Press Releases

For Immediate Release:

CONTACT:
Tami Freedman, Director
MERCURY BAN
(423) 704-2466, TamiFreedman@aol.com

Thirty-Four States Seek Banning of Mercury in Vaccines

The grassroots organization Mercury Ban is working toward a ban of mercury from infant and pregnant mom vaccines. We are joining forces with Americans in 23 states - parents of children with autism or other vaccine injuries and other concerned citizens - who are signing up on a daily basis to seek protection by state legislators from mercury injected into infants and young children.

Two states passed bans of mercury in vaccines in 2004: California and Iowa. Seven additional states had ongoing mercury ban legislation in 2004: Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Four other states are pursuing legislation into 2005: Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Ohio.

As 2005 starts, Mercury Ban representatives in the following 23 states are actively pursuing legislation to ban mercury in vaccines: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

******** (Comment: If you want to personalize for sending to your state’s media, please add the following paragraph, filling in the “blanks” where indicated. If not, remove this and the following paragraph and use as the national press release). ********

[Name(s)of person(s)] [is/are] working with Mercury Ban in [state] to find legislative sponsors for a bill in 2005 that would ban mercury from [state’s name] infant and pregnant mom vaccines. [Name] has a child who was injured by mercury-containing vaccines, and is [s/he] is working along with many other [state] parents and concerned citizens to help protect the children of [state].
 

These Americans know that there is an autism-mercury connection. In the early 1990’s, vaccines were added to the childhood immunization schedule that tripled the amount of mercury innumerable children received during “well baby” visits to the pediatrician. In mid-1999, the United States Public Health Service agencies (including NIH, FDA, HRSA, and CDC) worked with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and vaccine manufacturers to begin the voluntary removal of thimerosal from the vaccine supply. There was no recall. The FDA chose to allow Thimerosal-containing vaccines to remain on the shelf and to continue to be injected into American infants until expiration years later.

The rate of autism in U.S. schools from 1994 through 2004 rose over 500%.

As of January 2004, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the number of children with an autism spectrum disorder was 1 in 166. Care for these children is predicted to cost in the trillions of dollars. One family in 68 in our nation is now impacted. Also, as of January 2004, 1 child in 6 was diagnosed with a developmental disorder and/or behavioral problem. Both are epidemic.

In the spring of 2004, the CDC recommended that infants as young as 6-months old be given the Thimerosal-containing influenza vaccine. Congressman Dave Weldon (R-FL) sponsored legislation in the U.S. House to ban mercury in vaccines for infants and young children (HR4169). No similar legislation was sponsored in the U.S. Senate.

Now, almost six years from the FDA recommendation, we are still trying to get mercury out of vaccines. Our federal agencies have backpedaled on their own policy by recommending the use of the flu shot in children as young as 6 months. Most pediatric flu shots contain 12.5 mcg. of mercury. According to EPA guidelines for ingested (vs. injected) methyl mercury (vs. ethyl mercury) not likely to cause harm in adults, an infant or young child would need to be a 275 pound adult to receive this injection.

Because our federal agencies haven’t gotten the job of protecting America’s children done, American citizens in 34 states are working -- along with new people who volunteer every day -- to remove mercury from their states’ infant and pregnant mom vaccines. We are finding legislators who are glad to learn the truth about mercury in vaccines and who truly care. We hope they will sponsor legislation in all of these states to ban mercury in vaccines.

*** END OF PRESS RELEASE ***
 

[State Name] Ban Mercury Legislation Sponsored!
(Thanks to an awesome AL writer for help with this!!) This announces that Vaccine MERCURY BAN Legislation has been sponsored in your state!!  Please copy/paste this, fill in all pertinent information and send to all your state media!!  Also consider using the Legislative Packet like a MEDIA KIT!!  Provide one to each of newspaper editors in state, plus any broadcast or radio contacts who show an interest.

For Immediate Release:
(Date -- when legislation is sponsored)

CONTACT:
Tami Freedman, Director
MERCURY BAN
(423) 704-2466, TamiFreedman@aol.com
(or supply your State leader's name
and contact information above)

[State's name] Seeks Ban of Mercury in Vaccines

A ban on mercury in vaccines given to infants and pregnant women may soon be a reality in (state's name). Legislation has been filed in the (State's name) state legislature that will protect infants and young children from possible injury caused by vaccines containing mercury.

Americans in over 34 states including (add local names) of (state name) are working to see that all mercury and Thimerosal, an anti-microbial agent or "preservative" containing 49.6 percent ethyl mercury by weight, is completely banned from use.

"Our nation has seen a huge upsurge in the prevalence of developmental disorders in children since the early 1990s," said (quote along these lines from local person), a resident of (name of city, state) seeking to ban mercury from all vaccines. "That was the same period we had a tripling of mercury most vaccinated infants received."

(Name of Legislators who are sponsoring and possible quote from them)

(Quote legislative text, such as): The legislation reads, "within 180 days of the passage of this bill, all immunizations administered to any person, including pregnant women, in the State of (Name of State) shall not contain mercury, trace-amounts of mercury or preservatives containing mercury including but not limited to Thimerosal."

(Quote from local person about why they think ban is important)

Thimerosal was first added to vaccines in the 1930s; Leo Kanner "discovered" autism in the 1940s among children born in the 1930s. America went from no children with autism in 1930s to a January 2004 CDC A.L.A.R.M. that one in 166 children have autism spectrum disorders and one in six children have developmental or behavioral disorders. Both are epidemic.

Mercury and Thimerosal have been shown in thousands of scientific papers to be potent neurotoxins. Thimerosal was placed in many vaccines (e.g. Hepatitis B, DPT, HIB, among others) that are part of the childhood immunization schedule. From 1991 to 1999, the standard U.S. vaccination schedule provided 187.5 micrograms of mercury injected directly into most infants by age six months. Standard U.S. vaccines injected many American infants up to 138 times the EPA mercury guidelines at one sitting. Infants also received mercury at levels more than 50 times EPA mercury guidelines at multiple other sittings.

As early as 1983, David Kirby writes in his new book, Evidence of Harm, "Additional language is added to some labels (of Eli Lilly products containing Thimerosal): 'If you are pregnant or nursing a baby, seek the advice of a health professional before using this product.'"

Kirby also writes, "[In] 1999, Eli Lilly, printed their new Material Safety Data Sheet (or MSDS) for lab workers and emergency personnel on proper procedures for handling thimerosal. The preservative, it says, can cause: 'Nervous System and Reproduction Effects; Effects of exposure include fetal changes; Mercury poisoning may occur; Exposure in children may cause mild to severe mental retardation; Hypersensitivity to mercury is a medical condition aggravated by exposure; Hazardous substance, toxic waste disposal.'"

Faced with an epidemic rise in autism, the United States Public Health Service agencies (including NIH, FDA, HRSA, and CDC) worked with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and vaccine manufacturers to begin voluntary removal of Thimerosal from the vaccine supply beginning in mid-1999.

There was, however, no recall and the FDA chose to allow Thimerosal-containing vaccines to continue to be injected into American infants until expiration years later.

While most vaccine mercury has now been taken out, according to (state contact name) it could be reinstalled at any time since no federal or (state's name) law exists banning the neuro-toxic mercury from being injected into infants, pregnant women and other Americans.

In the spring of 2004, the CDC recommended infants as young as six-months, young children and pregnant women be given the Thimerosal-containing influenza vaccine. These pediatric flu shots contain 12.5 mcg. of mercury. According to EPA guidelines for ingested (vs. injected) methyl mercury (vs. ethyl mercury) guidelines in adults, an infant or young child would need to be a 275 pound adult to ingest this level of mercury. The schedule calls for two shots.

When the 2004 flu shot was announced, Congressman Dave Weldon (R-FL) immediately sponsored legislation in the U.S. House to ban mercury in vaccines for infants and young children (HR4169). No similar legislation was sponsored in the U.S. Senate, causing Americans in 34 states to actively seek legislation to ban mercury from vaccines on a statewide level.

"Because federal agencies haven't gotten the job of protecting America's children done, American citizens are working to remove mercury from their states' infant and pregnant mom vaccines," (quote along these lines from state leader) said. "We are excited that soon (name of state) will join Iowa and California in protecting their children by passing a ban on mercury in vaccines."

- End of Press Release -

WEBSITES FOR MEDIA RESEARCH & INVESTIGATION:

If the children in your state need you to help them with a MERCURY BAN, the media in your state need you to provide them with information of your efforts!!  Please take any of the info on this web and modify for your state!! Make a Media Kit out of the information supplied on Legislator Packet page. Remember, the media are our friends. They have children too!!  PLEASE KEEP MEDIA IN THE LOOP.  Media attention helps the legislators know this is an important issue to state voters. The kids need you and everyone needs a caring media.  Please contact them!!