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In reply to the discussion: Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy believed President Kennedy was killed by a conspiracy. [View all]stopbush
(24,392 posts)The CDC and the AAP determine that thimerosal should be lessened or removed as a PRECAUTIONARY measure, even though there is no evidence whatsoever that there's anything beyond MINOR reactions to thimerosal.
Note, this is back in 1999, 14 years ago. That's years before RFK Jr started on his anti-vac nonsense, some of which was erroneously based on the belief that 1. there was a link between thimerosal and autism, and 2. that thimerosal was still being used in most vaccines.
So you are defending RFK's ignorant anti-vac stance by citing a CDC action from 14 years ago. Well, the CDC didn't say that thimerosal had any connection to autism, which is what RFK has alleged.
In fact, here's what the CDC said in 2010:
A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that prenatal and infant exposure to vaccines and immunoglobulins that contain thimerosal does not increase risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). "Prenatal and Infant Exposure to Thimerosal from Vaccines and Immunoglobins and Risk of Autism" is published in the October 2010 print edition of Pediatrics [PDF 363 KB] (published online September 13, 2010). http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/Thimerosal/QA_Pediatrics-thimerosal-autism.html
"How much did you hear about Mercury and vaccinations before RFK Jr. started to bring up the issue?" you write.
Well, not much, because Thimerasol is mercury derived, and the CDC has determined that it has NO connection to autism, so why bring it up?
BTW - you mention the American Academy of Pediatrics' position in 1999. Here's an update to their 1999 position on Thimerosal:
Pediatricians fight ban on thimerosal in vaccines
Published December 17, 2012
Reuters
A mercury-containing preservative should not be banned as an ingredient in vaccines, U.S. pediatricians said Monday, in a move that may be controversial.
In its statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsed calls from a World Health Organization (WHO) committee that the preservative, thimerosal, not be considered a hazardous source of mercury that could be banned by the United Nations.
Back in 1999, a concern that kids receiving multiple shots containing thimerosal might get too much mercury - and develop autism or other neurodevelopmental problems as a result - led the AAP to call for its removal, despite the lack of hard evidence at the time.
"It was absolutely a matter of precaution because of the absence of more information," said Dr. Louis Cooper, from Columbia University in New York, who was on the organization's board of directors at the time.
"Subsequently an awful lot of effort has been put into trying to sort out whether thimerosal causes any harm to kids, and the bottom line is basically, it doesn't look as if it does," Cooper, who wrote a commentary published with the AAP's statement, told Reuters Health.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/12/17/pediatricians-fight-ban-on-thimerosal-in-vaccines/#ixzz2IAD1ZoVo
Once again, Octafish, you would benefit by getting with the program and keeping up on things that you elect to discuss.