H1N1 Vaccines Approved: What's In It For You?

 

 

 

by Jackie Lombardo

 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave approval to four manufacturers for nine different vaccines for the H1N1, or Swine Flu, virus.  Due for distribution early this month, the vaccines have been much anticipated not only by the manufacturer’s themselves, but also by the medical community and special interest and environmental groups for a variety of reasons. One concern was whether the new vaccines would contain mercury. So, what’s in it? A breakdown of the list of ingredients can be found down below, but the answer many have been waiting for is… yes, some H1N1 vaccines do contain thimerosal, which is 49% mercury by weight.

 

Thimerosal is the same mercury preservative…

• that the Centers for Disease Control recommended manufacturers phase out in 1999,
• that had been discontinued in vaccines for cattle back in the early 1990s,
• that

  Russia

  banned from children's vaccines in 1980 due to a study finding adults exposed to the form of mercury in thimerosal suffered brain damage years later,
• that the FDA itself banned in 1998 in over-the-counter medications, and
• that some studies link to the autism and ADHD epidemic.

 

Mercury toxicity is well established in scientific literature and its dangers well-known, hence the action by government agencies above. So concerns linger over the wisdom of the FDA approving a product that exposes infants, children, and pregnant women to mercury, and allows companies to advertise mercury-containing vaccine products to our children with help from Elmo.

 

A study of almost 50,000 pregnant women and their infants over five flu seasons found no difference in the risk of developing the seasonal flu between those who were vaccinated during pregnancy and those who were not vaccinated. Reviews in the medical journal The Lancet found a lack of health benefit of the seasonal flu vaccine for children under two and significantly increased rates of vaccine related adverse events in children.

 

What can you do?  Read the package inserts very carefully, paying special attention to risks and safety studies. Learn all you can about the vaccine before using the product.  Chose the mercury-free version of the shot if you decide to get one (details below), and ask for the package insert to be sure it’s mercury-free. A health professional might seem certain theirs is mercury-free, only to discover the insert says “thimerosal”. Try to prevent the flu in the first place by washing your hands often, sneezing and coughing into a tissue or your sleeve, eating organic whole foods, and researching Vitamin D and other supplements that may be helpful.

 

Here’s what the FDA approved and what’s in it for you:

                    I.      Two versions of Novartis's injected vaccine for anyone 4 years and older:

1.      A pre-filled single-dose syringes with a trace amount of mercury because it was manufactured with mercury

2.      A multi-dose bottle with ten doses with 25 mcg of mercury per dose.

Other ingredients include H1N1 virus proteins, nonylphenol ethoxylate, sodium chloride, two antibiotics, phosphate, egg protein, and betapropiolactone.

 

                 II.      Two versions of CSL's injected vaccine only for those 18 years and older:

1.      A pre-filled single-dose syringe with NO mercury.

2.      A multi-dose bottle with ten doses with 24.5 mcg of mercury per dose.

Other ingredients include H1N1 virus proteins, taurodeoxycholate, sodium chloride, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, egg protein, 2 antibiotics, and betapropiolactone.

 

               III.      Four versions of Sanofi Pasteur's injected vaccine for everyone from infants 6 months of age into adulthood and the elderly:

1.      A pre-filled single ½ dose syringe with NO mercury for infants 6 thru 35 months of age.

2.      A pre-filled single full dose syringe with NO mercury for 3 years and older.

3.      A single-dose full dose vial with NO mercury for 3 years and older.

4.      A multi-dose bottle (contains ten full doses or twenty ½ doses) with 25 mcg of mercury per full dose for anyone 6 months and older.

Other ingredients include H1N1 virus proteins, formaldehyde, gelatin, polyethylene glycol p-isooctyphenyl ether, and sucrose.

 

              IV.      MedImmune's live virus nasal spray vaccine approved for everyone age 2 years through 49 years of age. There is no mercury.

Other ingredients include the live H1N1 virus, monosodium glutamate, potassium phosphate, pig gelatin, arginine, sucrose, and an antibiotic.

 

 

Learn More:

Package Inserts for Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccines approved by the FDA

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/ucm181950.htm

 

Cover Your Cough from the CDC

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/covercough.htm

 

Toxic Tipping Point

Mother Jones By Andrea Rock

Are the CDC, the FDA, and other health agencies covering up evidence that a mercury preservative in children's vaccines caused a rise in autism?

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2004/03/toxic-tipping-point

 

 

Jackie Lombardo, member of the Sierra Club's National Toxics Committee and Board of Directors for Safeminds.org.  She is also founder of Non-toxic Childhood at http://nontoxicchildhood.blogspot.com/ and involved in national projects stressing education, precaution and strong legislation protecting public health through comprehensive chemical policy reform.

 

Comments

[Corey Whelan]

Amanda, your comments are truly appreciated. Jackie was not implying that women should not get flu shots. Her intention in this blog was to make sure that women were educated about both sides of the story so that they could make an educated choice about what is right for them. If you check out The AFA's archives on H1N1 you can read Dr. Ben Sandler's more moderately voiced post on August 17. The AFA truly appreciates your participation in this dialogue, keep it up!
best,
Corey

[Amanda]

Article about how many pregnant women have died from H1N1: Moral, get your dang flu shot!

http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-1/28-Pregnant-Women-Have-Died-From-Swine-Flu-3A-CDC-58704-1/

[Amanda]

Studies have shown that H1N1 is being transmitted by air and not surfaces. Proper hygiene and good nutrition are always a good idea, but not enough to prevent this virus. So unless you plan on becoming a shut-in, you need to get a vaccine to protect yourself and you child. (I didn't go through infertility to lose my baby to a preventable virus!) Truth is that it is especially dangerous for pregnant women (according to the Lancet no less, http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)61304-0/fulltext) and that the risk of vaccination outweighs the risk of catching the virus. And to say that vaccinations don't work is pretty one sided don't you think? Vaccines are effective and are tested for effectiveness every year with each batch, even the H1N1 vaccines. Yes, some people still get the flu, but often that can be due to the vaccine not protecting against the particular strain you caught.

I got my seasonal flu shot for the first time ever because I am pregnant and want to protect my child and myself. My clinic's standard policy is to provide preservative free, mercury free vaccinations to pregnant women and young children. People die from the flu and this post is written a such a way as to perpetuate false claims. Some of the information is good here, but c'mon on the vaccines=autism stuff already, that argument is getting old and plenty of children that never received vaccines with mercury have autism, at the very least, there are probably many factors that contribute to autism. But, I completely agree that regardless of autisum research findings, that injecting mercury into yourself or your child is pretty dumb, but the point should be that mercury free vaccines do exist and you should get a flu shot and make sure that yours mercury free. Sending the message to not get vaccinated is reckless.