Articles

[kim]

http://money.excite.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_ge.jsp...t&date=20060213

 

Feb 13, 3:13 PM (ET)

 

By DAVE CARPENTER

 

CHICAGO (AP) - Not long after disclosing that its french fries contain more

trans fat than thought, McDonald's Corp. (MCD

<http://money.excite.com/jsp/qt/short.jsp?symbol_search_text=MCD> ) said

Monday that wheat and dairy ingredients are used to flavor the popular menu

item - an acknowledgment it had not previously made.

[kim]

Original document was sent in MS Word, thus the odd format herein.

Proposed bill can be enjoyed at url in cite 34.

 

This post may be forwarded hither and yon.

 

Teresa

 

* * * *

 

Limiting Mercury in vaccines

SB06-099

 

 

to: John Evans

<jevanslaw@aol.com>

<john.evans.senate@state.co.us>

 

cc: Bob Hagedorn © <SenBob@msn.com>

Deanna Hanna (VC) <deanna.hanna.senate@state.co.us>

Steve Johnson <steve.johnson.senate@state.co.us>

Shawn Mitchell <shawn.mitchell.senate@state.co.us>

Paula Sandoval <paula.sandoval.senate@state.co.us>

Brandon Shaffer <brandon.shaffer.senate@state.co.us>

Kiki Traylor <kiki.traylor.senate@state.co.us>

 

 

fr: Teresa Binstock <binstock@peakpeak.com>

Researcher in Developmental & Behavioral Neuroanatomy

P.O. Box 1788

Estes Park CO 80517

 

As your committee considers SB06-099 (34), please consider several points:

 

A. The CDC’s 1999 study found statistically significant associations

between thimerosal injections and a range of neurologic problems,

including but not limited to attention deficits, language problems,

sleep disorders, tics, and autism (1).

 

B. The CDC proceeded deliberately to dilute its own 1999 findings (eg,

2-5).

 

C. “Pediatrics”, a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics,

published the diluted-data rendition of the CDC’s findings as

Verstraeten et al 2003 (6).

 

D. FOIA evidence presented in court documents includes a CDC-IOM meeting

transcript indicating that conclusions for the IOM’s second thimerosal

hearing were predetermined by the CDC, which hired the IOM to

orchestrate the IOM’s second thimerosal hearing (7, see also 8).

 

Thus, public record indicates that the primary basis of rationales

alleging thimerosal’s lack of adverse effects is rooted in CDC data that

CDC employees diluted. Were a medical school researcher to deliberately

dilute data, he or she would be promptly barred from the laboratory.

Furthermore, recent U.S. history offers precedents in suppressing data

damaging to financial interests and in the recruitment of physicians and

researchers willing to cooperate with those same financial interests on

behalf of hiding data showing adverse effects (eg, 9).

 

Conclusion: The toxic load of pregnant women is increasing, as are the

numbers of toxins in infants and others (eg, 10-27). Thus, thimerosal –

which is 49.6% ethylmercury by weight (reviewed in 28) – ought not be

added to the toxic load within the bodies of women, fetus, infants, and

toddlers. I encourage this Senate committee and the Colorado legislature

to pass legislation banning or severely limiting physicians’ and nurses’

ability to inject thimerosal, a known neurotoxin (eg, 29-33), into

humans in Colorado.

 

 

References:

 

1. CDC documents obtained by FOIA, critiqued by Mark Blaxill of

Safeminds.org

http://www.safeminds.org/Generation%20Zero%20Syn.pdf

http://www.safeminds.org/Generation%20Zero%20Pres.pdf

 

2. http://www.safeminds.org/legislation/foia/simpsonwood.html

 

3. http://www.safeminds.org/research/past.html

 

4. http://www.generationrescue.org/mercury_myths14.html

 

5. http://www.momsonamissionforautism.org/ind...ds.critique.pdf

 

6. Verstraeten T et al. Safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines: a

two-phased study of computerized health maintenance organization

databases. Pediatrics. 2003 Nov;112(5):1039-48.

 

7. Closed Meeting Transcript of IOM - Immunization Safety Review Committee

http://www.nomercury.org/iom.htm

 

8. Congressman David Weldon (R-Fla) speech to Autism One conference

http://www.autisminfo.com/WeldonAutismOne2004.htm

 

9. Exposed: The Secret Corporate Funding Behind Health Research

Academics and the media have failed dismally to ask the crucial question

of scientists' claims: who is paying you?

by George Monbiot

Tuesday, February 7, 2006 by the Guardian/UK

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1704107,00.html

 

10. Bosman J. Reporters Find Science Journals Harder to Trust, but Not

Easy to Verify.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/13/business.../13journal.html

 

 

11. Marsee, K, TJ Woodruff, DA Axelrad, AM Calafat, and SH Swan. 2006.

Estimated Daily Phthalate Exposures in a Population of Mothers of Male

Infants Exhibiting Reduced Anogenital Distance. Environmental Health

Perspectives, in press.

http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NewScience/...5marseeetal.htm

 

12. One in five women of childbearing age for mercury in a national

survey have levels exceeding the EPA's recommended limit. The more fish

they ate, --including store-bought fish, canned tuna and locally caught

fish-- the higher their levels. An Investigation of Factors Related to

Levels of Mercury in Human Hair.

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/press/report...n-of-factors-re

 

13. North American children remain at risk from environmental exposures.

Data show a rising number of childhood asthma cases across North

America. Lead levels have improved but paint hazards remain. Mexico

faces large challenges in water and sanitation. Children’s health and

the environment in North America. Published by North American Commission

for Environmental Cooperation. 4 February 2006.

http://www.cec.org/pubs_docs/documents/ind...english&ID=1917

 

14. A cocktail of harmful toxic chemicals has been found inside every

person tested in a Canada-wide study. Many of the chemicals discovered

in the bodies of Canadians are associated with cancer, hormone

disruption, reproductive disorders, respiratory illnesses and harming

the development of children. Toxic Nation. Pollution, It's in You!

Published by Environmental Defence Canada. 19 January 2006.

http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/toxicnation/home.php

 

15. Tap water in 42 states is contaminated with more than 140 chemicals

lacking safety standards. Public health officials have not set safety

standards for these chemicals, even though millions drink them every

day. A national assessment of tap water quality. Published by

Environmental Working Group. 20 December 2005.

http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/findings.php

 

16. CDC's biomonitoring report reveals continued presence of several

long-banned chemicals, such as PCBs and DDT, in people in the US.

Children had higher levels than adults of phthalates and organophosphate

pesticides. Disparities among racial/ethnic groups continue to be a

concern, with Mexican Americans, Non-Hispanic Blacks and Non-Hispanic

Whites showing different patterns of exposures to several chemicals.

LDDI analysis – CDC biomonitoring. Published by The Learning and

Developmental Disabilities Initiative. 11 November 2005.

http://www.iceh.org/LDDISummaryCDC.html

 

17. The first US study to test household dust for a new and wide variety

of chemicals found disturbing evidence of toxic chemicals in ordinary

homes across the country. This study shows that the US federal

regulatory system has failed in protecting people from exposure to

hazardous chemicals including toxic flame retardants, pesticides, and

hormone disrupting chemicals. Sick of dust. Published by Safer Products

Project. 24 October 2005

http://www.safer-products.org/page.php?p=dust

 

18. A European-wide family bloodtesting survey found a total of 73

man-made hazardous chemicals in the blood of 13 families (grandmothers,

mothers and children) from 12 European countries. The highest number of

chemicals was detected in the grandmothers' generation (63). However,

the younger generation had more chemicals in their blood (59) than their

mothers (49), and some chemicals were found at their highest levels in

the children. Generations X. Published by World Wildlife Fund - UK. 6

October 2005

http://www.panda.org/campaign/detox/news_p...m?uNewsID=23635

 

19. Environmental contaminants in breast milk. Nickerson K. J Midwifery

Womens Health. 2006 Jan-Feb;51(1):26-34.

 

20. Determination of organochlorine pesticide residues in the blood of

healthy individuals. Charlier CJ, Plomteux GJ. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2002

Apr;40(4):361-4.

 

21. Tests on blood taken from the umbilical cords of nearly 30 new-born

babies and from more than 40 new mothers revealed contamination in every

sample of mother or baby blood tested. All umbilical cords contained a

minimum of five of the 35 chemicals tested for, some contained as many

as 14. Two of the mothers tested had 17 of the 35 chemicals in their

blood. A present for life: Hazardous chemicals in cord blood. Published

by Greenpeace International, World Wildlife Fund - UK. 8 September 2005.

http://www.wwf-uk.org/news/n_0000001830.asp

 

22. A new study confirms that chemical exposure begins in the womb, as

hundreds of industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides are pumped

back and forth from mother to baby through umbilical cord blood.

Laboratory tests of 10 American Red Cross cord blood samples found an

average of 200 contaminants. The pollutants included mercury, fire

retardants, pesticides and the Teflon chemical PFOA. In total, the

babies' blood had 287 chemicals, including 209 never before detected in

cord blood. The Pollution in Newborns. Published by Environmental

Working Group. 14 July 2005

http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/newsrelease.php

 

23. Children as young as nine years old are not only contaminated with a

cocktail of hazardous man-made chemicals but can have higher

concentrations of certain newer chemicals than older generations. Of the

104 chemicals analysed, 80 were detected - children were found to have

75 chemicals in their blood, 75 were found in parents and 56 in

grandmothers. Contaminated: the next generation. Published by World

Wildlife Fund - UK. 10 October 2004.

http://www.wwf.org.uk/News/n_0000001359.asp

 

24. Very few women’s health concerns, including the effects of exposure

passed from mother to fetus, are taken into account when government

agencies or corporations set 'safe' exposure levels. A new report

reveals how women and their families are exposed in homes and

neighborhoods, at work, in the broader community, and across the state.

Confronting Toxic Contamination in Our Communities: Women’s Health and

California’s Future. Published by Women's Foundation of California. 10

October 2003.

http://www.womensfoundca.org/fullreport10_7.pdf

 

25. Hooper K, She J. Lessons from the polybrominated diphenyl ethers

(PBDEs): precautionary principle, primary prevention, and the value of

community-based body-burden monitoring using breast milk. Environ Health

Perspect. 2003 Jan;111(1):109-14.

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2003/5438/5438.html

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2003/5438/5438.pdf

 

26. Landrigan P et al. Chemical contaminants in breast milk and their

impacts on children's health: an overview. Environ Health Perspect. 2002

Jun;110(6):A313-5.

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2002/110p...rigan-full.html

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2002/110p...110pA313PDF.PDF

 

27. Suzuki G, Nakano M, Nakano S. Distribution of PCDDs/PCDFs and

Co-PCBs in human maternal blood, cord blood, placenta, milk, and adipose

tissue: dioxins showing high toxic equivalency factor accumulate in the

placenta. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2005 Oct;69(10):1836-47.

http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bbb/69...9_1836/_article

http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bbb/69/10/1836/_pdf

 

28. Bernard et al. Autism: a novel form of mercury poisoning. Med

Hypotheses. 2001 Apr;56(4):462-71.

 

29. Baskin et al. Thimerosal induces DNA breaks, caspase-3 activation,

membrane damage, and cell death in cultured human neurons and

fibroblasts. Toxicol Sci. 2003 Aug;74(2):361-8

http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/repri...61af3f4eff26c25

 

30. Waly et al. Activation of methionine synthase by insulin-like growth

factor-1 and dopamine: a target for neurodevelopmental toxins and

thimerosal.

Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Apr;9(4):358-70.

 

31. Havarinasab S, Hultman P. Organic mercury compounds and autoimmunity.

Autoimmun Rev. 2005 Jun;4(5):270-5.

 

32. Mutter J et al. Mercury and autism: accelerating evidence? Neuro

Endocrinol Lett. 2005 Oct;26(5):439-46.

 

33. Burbacher TM et al. Comparison of blood and brain mercury levels in

infant monkeys exposed to methylmercury or vaccines containing

thimerosal. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Aug;113(8):1015-21.

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2005/7712/7712.html

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2005/7712/7712.pdf

 

34.SB06-099

http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics2006A/csl....file=099_01.pdf

[kim]

Scientists study mercury's links to autism, Alzheimer's

Monday, February 13, 2006

KATHERINE BOUMA <kbouma@bhamnews.com>

*News staff writer

http://www.al.com/living/birminghamnews/in...9370.xml&coll=2

*

 

Between 2000 and 2004 the number of American babies born to mothers with

unsafe levels of mercury increased from an estimated 60,000 to 320,000

and then 640,000.

 

Mercury did not become hazardous or prevalent only in this decade. But

now, scientists are looking at it from more angles than ever and finding

more trouble than before.

 

No one can say for certain what was the tipping point to make mercury a

hot topic of this decade, but it is certain that across the nation, fish

standards are being tightened, mercury bans are being enacted, and

industrial sources are being challenged to clean up their stacks.

 

Boyd Haley, an expert on mercury at the University of Kentucky, believes

that the controversy over autism brought mercury to the top of many

agendas.

 

Haley, who believes that mercury will be ultimately linked to autism,

Alzheimer's disease and other neurological problems, has been studying

mercury in dental fillings for many years. But, he says, it took the

unlikely event of a congressman's grandson's autism to get his work any

attention.

 

U.S. Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., has become a champion of parents and

scientists who believe that autism is caused by mercury, most likely in

a preservative used in childhood vaccines. Burton speaks before Congress

and in other venues on the meteoric rise in autism rates in the United

States, increasing 500 percent or more since the early 1990s.

 

"It has sensitized people to the fact that exposure to very low levels

of mercury to infants in utero or infants at birth can be disastrous,"

said Haley, a chemistry professor and researcher on mercury in the brain.

 

Until 2002, mercury was present in most infant and childhood vaccines

because it was used in the preservative thimerosal. Then in 1999, the

American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service called

for drug companies to voluntarily remove thimerosal from vaccines, after

a federal study determined that children on the recommended vaccine

schedule would exceed recommended mercury doses.

 

Scientists are still studying a link between autism and thimerosal,

which has not been proven. It is known that mercury can cause birth

defects, including retardation and learning disorders. It can damage the

brain and kidneys.

 

In 2004, two important conclusions were announced. The FDA stated that

five types of fish were unsafe for children and pregnant women. Most -

tilefish, shark, swordfish and king mackerel - are not common in the

American diet. But the list also included tuna, including the canned

variety that is one of the top-selling American fish.

 

Also that year, the EPA announced that, based on women's mercury levels,

one in six pregnancies was exposed to mercury above its safe level.

 

That may be the catalyst for much of the current interest in mercury,

said Jackie Savitz director of the Campaign to Stop Seafood

Contamination for Oceana.

 

"Of all the chemicals we hear about - PCBs, mercury, chemicals that come

from oil - mercury is the only one that is in our food supply at levels

the government deems unsafe," Savitz said. "FDA has only issued an

advisory about fish for one chemical."

 

Power plant emissions Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of

mercury in the environment of the United States. From there, as well as

other industrial sources such as chlorine plants, mercury enters the air

and rains down into the streams.

 

In recent years, so many state advisories have been issued against

eating sport fish that in some states there are no streams where fish

are considered safe for children or women in their childbearing years.

 

Alabama's standard gets tougher this spring, when the Department of

Public Health will issue new fish advisories. Some state scientists have

said that past tests show that nearly every stream tested is likely to

now fall into the danger zone.

 

Environmental Management Commissioner Pat Byington said he was compelled

to call for the tighter freshwater fish standard in Alabama after

discovering that the state was acting under an older Food and Drug

Administration rule instead of a more recent number from the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency.

 

In 2000, the National Academy of Sciences endorsed the EPA number, which

may be what drew the increasing attention of many nonprofit health and

environmental groups to mercury, said David Ludder, general counsel for

the Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation that works on mercury

issues in Alabama.

 

At the same time, mercury has come under fire in dental fillings, where

it can be as much as 50 percent of silver fillings. In recent years,

many states, including Alabama, have considered bans on the silver

fillings for children and pregnant women.

 

Mercury accumulates up the food chain in animals and is extremely

long-lived in the environment. So it's not likely that the issue that

has become so prominent in recent years will be resolved quickly.

 

Environmental groups have not been satisfied with the mercury reductions

on industry and power plants proposed by the EPA. And they want fish

warnings in the supermarkets. Others want the mercury out of dentistry.

 

And they want everyone to keep watching the continuing studies on mercury.

 

 

* What you can do to reduce your exposure to mercury*:

 

Before taking an immunization, ask the doctor whether a shot contains

thimerosal and if an alternative is available.

 

Pay attention to advisories issued by the Alabama Department of Public

Health before eating fish caught by friends or family in local lakes,

rivers or coastal areas.

 

The Food and Drug Administration advises that women and young children

not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish because they

contain high levels of mercury.

 

Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp,

canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.

 

Albacore or "white" tuna has more mercury. The FDA recommends no more

than 6 ounces a week.

 

Sources: The Food and Drug Administration, the Alabama Department of

Public Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics

 

 

© 2006 The Birmingham News

 

© 2006 al.com All Rights Reserved.

 

The material in this post is distributed without

profit to those who have expressed a prior interest

in receiving the included information for research

and educational purposes. For more information go to:

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

http://oregon.uoregon.edu/~csundt/documents.htm

If you wish to use copyrighted material from this email

for purposes that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain

permission from the copyright owner.

[kim]

The childhood food allergy mystery

Cases are on the rise, and no one knows why

 

BY ELLEN MITCHELL

SPECIAL TO NEWSDAY

February 21, 2006

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hsco...0,4166591.story

 

 

The theory is that because U.S. children "use antibacterial soap, get antibiotics at the first sign of a runny nose and are vaccinated for every potential thing out there," their immune systems do not spend time producing anti-infectious responses to all the diseases they will never get. Instead, their immune systems may be "shunting their responses to produce things [anti-infectious responses] which are more allergic in nature," Edwards said.

**************************

Artical about Dupont & POFA

 

 

February 21, 2006, 2006

 

The Weinberg proposal

 

http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/est...t_weinberg.html

 

 

Michaels agrees with Weinberg that the letter is a sales pitch, but he

adds that it originates from a "product defense firm" and is not about

science. "What is doesn't say here is, 'We'll get the science right,'"

he points out. "What it says is, 'We'll make sure the science comes out

in a way you want it.'" Michaels calls the letter one of the best

examples he has seen of what he calls a common business strategy: to

create scientific doubt in order to stave off lawsuits and regulatory

action.

[kim]

By MIKE STOBBE

The Associated Press

Tuesday, February 21, 2006; 8:12 PM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6022101460.html

 

 

ATLANTA -- An influential federal advisory panel recommended Tuesday

that U.S. infants be vaccinated against rotavirus, a common and

potentially fatal cause of childhood diarrhea and vomiting.

[kim]

http://www.newstarget.com/018744.html

 

In the world of health news, I'm not sure who's worse: Dishonest researchers

or illiterate science reporters. But in this case -- lucky us -- we get

both. The issue surrounds the reporting of a recent study on calcium

supplements in post-menopausal women conducted by the Women's Health

Initiative (WHI), a U.S. government program. According to practically

everybody in the mainstream press, the study shows little or no benefit of

taking calcium supplements. Here's a sampling of the headlines you may have

seen in the popular press:

[kim]

??? <Shari.Roan@latimes.com>

LATimes Staff Writer

February 27, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-...0,2636594.story

 

 

MATHEW BACON, 9, struggles with schoolwork, can't follow rules and

sometimes becomes violent, beating up younger kids and striking out at

his 5-year-old sister. He's been diagnosed with oppositional defiant

disorder, depression and ADHD.

 

Christina Tamez battles mood swings, attention problems and tics. At 13,

she's been diagnosed with bipolar depression, a condition recently

exacerbated by puberty. In sixth grade, she began threatening suicide.

[kim]

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

FEBRUARY 28, 2006

12:30 PM

 

 

 

*CONTACT: Environmental Working Group <http://www.ewg.org>

*(202) 667-6982

 

 

*Children's Drinks Contain Ingredients That Can Form Benzene

 

FDA silent despite of knowledge of the problem

Agency Trusted Industry to Change Formulas in 1990, Yet Still Finds

Sodas with Benzene*

 

http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0228-07.htm

 

WASHINGTON - February 28 - Today the Environmental Working Group (EWG)

sent a letter to the FDA

<http://www.commondreams.org/issues/toxics/20060228/letter20060228.php>

requesting that the Agency notify the public about the presence of two

ingredients in many popular children's drinks that can mix together to

form the cancer-causing chemical benzene. The FDA last addressed this

problem more than 15 years ago when it entered into a voluntary

agreement with the beverage industry to reformulate its products to

avoid the presence of this hazardous mixture. It appears, based on news

reports and a sampling by EWG of popular children's drinks from retail

outlets, that many manufacturers have not complied.

 

List of drinks

 

http://www.ewg.org/issues/toxics/20060228/list.php

[kim]

“Early Downward Trends in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Following Removal

of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines”

http://www.jpands.org/vol11no1/geier.pdf

 

---------------------------------

 

Study Shows Decline in Neurodevelopmental Disorders After Removal of

Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines

 

Two Unrelated Government Databases Show Same Downward Trend in Autism Cases

 

A new study published today (3/1/06) shows that the rate of

neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) in children has decreased following

removal of thimerosal, a preservative containing the neurotoxin mercury,

from American childhood vaccines. The study, published in the Journal of

American Physicians and Surgeons, a peer reviewed journal, by Dr. Mark

Geier and David Geier examined two independent databases maintained by

the government – one national and one state.

[kim]

http://tinyurl.com/rzbz6

 

 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Wed Mar 1, 12:10 AM ET

 

 

 

Correspondence newly obtained under the Freedom of Information Act raises troubling new questions about CDC's role in the Thimerosal scandal. Thimerosal is the mercury-based vaccine preservative that has been linked to epidemics of neurological disorders, including autism, in American children born after 1989.

 

 

Responding to scientific studies linking dangerous levels of mercury to a range of health disorders, the CDC in July 1999 recommended that the nation's vaccine makers eliminate Thimerosal as a preservative, "as soon as possible."

 

But the newly released documents show that behind the scenes CDC was quietly discouraging Thimerosal's removal. In a July 1999 letter, vaccine producer SmithKline Beecham tells CDC that it is ready to produce non-Thimerosal DTP (Diptheria/Tetanus/Pertussis) vaccines immediately and has sufficient inventories to supply the entire U.S. market during the remainder of 1999 and the first half of 2000, by which time other vaccine manufacturers would have their Thimerosal-free DTP vaccines on line.

 

Thimerosal-laden DTP vaccines containing 25 micrograms of mercury apiece were then being administered to American infants at two months, four months and six months -- far exceeding EPA's recommended safe level for mercury. Had CDC accepted SmithKline's offer, it could have immediately reduced the mercury exposures to vaccinated six-month-old children by 40%.

 

However, in November, CDC mysteriously sent a letter back rejecting SmithKline's offer. Then,

 

************************

 

 

 

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Joins A-CHAMP Demand for Senate Investigation of

CDC's Failure to Remove Mercury From Vaccines

 

Newly Disclosed Documents Show CDC Ignored Industry Offers of

Mercury-free Vaccines

Despite Agency's Own Safety Warning

 

New York, NY - Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. today joined Advocates for

Children's Health Affected by Mercury Poisoning (A-CHAMP), in demanding

Senate investigations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) obstruction in removing mercury from children's vaccines. This

joint announcement comes following the disclosure of correspondence

showing the agency declined the opportunity to provide mercury-free

vaccines within months of the 1999 recommendation by the U.S. Public

Health Service (PHS) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to remove

the neurotoxin thimerosal (mercury) from pediatric vaccines "as soon as

possible." You can read the 1999 PHS/AAP Joint Statement

<http://www.a-champ.org/documents/CDCthimerosalremoval.pdf> by clicking

HERE <http://www.a-champ.org/documents/CDCthimerosalremoval.pdf>.

 

Newly obtained documents reveal that three weeks after the PHS/AAP

statement, SmithKline Beecham (SB), now GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), sent a

letter to the CDC echoing thimerosal worries, and indicated that the

DTaP vaccine was of particular concern. The vaccine maker offered a

partial solution with thimerosal-free Infanrix, stating that it could be

produced to meet the U.S. demand at least through the first half of

2000, bringing the AAP, CDC, and PHS "much closer to their stated

objectives of thimerosal free vaccines in the U.S." You can read the

SmithKline Beecham letter

<http://www.a-champ.org/documents/SKBtoCDC7_31_99.pdf> by clicking HERE

<http://www.a-champ.org/documents/SKBtoCDC7_31_99.pdf>.

 

The CDC's response in November, 1999 declined SB's offer, indicating it

would "continue to provide the States with a choice among currently

licensed brands of DTaP." You can read the CDC's letter in response to

the SmithKline Beecham letter

<http://www.a-champ.org/documents/CDCtoSKB11_26_99.pdf> by clicking HERE

<http://www.a-champ.org/documents/CDCtoSKB11_26_99.pdf>.

 

"The CDC failed to make child safety its priority", said Robert F.

Kennedy Jr. "When manufacturers offered to supply vaccines that could

substantially reduce the amount of mercury infants and children were

given via vaccination, the agency basically said 'thanks but no thanks.'

The Senate must fulfill its oversight responsibility to determine the

propriety of the CDC's actions after the discovery that mercury content

in vaccines exceeded safety guidelines, placing children at risk of

neurological injury."

 

Regarding the CDC's apparent failure to heed its own mandate to provide

safer pediatric vaccines, A-CHAMP Vice President Bobbie Manning

commented, "Even when handed the opportunity to prevent unnecessary

mercury exposure, this agency failed its obligation to keep children out

of harm's way."

 

A-CHAMP has provided substantial evidence to Senate and Congressional

offices over the last year regarding thimerosal toxicity and the CDC's

handling of relevant data. "We have been patiently waiting for action,"

said John Gilmore, A-CHAMP Board Member. "If Congress does not respond,

parents will mount a campaign for an independent investigation of CDC

conflicts of interest that permitted an entire generation of children to

be injured."

[kim]

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:

March 2, 2006 Contact:

Rita Shreffler, NAA (Nixa, MO) 417-818-9030

Wendy Fournier, NAA (Portsmouth, RI) 401-632-7523

 

 

New Study Supports Mercury-Autism Link as Documents Surface Showing

CDC's Refusal to Reduce Mercury Exposure Through Routine Shots in

1999, Says NAA

 

National Autism Association Calls for Senate Investigation of CDC

Malfeasance in Extending Use of Mercury in Kids' Vaccines

 

Nixa, MO - The National Autism Association (NAA) today joined other

advocacy organizations in calling for Senate investigations of the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding its

failure to remove thimerosal (mercury) from pediatric vaccines when

given the opportunity in 1999. This comes following a study released

this week showing reduced autism diagnoses coincide with the

reduction of mercury-containing vaccines given to children.

 

The study, conducted by Mark Geier, M.D. and David Geier and

published in the peer-reviewed Journal of American Physicians and

Surgeons, shows reduced autism rates since the removal of mercury

from most childhood vaccines. These findings bolster voluminous

studies and data confirming that increased use of mercury-containing

vaccines in the 1980's and 1990's led to an epidemic of neurological

disorders among American children.

 

In July of 1999, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) and American

Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a joint statement advising mercury

be removed from childhood vaccines "as soon as possible." Newly

uncovered documents reveal that just weeks after the PHS/AAP

recommendation, vaccine maker Smith Kline Beecham (now

GlaxoSmithKline) wrote to the CDC suggesting a significant reduction

of mercury exposure to children through use of the thimerosal-free

DTaP vaccine, Infanrix, which could meet the U.S. demand at least

until mid-2000. The CDC's refusal to accept this offer has left many

in the autism community outraged.

 

"Hundreds of thousands of children were denied access to thimerosal-

free shots because of the CDC's inexplicable decision to leave the

mercury in," stated NAA President Wendy Fournier. "This dereliction

of responsibility to our children's health is unacceptable. Congress

must ensure this agency is held accountable for its role in the

autism epidemic."

 

Joining the call for Senate hearings regarding CDC's handling of the

issue, environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. stated in an article

this week, "It's time for the CDC to come clean with the American

public. Its tactics of deception and obfuscation are jeopardizing the

credibility of the entire vaccine program, and therefore posing an

enormous danger to public health."

 

For more information, go to www.nationalautism.org

[kim]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/...60303205050.htm

 

Omega 3 Fatty Acids Influence Mood, Impulsivity And Personality, Study Indicates

 

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may influence mood, personality and behavior, according to results of a study presented today by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers at the 64th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Denver.

[kim]

http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul307.html

 

 

Before the US House of Representatives, March 3, 2006

 

Mr. Speaker, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously said, ³Sunlight

is the best disinfectant.² In order to shine sunlight on the practices of

the House of Representatives, and thus restore public trust and integrity to

this institution, I am introducing the "Sunlight Rule." This measure amends

House rules to ensure members have adequate time to study a bill before

being asked to vote on it. One of the chief causes of increasing public

cynicism is the way major pieces of legislation are brought to the floor

without members having an opportunity to read the bills. This is

particularly a problem with the Appropriations committee conference reports,

which are often rushed to the floor of the House in late-night sessions at

the end of the year. For example, just this past December the House voted on

the fiscal year 2006 Defense Appropriations conference report at

approximately four a.m. ­ just four hours after the report was filed. Yet

the report contained language dealing with avian flu, including

controversial language regarding immunity liability for vaccine

manufacturers, that was added in the House-Senate conference on the bill.

Considering legislation on important issues in this manner is a dereliction

of our duty as

[kim]

Immune System Cells May Be Cause of Asthma

 

http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-a...mmu/531583.html

 

WEDNESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- As medical technologies improve,

researchers are rooting out more information about possible causes of

common diseases, such as asthma.

[kim]

> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

>

> March 21, 2006, 12:01 a.m. EST

 

> CONTACT: Karen Finney

>

> (916) 734-9064

>

> karen.finney@...

 

> UC DAVIS STUDY WITH MICE LINKS THIMEROSAL

>

> WITH IMMUNE SYSTEM DYSFUNCTIO

>

> (Sacramento, Calif.) – A team of cell biologists, toxicologists and

> molecular bioscientists at the University of California, Davis, has

> published a study connecting thimerosal with disruptions in antigen-

> presenting cells known as dendritic cells obtained from mice. The

> study provides the first evidence that dendritic cells show

> unprecedented sensitivity to thimerosal, resulting in fundamental

> changes in the immune system's ability to respond to external

> factors. The study was published online today and will be available

> in the July print edition of Environmental Health Perspectives, the

> peer-reviewed scientific publication of the National Institute of

> Environmental Health Sciences.

>

> "This is the first time that thimerosal has been shown to

selectively

> alter the normal functions of dendritic cells," said Isaac Pessah,

a

> toxicologist with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine,

> director of the Children's Center for Environmental Health and

> Disease Prevention and senior author of the study. "Dendritic cells

> play pivotal roles in overcoming viral and bacterial invaders by

> coordinating the immune system's overall combat response." One

> dendritic cell can activate as many as 300 T-cells – white blood

> cells that help find and kill external agents that attack the

immune

> system – making them the most effective immune system activators.

>

> The study shows how intricate connections between calcium channels

in

> dendritic cells change when exposed to thimerosal. "The slightest

> fluctuation in how calcium channels `communicate' can alter the

> growth, maturation and activation of dendritic cells," explained

> Pessah. "Thimerosal dramatically alters how two key calcium

channels,

> code-named RyR1 and IP3R1, found in dendritic cells function as a

> team by `garbling' the normal signaling system between them."

>

> When thimerosal at a concentration as low as 20 parts per billion

> alters the fidelity of normal calcium signals, dendritic cells show

> abnormal secretion of IL-6 cytokine – a potent chemical signal that

> initiates inflammatory responses. Higher concentrations – 200 parts

> per billion – causes programmed death of dendritic cells,

preventing

> them from maturing and doing their primary job of activating T-

cells.

> Without proper feedback to guide its response, a normal dendritic

> cell can quickly become "a rogue, producing misinformation that

could

> activate aberrant and harmful immune responses," Pessah

> explained. "Even one rogue dendritic cell can activate many

> inappropriate immune responses."

>

> The research team conducted the study on cells cultured from a

strain

> of mouse not particularly susceptible to immune dysregulation.

Using

> fluorescent stains and powerful microscopes to study both immature

> and mature dendritic cells from bone marrow cultured under normal

> physiological conditions, the researchers discovered that extremely

> small levels of thimerosal interfere significantly with calcium

> channel function after just a few minutes of exposure. They also

> observed that immature dendritic cells are particularly sensitive

to

> thimerosal.

>

> Thimerosal is a cheap and effective mercury-based preservative. Its

> potential effects on embryonic neuron development led to its

removal

> from many pediatric vaccines, however it is still used in

influenza,

> diphtheria and tetanus vaccines, blood products and many over-the-

> counter pharmaceuticals. The concentrations of thimerosal used by

the

> UC Davis researchers were comparable to those attained in childhood

> vaccinations containing the preservative.

>

> Researchers and parents have previously proposed links between

> childhood vaccines and autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder that

> affects language skills and social interactions. In addition to

being

> a direct neurotoxicant, the UC Davis study indicates that

thimerosal

> may also be an immunotoxicant, leaving the immune system vulnerable

> to microbes and other external influences.

>

> "Our findings do not directly implicate thimerosal as a single

> causative agent for triggering neurodevelopmental disorders such as

> autism," Pessah said. "There is growing evidence that autism is

> several disorders that we now refer to as just one. There is also

> growing evidence that some children with autism have unique immune

> cell composition and responses to antigens. The results of our work

> provide a framework to test the hypothesis that the genetic

> background of some individuals may render them especially

susceptible

> to thimerosal."

>

> Other experts also advise drawing no final conclusions regarding

> thimerosal and autism based on these outcomes.

>

> "These findings should be interpreted cautiously. Although they

> suggest that thimerosal may affect dendritic cell function, the

> pathophysiological consequences of thimerosal remain unclear," said

> David A. Schwartz, a physician and director of the National

Institute

> of Environmental Health Sciences.

>

> Since cell functions can differ across organisms, Pessah will next

> study dendritic cells isolated from the blood of children with and

> without autism to confirm if the intercellular changes are the same

> in humans. The initial mouse study was funded by the National

> Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the UC Davis

M.I.N.D.

> Institute. Joining Pessah on the scientific team were molecular

> bioscientists Samuel R. Goth, Ruth A. Chu and Gennady

Cherednichenko

> and pathologist Jeffrey P. Gregg.

 

A copy of "Uncoupling of ATP-mediated Calcium Signaling

and Dysregulated IL-6 Secretion in Dendritic Cells by Nanomolar Thimerosal" can be downloaded at

http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/8881/abstract.html.

>

> # # #

>

> The NIEHS-funded Center for Children's Environmental Health and

> Disease Prevention is a multi-disciplinary research organization

> established to examine how toxic chemicals may influence the

> development of autism in children. The center's goal is to

contribute

> knowledge about autism that will lead to new prevention and

treatment

> strategies. For more information, visit

www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/cceh.

> The UC Davis M.I.N.D. (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental

> Disorders) Institute is a unique collaborative center bringing

> together parents, scientists, clinicians and educators for research

> on autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. For more

> information, visit www.mindinstitute.org.

 

***************

 

The Age of Autism: Allergic responses

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/lifesty...ergic_responses

WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- A plausible link is emerging between widely used childhood medicines and the risk of developing allergies and especially asthma. But you`d never know it from listening to federal health authorities or reading the mainstream press.