PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: October 12, 2006

Contact: Rita Shreffler, NAA (Nixa, MO) 417-818-9030 Wendy Fournier, NAA (Portsmouth, RI) 401-632-7523

National Autism Association Encourages Parents of Vaccine-Injured Children to Participate in Upcoming ACIP Meeting
Use of mercury in vaccines scheduled for discussion on October 25 in Atlanta

Nixa, MO – The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet October 25 and 26 at the CDC in Atlanta. Parents of children injured by the vaccine preservative thimerosal (mercury) plan to attend the meeting to demand that mercury be removed from vaccines, especially from flu shots currently recommended for pregnant women and young children.

This past June, the committee made no recommendations for thimerosal-free flu shots despite numerous requests from parents who traveled from all parts of the country to make statements to committee members. In response to a written request from National Autism Association board member Lyn Redwood, the committee has placed thimerosal on the meeting agenda for Wednesday, October 25. “Our government agencies, including the CDC, have for years shown concern over elevated mercury levels in newborns, yet this committee continues to insist that injecting mercury into pregnant women and infants is safe. This is a mixed message that must be addressed for the sake of our children’s health,” commented Ms. Redwood. “I’m glad the ACIP has placed this critical topic on the agenda so that parents can have a voice in the discussion.”

While thimerosal has been phased out of some vaccines, this form of mercury is still used in some vaccines including most flu shots. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines indicate that the 25 micrograms of mercury contained in thimerosal-preserved flu shots is safe for an adult weighing 550 pounds. A growing number of parents and scientists believe that the increased use of mercury-containing vaccines starting in the late 1980’s has led to the huge rise in autism that now affects one in 166 children in America. “To caution women against eating too much fish during pregnancy while advising them to take a mercury injection sounds ridiculous, yet that is exactly what is happening with the flu shot,” according to Ann Brasher, NAA vice president and grandmother of a mercury-injured ten year old boy. “Getting mercury out of vaccines is the ultimate no-brainer. Making vaccines as safe as possible should be this committee’s first priority.”

The committee consists of 15 experts in fields associated with immunization who have been selected by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide advice on immunizations. They develop written recommendations for the routine administration of vaccines to the pediatric and adult populations. ACIP is the only entity in the federal government that makes such recommendations.

Parents are urged to attend the ACIP meeting, or to mail letters to the committee requesting that a recommendation be made to provide only thimerosal-free flu shots to pregnant women and children. Parents can register to attend the meeting by visiting www.cdc.gov/nip/acip/dates.htm. 

Meeting Dates: October 25-26, 2006
Location: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, NE
Building 19, Room 232, Auditorium B
Atlanta, Georgia 30333

For more information on autism, go to www.nationalautism.org.

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