Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen
If you think about it, there are only two questions that need to be answered to solve the Autism problem: (1) What’s really causing it? and (2) how do we fix it?
Of course we know the answer to the first question (vaccines), and we are working on the second one.
Probably the biggest, and most devastating component in Autism causation, is thimerosal (mercury) used as a preservative in 96.2% of childhood vaccines offered worldwide. There are several other Autism causation components, but we will only mention them today, while we focus on the thimerosal issue once again.
Do not for a moment think that I am minimizing the concerns of those pressing the MMR vaccine issues (like Andy Wakefield), or any of the other causations. As you know, we are discussing all of those points – but not today.
Personally, I think the thimerosal issue is the most important one for two reasons: (1) It has caused the most damage, and (2) It is symptomatic of the larger problem – the malevolence of an industry that has known for a very long time how damaging thimerosal is, could have eliminated it, and intentionally did not.
Background – For this article, today, I need to introduce you to what the not-long-ago “Omnibus Autism Proceedings” (OAP) were about so you can see where this article begins, and we can outline the players.
The OAP was started because the Vaccine Court created by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA), in 1987, had become overloaded with claims, and the Special Masters running the court simply did not want to have to trudge through the backlog of the 5,400 cases facing it over vaccine injuries. So, they ordered that all of the 5,400 cases be distilled down into six representative cases – three from the MMR Vaccine causes Autism argument, and three from theThimerosal (mercury) in vaccines causes Autism argument.
I have been working on a new articles series involving what’s called the “Omnibus Autism Proceedings” (OAP) which, I have to say, is going to be the most scandalous yet of my Autism articles to date – even overshadowing the “The CDC Has Known All Along How Dangerous Vaccines Are – And Has Covered It Up… (Parts One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five series.
The Thimerosal (mercury) in vaccines causes Autism argument...
There is a gigantic network supporting this argument – and, of course, they are right in their assumptions. Some of the biggest proponents of this argument, and certainly the most well known, are Mark and David Geier.
As you already know, Mark and David are under a sustained attack originated by the vaccine industry. I’ve written a whole series on this situation. In short, the Geiers have dedicated their very lives towards solving this problem – and they are, so far, defeating the vaccine industry at every turn.
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| Mark Geier MD, PhD | David Geier BA |
What I haven’t made clear, so far, is how successful they. and their teams, actually are in terms of removing thimerosal in vaccines – world wide.
As you know, from my earlier articles, the Geiers, along with the Reverend Lisa Sykes of the United Methodist Church, formed the Coalition for Mercury-Free Drugs (CoMeD), and began to attack the thimerosal problem globally. And, they’ve been doing it for years. Click here to see a whole page of press releases explaining their activity world wide.
But, their latest messages are very revealing. The first message, discussing their intervention as an NGO at the United Nations is amply explained just below:
“In a historic open letter to the World Health Organization and other public health agencies, the Coalition for Mercury-Free Drugs (CoMeD), and the United Methodist Women are seeking to stop the use of mercury in human drugs, especially vaccines. Currently, the mercury-based preservative Thimerosal, which is 49% mercury by weight, remains in vaccines for the United States and much of the world, despite the fact that it is a known neurotoxin. While other safer and less toxic alternatives are being utilized, industry has been slow to eliminate Thimerosal from many vaccines, including the flu shot given to those most vulnerable to this toxin, children and pregnant women.
The goal of the United Methodist Women and CoMeD is to protect the global immunization program and to safeguard public confidence in vaccines by seeing that the addition of mercury to human pharmaceuticals ceases. Through the ongoing diplomatic work of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee of the United Nations Environment Programme, these organizations hope to impact the formulation of a global, legally binding treaty on mercury scheduled to be completed in 2013.
In these negotiations, the World Health Organization and other global distributors of vaccines have defended the continuing use of mercury, especially in vaccines. They maintain that there is no evidence of harm from Thimerosal. Dr. Mark R. Geier, a CoMeD director, cautions, “Recent statements by those holding national and global responsibility for vaccine safety are difficult to reconcile with the known and published toxicity of Thimerosal.” Eight decades of scientific literature have shown that Thimerosal poses a significant health risk and its manufacturers acknowledge it can cause mild to severe mental retardation in children.
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| Reverend Lisa Sykes |
In other words, these people are not backing down from vaccine industry pressure. Not one bit – and they lead this fight, quite well.
The second message is even more immediate. It describes their recent event in the country of Chile, the first developing country to ban mercury in medicines, including vaccines. In their press release CoMed says:
Chile Stops Use of Mercury in Vaccines – Decision Comes as WHO Meets to Discuss Global Treaty on Mercury Use
WASHINGTON, April 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Chile has become the first developing country to stop the use of mercury in vaccines.
In meetings with the Coalition for Mercury-Free Drugs (CoMeD) held last week in Santiago, Chile, the current Vice President of the Chilean Senate, Alejandro Navarro Brain, committed to adopting legislation in the Senate that would prohibit the mercury-based preservative Thimerosal from vaccines.
Thimerosal, which is 49% mercury by weight, continues to be used as a preservative in vaccines and other drugs worldwide, despite the fact that it is a human neurotoxin and that safer, less toxic alternatives are readily available.
Chile’s decision comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) meets today in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss a global, legally-binding treaty on mercury use. That meeting will examine alternative vaccine preservatives, as well as the economic, programmatic, and manufacturing implications of moving to single-dose, preservative-free vaccines.
While applauding the WHO for giving the issue of mercury use in vaccines the urgent attention it merits, CoMeD expressed serious reservations about WHO’s decision to meet in closed-door session.
Noting that past closed-door sessions have led to “repeated and, we believe, untrue declarations that there is no evidence of harm from the use of Thimerosal in vaccines,” the Reverend Lisa K. Sykes, President of CoMeD, states, “Such unfounded assertions have led to the establishment of two standards of vaccine safety, one which is predominately mercury-free for developed, western countries and one that is mercury-preserved for developing countries.”
As a result, Rev. Sykes continues, “The most vulnerable among us continue to be intentionally exposed to mercury from Thimerosal in childhood vaccines. This exposure is entirely avoidable, and must be stopped.”
Dr. Mark R. Geier, a CoMeD Director, agrees, adding, “Recent statements by those holding national and global responsibility for vaccine safety are difficult to reconcile with the known and published toxicity of Thimerosal.”
According to CoMeD, numerous scientific studies and extensive peer-reviewed scientific and medical papers have all concluded that Thimerosal poses a significant health risk. Thimerosal manufacturers also acknowledge that the preservative can cause mild to severe mental retardation in children.
It looks to me like this modern day version of the classic David and Goliath confrontation is having pretty much the same result as the earlier biblical one.
Stay tuned…
Tim Bolen – Consumer Advocate