Chile Stops Use of Mercury in Vaccines

Chile Stops Use of Mercury in Vaccines

Decision Comes as WHO Meets to Discuss Global Treaty on Mercury Use


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.



Source:-
http://www.activistpost.com/2012/04/chile-stops-use-of-mercury-in-vaccines.html