[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 140 (Tuesday, October 7, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1981-E1982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF YOUR FLU SHOT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 7, 2003

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform my 
esteemed colleagues of the contents of their influenza vaccines. As we 
approach the flu season, many of you will visit the doctor's office and 
receive an annual influenza vaccine. This might prevent the flu, but 
what else will it do? You should be aware that the vaccine you are 
about to receive contains thimerosal--a mercury-laden preservative. 
Scientific evidence continues to accumulate regarding the biologically 
plausible connection between this preservative and certain neurological 
disorders.
  The influenza vaccine is not the only vaccine that contains 
thimerosal. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 
several currently manufactured U.S. licensed vaccines also contain 
thimerosal. From Anthrax to Hepatitis, from Influenza to Lyme disease, 
numerous vaccines exist that contain this preservative.
  During my chairmanship of the Government Reform Committee, we held 
numerous hearings on the adverse effects of thimerosal. According to 
scientists, these hearings clearly demonstrated the potentially 
dangerous effects of vaccines containing mercury, and how easy it would 
be to save thousands of victims from the preservative's effects. 
Furthermore, some scientists have attributed the growth in Alzheimer's 
Disease and autism to the mercury found in these vaccines. In April 
2000, when the Committee on Government Reform held its first hearing on 
the dramatic rise in the rates of autism, Federal agencies were 
estimating that autism affected 1 in 500 children in the United States. 
A recent study reported in the Journal of the American Medical 
Association indicates that ratio may actually be as high as 1 in every 
150 children, and the problem continues to grow.
  What is most shocking about these vaccines is that the pharmaceutical 
companies no longer need to use thimerosal as a preservative. They 
could easily eliminate all mercury from these vaccines. Experts believe 
that if single-shot vials were used for vaccines, then the thimerosal 
preservative would no longer be necessary. Moving to single-shot vials 
could have an enormously positive impact in helping to minimize the 
debilitating effects of mercury-laden thimerosal.
  I am submitting to the Congressional Record for my colleagues' review 
a letter that I recently sent to corporate leaders in the 
pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.

       You may already be aware that scientific evidence continues 
     to accumulate regarding the connection between thimerosal, 
     autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, and that many 
     parents have become understandably concerned about the safety 
     of pediatric vaccines. Although the U.S. Food and Drug 
     Administration (FDA) asked vaccine manufacturers to begin 
     removing the mercury-laden preservative thimerosal from 
     vaccines in 1999, they were not ordered to do so. As a 
     result, we now have a situation where concerned parents who 
     do not wish their children to be exposed to thimerosal are 
     unable to determine which vaccines currently on the market 
     contain thimerosal and which are thimerosal-free.
       During my tenure as Chairman of the House Government Reform 
     Committee (1997-2002), a myriad of scientists testified at a 
     series of hearings before the Committee that the mercury in 
     vaccines is a contributing factor to developing neurological 
     disorders, including autism and Alzheimer's Disease. Numerous 
     scientists testified that there is a simple way to prevent 
     doing further harm. Experts believe that if single-shot vials 
     were used for vaccines, then thimerosal would no longer be 
     necessary. Moving to single-shot vials could have an 
     enormously positive impact in helping to minimize and perhaps 
     even eliminate some of the cases of autism, Alzheimer's 
     Disease, and other neurological disorders linked to mercury. 
     Unfortunately, several well-known and firmly-established 
     pharmaceutical companies continue to put thimerosal into 
     vaccines for both children and adults, even though the 
     pharmaceutical industry knows it is a highly toxic substance.
       Reports still continue to surface concerning the marked 
     increase in neurological disorders and a possible correlation 
     to mercury-laden vaccines. In May of this year, the 
     California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) 
     released a report entitled, ``Autistic Spectrum Disorders, 
     Changes in the California Caseload: 1999-2002.'' The findings 
     of this report are truly alarming. California's autism 
     population has nearly doubled in 4 years--from 10,360 
     reported cases in 1998 to 20,377 cases in December of 2002. 
     This astounding growth rate represents a 97 percent increase 
     in just four years, and nearly 100 percent increase in 
     California's caseload since 1999. And California is not 
     alone. The rate of growth in the population of persons with 
     autism in California is commensurate with reported increases 
     all across the Nation, in such diverse States as Georgia, 
     Minnesota, and Massachusetts. We have an absolute epidemic on 
     our hands. If this trend is allowed to continue at a constant 
     rate, we could have up to 4 million autistic children in 
     America within the next decade.
       As you may already know, many pharmaceutical companies in 
     your industry are concerned that they may be held liable in 
     potential class-action lawsuits for brain damage caused by 
     thimerosal, which is still found in at least three childhood 
     vaccines. It is my belief that because of these concerns, 
     language was inserted--at the last minute and under the cover 
     of darkness--into last year's ``National Homeland Security 
     Agency Act'' (H. R. 1158). This language would have protected 
     pharmaceutical companies from future classaction lawsuits; 
     however, the language was ultimately removed after being 
     discovered by several deeply concerned Members of both the 
     House and Senate.
       As a leader of your industry, I implore you to eliminate 
     mercury from your vaccines immediately. Mercury-free medicine 
     protects and promotes the health of the world, as well as 
     protecting your industry from future lawsuits. Thank you for 
     your prompt and personal attention to this urgent matter.

  For a chart of those vaccines that contain thimerosal, I invite my 
colleagues to visit the

[[Page E1982]]

Food and Drug Administration's website at www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/
thimerosal.htm.

                          ____________________