Bush Set to Veto HHS-Labor-Education Appropriations Bill Due to Provision to Remove Mercury From Infant Vaccines
SafeMinds and autism community call the White House declaration
'irresponsible and dangerous'
WASHINGTON, July 18/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to the
Congressional Quarterly, the White House stated on Tuesday that President
Bush would veto the HHS-Labor-Education Appropriations Bill because of the
cost and "objectionable provisions" such as a measure to ban the use of
childhood flu vaccines that contain thimerosal, a mercury-based
preservative.
Autism advocacy groups are outraged because President Bush stated in a
questionnaire during his 2004 campaign: "I support the removal of
Thimerosal from vaccines on the childhood national vaccine schedule. During
a second term as President, I will continue to support increased funding to
support a wide variety of research initiatives aimed at seeking definitive
causes and/or triggers of autism. It is important to note that while there
are many possible theories about causes or triggers of autism, no one
material has been definitely included or excluded."
But since 2005, President Bush has steadfastly refused to issue an
Executive Order banning high amounts of mercury in vaccines that would
protect children and pregnant women despite repeated requests from the
autism community that he uphold his campaign promise. Under his current
administration, mercury has been and will continue to be knowingly injected
into the youngest of American citizens. The controversial
mercury-containing preservative thimerosal has been linked by thousands of
parents as being the cause of their children's mercury poisoning and
autism.
The flu vaccine which continues to be manufactured with mercury is
recommended for all pregnant women, infants and children despite the fact
that the Institute of Medicine in 2001 recommended against the policy of
exposing these same sensitive groups to thimerosal containing vaccines.
According to the EPA, one in every six women of childbearing age already
has blood levels of mercury high enough to cause neurological damage to
their unborn children due to environmental exposures alone. "Injecting even
more mercury into the bodies of pregnant women, infants and children when
it is not a necessary component of vaccines is just bad medicine," said Lyn
Redwood, president of SafeMinds and parent of a mercury-injured child. "It
defies logic that a flu vaccine must be disposed of as a hazardous waste if
it is not used, but somehow injecting the same mercury-containing vaccine
into a baby is safe."
SOURCE SAFE MINDS
http://www.safeminds.org
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http://www.safeminds.org