Mercury and Aluminum and Squalene, Oh My!

This week, millions of doses of the vaccine for H1N1 - or swine flu - will begin to be dispersed across the United States. Media hype has cultivated fear and anxiety over the possibility of a swine flu pandemic but what you are not hearing is what hundreds of healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses, scientists, researchers, advocates and activists are learning and speaking out about the vaccination and the alleged health crises.

The Fourth International Public Conference on Vaccination hosted by the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) has been a powerful, empowering, and enlightening event. Dozens of professionals from all walks of life have come together to share science and research, knowledge and experience to educate and inform on vaccination. Hot among the topics is the forthcoming H1N1 (swine flu) vaccination.

Without a doubt, there are serious concerns about the safety and efficacy of this vaccination, not to mention questions about the origins of the virus and the motivation for whipping up public fear and for the mass production of the vaccination itself. Conference Speaker Dr. Joe Mercola points out that, among other concerns, adjuvants in the vaccination include thimerosal (mercury), as well as squalene which has been associated with devastating autoimmune problems as well as with arthritis, memory loss, and neuropsychiatric problems. Conference speaker and Emmy award-winning investigative reporter Gary Matsumoto published a book on the dangerous toxic effects of squalene. The new H1N1 vaccination will contain both thimerosal and aluminum, in addition to squalene, increasing the toxicity of the shot. Each shot is reported to contain 25 mcg of mercury, 250 times the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) safety limit. Adding aluminum and formaldehyde to the mix complicates the possibility of adverse effects. According to an article published in the International Journal of Clinical Investigation (2005), those receiving regular flu shots for 3 to 5 years had a ten-fold increase in the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to those receiving no flu shots. Click here for a recent video about the risks of these neurotoxins from an expert on infectious diseases.

Becoming educated and refusing to be part of media hype is the first step for every parent to take. Of course, staying away from the hype will be much harder this time around. Several speakers at the NVIC Conference mentioned the CDC's 12 million media campaign, including Elmo and Sesame Street, to advocate for vaccination of children. Click here for more information and find out what more and more parents are learning about the safety of the H1N1 vaccination and about the swine flu "pandemic".