used to be a very common preservative in vaccines, but has been greatly reduced in children's vaccines due to concerns about mercury toxicity.

Thimerosal and Mercury

According to the Food and Drug Administration, thimerosal is approximately 50% mercury. Many of the concerns surrounding thimerosal result from an incorrect association with methylmercury, a neurotoxin. Thimerosal degrades into ethylmercury, which has been shown to leave the body at a faster rate than methylmercury, and which has not demonstrated side effects except in massive doses.

H1N1 Flu Shot and Autism Risk

There have been many studies done to investigate claims of a link between mercury in children's vaccinations and autism, none of which has shown a definitive link. The FDA has approved the use of the H1N1 flu shot as being safe, despite the thimerosal content. They claim that the risk of the swine flu is greater than any potential risk derived from the extremely small amount of thimerosal contained within a single dose of the swine flu vaccine.

Thimerosal Side Effects

Side effects of a normal vaccine-sized dose of thimerosal are simple allergic reactions, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Reported side effects are typically local reactions, such as redness and swelling at the site of the injection, which subside within two to three days. In addition, the FDA has been unable to determine whether these reactions are due to the thimerosal or other components of the vaccine in clinical tests.

The U.S. Environmental Protective Agency has a different perspective on mercury toxicity, however. The EPA website states that individuals can only be exposed to .1 micrograms of mercury per kilogram of body weight per day in order to prevent adverse effects. The Sanofi Pasteur swine flu vaccine, for example, contains 25 micrograms of mercury per .5 milliliter dose. A safe weight for an individual receiving this dose, according to the EPA calculations, would be over 500 lbs.

Swine Flu Vaccinations Without Thimerosal

Consumers concerned about the presence of thimerosal within the swine flu vaccine should be aware that the inhaled form of the vaccine is formulated without thimerosal. In addition, single-dose vials made by some manufacturers will not contain thimerosal. Reading the patient insert for the vaccine prior to accepting a shot is the best method of determining whether the injection contains thimerosal or not.

H1N1 Vaccine Safety

The FDA and CDC reject the possibility that thimerosal is related to autism or any other severe condition. Despite this position, they continue to encourage the limiting of thimerosal in vaccinations, particularly to pregnant women, infants, and young children. Manufacturers are now producing many more vaccines with no thimerosal or trace amounts of thimerosal, in reaction to this encouragement, and virtually all vaccines intended for infants and young children are now being produced without thimerosal as a preservative. The swine flu vaccine is a notable exception.

Swine Flu Shot and Nerve Disease

H1N1 Vaccination Linked to GBS: Guillain-Barré Syndrome

H1N1 vaccination has the same risk as the 1976 swine flu shot. Guillain-Barré Syndrome, or GBS, is a nerve disease causing nerve damage which can start with a flu shot.

Avoid Swine Flu At School

Keep Your Kids From Getting Sick From the H1N1 Virus

Helping children learn about proper hygiene can help to keep them safe from swine flu at school.

Prevent Swine Influenza Disease in Kids

Recognize H1N1 Swine Flu Symptoms to Avoid Contagious Infection

Swine flu virus symptoms mimic simple colds, but are more dangerous. Prevent serious illness by avoiding contagious infection from those with H1N1 swine flu symptoms.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The copyright of the article Risks of Swine Flu Shot Containing Thimerosal in General Medicine is owned by Victoria Nicks. Permission to republish Risks of Swine Flu Shot Containing Thimerosal in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Swine Flu Shot Risks