Weldon, Maloney Introduce Legislation Banning Mercury from Vaccines

Weldon, Maloney Introduce Legislation Banning Mercury from Vaccines

U.S. Reps. Dave Weldon, M.D. (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) today reintroduced H.R. 881, The Mercury Free Vaccines Act of 2007. As an increasing number of studies raise concerns about mercury exposure and the body's inability to eliminate mercury, the Weldon-Maloney bill aims to virtually eliminate such exposure from vaccines.

In 1999, the Public Health Service and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended the removal of thimerosal from child vaccines. Eight years later, thimerosal (50% mercury) still remains in some childhood vaccines - particularly the flu shot. Over the past two years, the CDC has significantly expanded the pediatric flu vaccine recommendations, significantly increasing the exposure of infants and children to mercury containing vaccines.

"While the FDA warns pregnant women about eating fish known to be high in mercury, the CDC is encouraging pregnant women to get a mercury-laced flu shot. It's long overdue that we ban the practice of injecting mercury into humans in general and infants and pregnant women in particular," said Weldon, a physician. "Today's bill sets in place a date by which mercury must be removed from all vaccines. Years of encouraging the CDC, vaccine manufacturers, and public health officials to completely remove mercury have been ignored. Perhaps the force of law is the only way to guarantee what is long overdue."

"It's a simple concept: kids shouldn't be given anything that's toxic. The pharmaceutical industry is starting to get the mercury out, but we need to know that it's gone without any doubt," said Maloney.

Mercury is a neurotoxin and is harmful to the developing central nervous system of fetuses and infants. The EPA found that 1-in-6 infants are born with a blood mercury level exceeding the level considered safe by the EPA.

The Legislation:
- Requires that beginning with the 2007/08 flu season, the flu shots for children under age three and pregnant women may not contain more than 1 microgram (mcg) of mercury;

- Requires that beginning with the 2008/09 flu season, the flu shots for children under age six and pregnant women may not contain more than 1mcg of mercury;

- Requires by July 1, 2008, all other routinely administered childhood vaccines, may not contain more than 1mcg of mercury, and on Jan 1, 2009, all pediatric, adolescent and adult vaccines that contain more than 1mcg of mercury are banned;

- Expresses the Sense of the Congress that the CDC should incorporate into its vaccine promotion messages, a recommendation against administering a mercury-containing vaccine to pregnant women.

Similar legislation is also expected to be introduced in the Senate in coming weeks.

http://weldon.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=57837