Judge Will Not Block Swine Flu Vaccine Containing Thimerosal
By Michelle DiamentA federal judge said Wednesday that he will not prevent a swine flu vaccine containing the mercury-based preservative thimerosal from being given to pregnant women.
The ruling comes after an advocacy group called the Coalition for Mercury-Free Drugs petitioned the court to ban a swine flu vaccine containing the controversial preservative from being given to pregnant women citing concerns about the preservative’s impact on the health of an unborn baby.
The judge granted the group two weeks to provide him with more information. Otherwise he will dismiss the case.
Some have linked the presence of thimerosal in vaccines to occurrences of autism, though numerous scientific studies have disproved such a link. Most vaccines now given to children do not contain thimerosal.
The Coalition for Mercury-Free Drugs says that exposure to thimerosal in utero can cause intellectual disability, fetal death, problems with fertility and other birth defects.
Pregnant women are set to be among the first to receive a vaccine for H1N1, also known as swine flu, this fall, reports Bloomberg. To read more click here.
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And what a controversial decision it has proven to be. Many nurses, doctors and health experts are actually refusing to take/promote such vaccines themselves. Now, obviously pregnant women (as well as other people at a higher risk for the flu like asthmatics, those with diabetes, etc.) should be the first to receive the vaccinations if they are appropriate for use. It’s just an interesting (and somewhat scary) situation though. It has truly become a toss-up or measure of what will be more dangerous for each individual person–taking the vaccine and possibly getting very sick or not taking the vaccine and potentially contracting the virus?
I would say that, at least for relatively healthy people, this might not be a wise vaccination to seek out and receive. They might not really have a choice anyway. The focus is on those highly vulnerable groups and what should be done for them.
There’s an interesting video that summarizes this controversy and a few different viewpoints at newsy.com. It’s short and worth watching if you get a chance
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