Flu Shots & Alzheimer's Disease

Multiple studies have called into question the safety of mercury in vaccines. While most vaccines have eliminated this hazardous substance, 10-count flu shots still contain 25 micrograms per dose of mercury. This ingredient has created a controversy that has caused many citizens to avoid obtaining a flu shot annually.

History

• Influenza was discovered in the 1930s after the Spanish flu pandemic that spread to almost all the corners of the world. This epidemic especially affected American soldiers who were returning from WWI. The first working vaccine was administered to soldiers in 1947 to aid those being sent off to fight during WWII. In 1976, a sudden outbreak of the swine flu led President Ford to order all Americans to be vaccinated. While the vaccination order was under effect, several hundred people developed Guillain-Barré syndrome as a result of the vaccine, and the American public refused to cooperate with the government order.

The Facts

• The flu vaccine and the scope and seriousness of its side effects are hotly debated among physicians and scientists alike. The flu vaccine is the only vaccine that is updated yearly and completely untested before being administered to the general public (See Resources). In fact, the FDA does not require long-term studies of any vaccine before their public release, but rather short-term human studies where immediate side affects are recorded on a questionnaire. One particular ingredient in the flu vaccine has caused concern to some physicians and scientists as its long-term detrimental effects have been proven.

Controversial Ingredients

• Thimerosal--a mercury-based preservative present in all 10-dose vials of the flu vaccine--has been linked in multiple studies to serious side effects, the most controversial of which is autism. Thimerosal was banned from being used in vaccines in the early 21st century, but it is still used in the manufacture of bulk flu vaccines. A limited quantity of flu vaccines that do not contain Thimerosal is released annually, however these are difficult to obtain and are used up quickly by the public. (See Resources)

Primary Studies

• The primary study linking Alzheimer's with the flu vaccine was conducted by Dr. Hugh Fudenberg, MD, an immunogeneticist and biologist with nearly 850 papers published in peer review journals. According to his findings, individuals who received "Five consecutive flu shots between 1970 and 1980 (the years studied), his/her chances of getting Alzheimer's disease is 10 times higher than if they had zero, one, or two shots."
  In other words, an accumulation of Thimerosal in a person's system might increase her overall risk of Alzheimer's disease, said Dr. Fudenberg at an international vaccine conference, in Arlington, Virginia in 1997.
  More questions on the safety of the vaccine's ingredient were raised in a study published by Dr. Boyd Haley in collaboration with researchers at the University of Calgary. Dr. Haley stated that "seven of the characteristic markers that we look for to distinguish Alzheimer's disease can be produced in normal brain tissues, or cultures of neurons, by the addition of extremely low levels of mercury." (See Resources)

Arguments

• As with many drug-related findings, sides have been drawn and are well established with regard to this issue. Dr. William Sears, a leading author on the Sears Parenting Library, states it best in his book "The Vaccine Book" when he explains that "it seems as if anyone who even tries to question why mercury used to be in vaccines is immediately shot down by a barrage of medical experts and politicians claiming that there is no evidence that mercury causes any harm." (See Resources)

  The Mayo Clinic is one of the organizations refusing to acknowledge any causal connection between flu shots and Alzheimer's disease. In an article published on her website, Angela Lund a dementia specialist states, "There is absolutely no evidence that flu vaccines contribute in any way to Alzheimer's disease."

  There are, however, many physicians and scientists who prefer to approach the issue with caution and say that more research is needed. As Dr. Sears explains, "I think no one has proven that mercury was safe, and the studies showing some harmful effects from vaccines containing mercury are thought-provoking."