OBT Magazine

Parents and pregnant women around the country are rightfully disturbed about the shortage of vaccine for H1N1. The nightly news is filled with stories about people lining up to get the few supplies they can find, and panicky parents are scouring their regions for the vaccine, fearful that their child might end up hooked up to a ventilator otherwise.

Nevertheless, these fears about swine flu, or even garden-variety seasonal flu, have not kept many parents from refusing to subject themselves or their child to any vaccine containing the preservative thimerosal. This despite zero evidence that there is any danger at all from the additive. Instead, there is extensive safety data that shows that the vaccine is far safer than the flu itself, and thimerosal makes it even safer:

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says the only danger is "a myth that has been propagated." Fauci says the real danger is not using the preservative. Thimerosal actually protects the vial that is stuck several times with a needle.

Thimerosal fear is clearly widespread. A recent CBS News poll found that 51% of Americans say they are not very likely to get the swine flu vaccine, and more than a third of parents are not likely to vaccinate their children--even though three out of four respondents viewed the H1N1 virus as a serious problem. New York State recently dropped a requirement that all health workers get the H1N1 vaccine after outcries from some who feared it might be unsafe--and these are supposedly educated health care consumers.

These unfounded fears could make a bad situation much worse. The U.S. is already suffering from a refusal to use adjuvants that could double the potency of the H1N1 vaccine, thus stretching available supplies. Adjuvants are chemical compounds, usually oil and water emulsions, that boost the human body's immune response to the vaccine's active ingredient so more doses can be made. There is 12 years of safety data behind them, and they are widely used in Europe, where there is no vaccine shortage as a result. But the fear in the U.S. of vaccine additives, and even vaccines themselves, has kept the FDA from approving any adjuvant-laced flu vaccine, because it might make the populace even more reluctant to get the shots.

Before refusing a vaccine containing thimerosal, parents should keep in mind that 36,000 people die in the U.S. every year from seasonal flu. Since April, about 1,000 people have died from swine flu, including 96 children. Deaths from the swine flu vaccine: 0. If you're worried about the vaccine, or H1N1, take the time to educate yourself about the flu, the vaccine, and the risk factors for both.
Here's some links, and excerpts:

From the surgeon general's official www.flu.gov site, dispelling myths about thimerosal:

Thimerosal is a very effective preservative that has been used since the 1930s to prevent contamination in some multi-dose vials of vaccines. 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. The 2009-H1N1 influenza vaccines that FDA has licensed will be manufactured in several formulations, including pre-filled, single-dose syringes and nasal sprayers along with multi-dose vials. Only multi-dose vials of seasonal influenza vaccine will contain thimerosal to prevent potential contamination after the vial is opened.

From the CDC's H1N1 information site:

Thimerosal is an important preservative that protects vaccines against potential microbial contamination, which may occur in opened multi-dose vials of vaccine. Such contamination could cause serious illness or death. Since seasonal influenza vaccine is produced in large quantities for annual immunization campaigns, some of the vaccine is produced in multi-dose vials, and contains thimerosal to safeguard against possible contamination of the vial once it is opened. Three leading federal agencies (CDC, FDA, and NIH) have reviewed the published research on thimerosal and found it to be a safe product to use in vaccines. Three independent organizations [The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)] reviewed the published research and also found thimerosal to be a safe product to use in vaccines. The scientific community supports the use of thimerosal in influenza vaccines.

I admit to being on a bit of a crusade against the anti-vaccine forces. Here's a link to an earlier post (some might say rant) of mine on the issue.For a well-researched article dissecting the anti-vaccine hysteria, read Wired's lastest cover story, "An Epidemic of Fear: How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endangers Us All" (better, yet, buy the magazine, the whole package is very good).If you want some really detailed insight into the safety and effectiveness of flu vaccines from someone with the credentials to know, head over to the excellent blog Science-Based Medicine and read Flu Vaccine Efficacy by Dr. Mark Crislip, an infectious disease specialist in Portland, Oregon.