The rumours making the rounds about the A(H1N1) flu virus are tenacious. It’s particularly difficult to sort sense from nonsense on the internet. Radio Netherlands Worldwide provides some clarity with a new series, Flu Fiction. Part 1 looks at the popular claim that there is mercury in the flu vaccine.

The issue first surfaced in Aruba, a Caribbean island which forms an autonomous region within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Milton Ponson, from the Rainbow Warriors development group, wrote to the Dutch parliament complaining of the “poisonous” gift sent to Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles by the Dutch government. Mr Ponson was worried about the Thimerosal (also known as Thiomersal) contained in the vaccine against swine flu (known as Mexican flu in the Netherlands).

“The use of this sort of mercury compound has been stopped in other preparations. The problem is that it has not adequately been shown to be non-toxic. It was in fact decided in principle some time ago to gradually phase out these sorts of compounds.”

Absolutely harmless
The term ‘mercury compound’ makes it sound more dangerous than it actually is in the case of the vaccine. Thimerosal is an organic mercury compound which is used as a preservative. Normal vaccines, such as those against measles and polio, consist of one dose per vial. With the flu vaccine, there are ten doses to a vial. The reason for this was the large amount of vaccine needed quickly to deal with the flu pandemic.

A preservative is needed to protect against germs once the pot is opened. The addition of Thimerosal is a one-off exception in unusual circumstances. Marien Weststraten, from the Netherlands Vaccine Institute (NVI), says it is absolutely harmless:

“ It isn’t the same as the mercury you used to get in thermometers. It is an organic mercury compound which leaves the body within a week of having been introduced into it. What’s more, we’re talking about a really small concentration in each dose.”

Just to be extra clear: There’s more mercury in a smoked eel roll than in the flu vaccine. And the mercury in fish is of the dangerous sort.

(RNW translation: mw)

Photo: ANP