Are concerns about the H1N1 vaccine justified?

An ad from The Blaylock Wellness Report appeared in my mailbox tonight with an ominous warning about the new Swine Flu vaccination. A warning that I had never read before.  Dr. Russell Blaylock, a neurosurgeon, wrote that: “Flu vaccinations contain a full dose of mercury, the most toxic substance known to man. No amount of mercury is safe. Even very small amounts can weaken your immune system.” Being in one of the risk categories, I felt compelled to check out this warning.

I searched Google for the phrase “Flu vaccinations contain a full dose of mercury” and the first hit on the list of 32,000 results was from the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control with a Question & Answer formatted article about Thimerosol, a preservative used by pharmaceutical companies in multi-dose vials of vaccines. Here is what this official government web site has to say.

Thimerosal in Seasonal Influenza Vaccine

What is thimerosal?
Thimerosal is a very effective preservative that has been used since the 1930s to prevent contamination in some multi-dose vials of vaccines (preservatives are not required for vaccines in single dose vials). Thimerosal contains approximately 49% ethylmercury. There is no convincing evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site. However, in July 1999 the Public Health Service (PHS) agencies, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure.

Today, all routinely recommended licensed pediatric vaccines that are currently being manufactured for the U.S. market, with the exception of influenza vaccine, contain no thimerosal or only trace amounts. Thimerosal preservative-free influenza vaccines are available, but in limited quantities. The total amount of inactivated influenza vaccine available without thimerosal as a preservative will continue to increase as manufacturing capabilities are expanded.

Does the influenza vaccine contain thimerosal?
Yes, the majority of influenza vaccines distributed in the United States currently contain thimerosal as a preservative. However, some contain only trace amounts of thimerosal and are considered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be preservative-free. Manufacturers of preservative-free flu vaccine use thimerosal early in the manufacturing process. The thimerosal gets diluted as the vaccine goes through the steps in processing. By the end of the manufacturing process there is not enough thimerosal left in the vaccine to act as a preservative and the vaccine is labeled "preservative-free".

How much thimerosal-free influenza vaccine is expected to be available for the 2008-09 season?
For the 2008-09 season, manufacturers project producing as many as 50 million doses of thimerosal-free or preservative-free (trace thimerosal) influenza vaccine. Of these 50 million doses, approximately 20 million doses represent flu vaccine products that are licensed for use in children over 3 years of age.

The Milwaukee Wisonsin Journal Sentinel reports in a story by Raquel Rutledge, "Most flu shots contain mercury, but few know it
Experts say vaccine's benefits outweigh potential risk".

"Mercury causes tremendous damage to the brain," said Paul King, scientific adviser for the Coalition for Mercury-Free Drugs.”

“Mercury is among the most toxic heavy metals and is known to poison the central nervous system, liver, gastrointestinal tract and other systems in the body.”

“About 80% of all flu shots distributed in the United States contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal. Thimerosal consists of 49.6% ethyl mercury, an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal that allows manufacturers to sell the vaccine in large, multi-dose containers without fear of contamination.”

“A typical 0.5 milliliter flu shot contains 25 micrograms - or 50,000 parts per billion - of mercury. The EPA classifies a liquid with 200 parts per billion of mercury as hazardous waste. The limit for drinking water is 2 parts per billion.”

“Amid all the uncertainty and considering that mercury is a known neurotoxin, several states, such as California, Illinois and New York, have banned thimerosal in vaccines - including the flu shot - given to young children and pregnant women.”

Another web site called Public-Healthcare-Issues.suite101 contained an article titled "Unsafe Mercury Levels in the Swine Flu Vaccine"
Thimerosal in H1N1 Vaccinations Exceeds EPA Safety Recommendations.

They say “The (H1N1) swine flu virus vaccine comes in three different varieties. The intranasal dose is inhaled and contains no mercury. The multi-dose containers of swine flu vaccine meant for injection contain thimerosal, a mercury-derived preservative intended to prevent bacteria and fungi from growing in the vaccine between uses. The single-dose containers of swine flu vaccine intended for injection produced by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Limited contain trace amounts of mercury as well, while other single-dose formulations contain no mercury.”

Clearly, something wrong is going on but why is this being ignored  by the mainstream media? Has the news media forgotten the principles of good journalism? Somebody needs to ask questions.