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Vaccines were first introduced in the 1800s and were almost immediately
controversial. This was widely due to the lack of research and knowledge on them at the
time, to the point that they regularly did what many people accuse them to do today,
such as the vaccine causing the disease it was supposed to fight, vaccines containing
pus, sores, and other disease ridden substances, and doctors not informing patients
what is in vaccines or the information not being available [1]. As the years passed and
more and more research was done on them, vaccines became less and less
dangerous. However, the controversy surrounding vaccines has evolved right alongside
them. While both sides make some good points, and many not-so-good points, there
has yet to be a definitive answer as to whether or not vaccines are effective. One of the
most controversial, and arguably easily preventable, issues with vaccines are potentially
harmful ingredients present in them. Ingredients such as aluminum, formaldehyde, and
the topic of this paper, mercury are present in vaccines [4].
Mercury is an element which occurs naturally in earths crust [2] and is toxic to
the central and peripheral nervous systems [2]. An average adult human male can safely
process and expel 8.17 micrograms of mercury per day. However, not everyone is an
adult male. The effects of mercury can vary in severity based on age, sex, and size. As
it turns out, variation in effect can be based on: the type of mercury, how much mercury,
the age and/or weight of the person, how long exposure is, and the method of exposure
[2]
. Out of these factors, several are problematic. How much mercury varies based on
the vaccine, but not based on the persons weight or age. Because they are one size
fits all [3]. The method of exposure is injection, which many consider the most
[4]
Knowing all of this, the next question is why is mercury in vaccines? According
to the FDA [4], mercury is in vaccines as a preservative to prevent bacterial growth.
However, as discussed above, the human body can deal with mercury to a certain
degree. But there is a bit more of a pressing question: is it worth it? This question is
rather vague, and may not have a definitive answer, but it requires a fair amount of
analysis. Above it was stated that 0.1 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight is safe,
and that there are 25,000 ppb found in infant flu vaccines. That equates to 25
micrograms. Therefore, for an infant flu shot to be safe for an infant, said infant would
have to weigh (25mcg = 0.1mcg/kg * Xkg, Xkg = 25/0.1 = 250kg, 250/0.454 = 551.2lb) well
over 500 pounds. It is also known that a regular flu vaccine contains twice that much,
meaning the patient would have to weigh over half a ton for it to be safe.
References:
[1] http://drsuzanne.net/dr-suzanne-humphries-vaccines-vaccination/
[2] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs361/en/
[3] https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safetyprevention/immunizations/Pages/Vaccine-Doses.aspx
[4] http://vaxtruth.org/2011/08/vaccine-ingredients/
[5]http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM096
228
[6] http://www.planetdeadly.com/nature/10-dangerous-chemical-elements
[7] http://www.naturalnews.com/042012_vaccine_facts_vaccinedamaged_children_CDC.html