Flu vaccine stories need more balance

I noticed in the Daily Herald the first seasonal article promoting the flu vaccine. Again there was no balanced reporting regarding the levels of mercury contained in these flu vaccines. A form of mercury called thimerosal is used as a preservative in some doses of the flu vaccine given to young children and the elderly. The strains of flu virus in the vaccine are inactivated with formaldehyde and preserved with thimerosal, which is a mercury derivative.

Apparently, four flu vaccines contain this thimerosal which has been banned by the Food and Drug Administration in over-the-counter drug preparations because of questions over safety.

I understand that there is a preservative-free flu vaccine which was made available in 2003 but you have to ask for it. If it has been shown that trace amounts of mercury can cause the type of damage to nerves that is characteristic of the damage found in Alzheimer's disease and may be the cause of a rise in cases of autism in children, why would the use of these vaccines be continued? And more to the point, why would this entire subject and risk not be covered by the media?

As a senior, I am concerned by my personal health and that of my grandchildren in this regard -- two are groups targeted for the vaccine. It makes no sense to me that this risk is not clearly identified in articles such as the one published in the Daily Herald.

Mark Anderson

Campton Township