Reported by Sheila Parker
E-mail: sparker@wsmv.com
Parents and experts testified Tuesday before a legislative study committee at the state capitol in criticism of some childhood vaccines. Their testimony is in favor of a bill that would ban the use of mercury as a preservative in children's vaccinations in Tennessee.
Some experts and children's advocates claim there is a link between the amount of mercury found in some vaccines and an increase in cases of autism, ADD and ADHD in the U.S.
The CDC says no such link has been proven. Nevertheless, six states and a number of countries have banned the use of the mercury based preservative thimerosal.
Mercury free vaccines are available, but the sponsor of the bill worries that if Tennessee does not take action the state will become a dumping ground for those that still contain mercury.
"What we do worry about is the possibility that because we do not insist in Tennessee that we do not have Thimerosal in our vaccines, that they could still send us older vaccines which do contain Thimerosal," said Rep. Susan Lynn, Sponsoring Bill.
A similar bill has already passed in the state senate and the sponsor of this bill hopes to bring it to the house floor during the next session.
If the state does not ban the additive, the Centers for Disease Control says the only way to be sure your child is not receiving a vaccine containing thimerosal is to ask your provider or pharmacist for a copy of the vaccine package insert with the list of ingredients.
Visit the FDA web site or CDC web site to learn more about thimerosal in vaccines.
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