Saturday, July 23, 2005

Mercury And Autism-Part III

There was recently a protest in Washington, D.C., that got precous little press coverage, as it involves families who have very serious reservations pertaining to the latest pronouncements of the Centers For Disease Control, and other organs of government. In effect, concerning the effects of the use of mercury in childhood vacinnes, and the potential link to the recent escalation in cases of autism in children, which they would have us believe is non-existent. There is no scientific evidence to establish any such link, they say.

So why was the use of mercury discontinued, if that were the case? Just to be on the safe side? Just in case? Seems unlikely, as the properties of mecury would otherwise make it amenable for continued use, otherwise it would not have been utilized to begin with. And, indeed, it is still being used in a number of booster shots, and in some flu vaccines. Why is this the case? Does common sense not dictate the use of caution? Why take such a chance? Or is this the reason for the CDC's denials? Again, is it a matter of money overriding the true public interest, even that of the health of the nations children?

Then, there is the issue of overseas sending of these vaccines to foreign countries that are expriencing epidemics. This could indeed cause a real diplomatic nightmare for the U.S. in the future. And it could also cause a future settlement in the hundreds of billions of dollars to be appropriate, possibly necessitating a government bail out of the entire pharmaceutical industry. The only other option might be seeing our pharmaceutical industry giants being forced to sell out, possibly to foreign companies, whose hands the nations health might then be in the grip of.
But even if the pharmaceutical companies survive, or are replaced with other domestic companies, this will not make up for the lives of thousands, possibly tens of thousands of families, both here and abroad,whose lives may have been ruined forever by this gross neglect and abuse.

If it is the truth, that is. But the concerns of these parents should be heard, and given all due consideration. The claims should be investigated, not by the CDC, or the FDA, or any other such agency which is little more than a wholly owned subsidiarie of the pharmaceuatcal industry. But by the Justice Department itself. Nor would live hearings before Congress be wholly inappropriate.