Press Release

Thirty-Four States Seek Banning of Mercury in Vaccines

The grassroots organization Mercury Ban is working toward a ban of mercury from infant and pregnant mom vaccines.  We are joining forces with Americans in 23 states - parents of children with autism or other vaccine injuries and other concerned citizens - who are signing up on a daily basis to seek protection by state legislators from mercury injected into infants and young children.

Two states passed bans of mercury in vaccines in 2004:  California and Iowa.  Seven additional states had ongoing mercury ban legislation in 2004: Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.  Four other states are pursuing legislation into 2005: Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Ohio.

As 2005 starts, Mercury Ban representatives in the following 23 states are actively pursuing legislation to ban mercury in vaccines: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. 

These Americans know that there is an autism-mercury connection. In the early 1990's, vaccines were added to the childhood immunization schedule that tripled the amount of mercury innumerable children received during "well baby" visits to the pediatrician.  In mid-1999, the United States Public Health Service agencies (including NIH, FDA, HRSA, and CDC) worked with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and vaccine manufacturers to begin the voluntary removal of thimerosal from the vaccine supply.  There was no recall.  The FDA chose to allow Thimerosal-containing vaccines to remain on the shelf and to continue to be injected into American infants until expiration years later.

The rate of autism in U.S. schools from 1994 through 2004 rose over 500%.

As of January 2004, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the number of children with an autism spectrum disorder was 1 in 166. Care for these children is predicted to cost in the trillions of dollars. One family in 68 in our nation is now impacted. Also, as of January 2004, 1 child in 6 was diagnosed with a developmental disorder and/or behavioral problem. Both are epidemic.

In the spring of 2004, the CDC recommended that infants as young as 6-months old be given the Thimerosal-containing influenza vaccine. Congressman Dave Weldon (R-FL) sponsored legislation in the U.S. House to ban mercury in vaccines for infants and young children (HR4169). No similar legislation was sponsored in the U.S. Senate.

Now, almost six years from the FDA recommendation, we are still trying to get mercury out of vaccines.  Our federal agencies have backpedaled on their own policy by recommending the use of the flu shot in children as young as 6 months.  Most pediatric flu shots contain 12.5 mcg. of mercury.  According to EPA guidelines for ingested (vs. injected) methylmercury (vs. ethylmercury) not likely to cause harm in adults, an infant or young child would need to weigh 275 pounds to receive this injection.

Because our federal agencies haven't gotten the job of protecting America's children done, American citizens in 34 states are working -- along with new people who volunteer every day -- to remove mercury from their states' infant and pregnant mom vaccines. We are finding legislators who are glad to learn the truth about mercury in vaccines and who truly care. We hope they will sponsor legislation in all of these states to ban mercury in vaccines. 

CONTACT:
Tami Freedman, Director
MERCURY BAN
(423) 704-2466, TamiFreedman@aol.com