PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2004
Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI)
Contact: Dawn Winkler 970-641-7413

Vaccines Are Not Mercury Free

After much public controversy surrounding the mercury content of
childhood vaccinations, Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI)
raised $500 to have four vaccines tested for heavy metal content. 
The vials were sent to Doctor's Data, an independent lab which
specializes in heavy metal testing.

Many manufacturers voluntarily began producing supposed "mercury
free" vaccines in 1999.  Some product inserts currently claim that
a "trace" amount of mercury still exists in the final product but
that the amount has been greatly reduced. Others claim to be
producing completely mercury free products.

During an investigation into the mercury issue, HAPI learned that
Thimerosal, a 50% mercury compound, is still being used to produce
most vaccines and that the manufacturers are simply "filtering it
out" of the final product.  However, according to Boyd Haley, PhD,
Chemistry Department Chair, University of Kentucky, mercury binds to
the antigenic protein in the vaccine and cannot be completely, 100%
filtered out.

All four vaccine vials tested contained mercury despite manufacturer
claims that two of the vials were completely mercury free.  All four
vials also contained aluminum, one nine times more than the other
three, which tremendously enhances the toxicity of mercury causing
neuronal death in the brain.

The mercury content of routine childhood vaccinations has been linked
to the current autism epidemic as well as numerous other neurological
disorders affecting children today.  Currently, one in six children
are affected in some way and one in 250 children are diagnosed as
autistic compared to one in 10,000 prior to mercury containing
vaccines.

It is the position of Dr. Haley as well as HAPI that if mercury can
be detected in any vaccine using standard instrumentation, the
content should be disclosed in the product insert and manufacturers
should not be allowed to call the product "mercury free".

Executive Director of HAPI, Dawn Winkler, met with FDA officials in
Silver Spring, Maryland on July 27, 2004 to discuss blatant
mislabeling and misrepresentation of ingredients in vaccinations
which are licensed by the FDA.  Clearly, more testing is needed.  The
FDA has the ability and authority to take on the necessary testing,
however, at present, this task sadly appears to be up to the public.

HAPI will be attempting to raise more funds to test more vaccines in
an effort to pressure the FDA to crack down on manufacturers to label
their products correctly. To help with this effort call 970-641-7413
or email noshots@earthlink.net. (noshots(at)earthlink.net)