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Posts tagged Vaccine
Strange Swine Flu Stat
3824 days
Swine Flu... its not the pig's fault!
This article is considered a “musing for entertainment” as it is solely based on statistical information (and possibly poor information). The author takes no stance pro or con vaccination.
Whether or not the swine flu vaccine is safe or effective continues to be a debate and is the basis for many families deciding against receiving the vaccine. So here’s an interesting consideration for you all. (But please don’t forget that correlation do not equal causation)
Mongolia has a population of roughly 3,000,000 people. According to the World Health Organization, as of November 4th there has been 6 deaths associated with swine flu. That means that 1 out of every 500,000 Mongolians have died of the swine flu.
The United States has a population of 305,000,000 people. According to the CDC on November 1st, there have been 4000 swine flu related deaths. That means that 1 out of every 76,250 Americans have died of the swine flu.
The kicker… Mongolia does not have the vaccine, the USA does. Is it that Mongolian Hospitals are superior to the US? Hardly… Mongolia’s health-care system is considered the 147th of 190. The USA ranks at 37. Is it because Mongolia is less densely populated? Unlikely. 1/3 of the population lives in a single city alone. Continue reading “Strange Swine Flu Stat” »
Is the Mercury in Thiomersal Dangerous
2839 days
Is the Mercury in Thiomersal Dangerous?
Thiomersal is a preservative that is added to vaccines to prevent contamination. It contains roughly 49% mercury; therefore a vaccine containing the standard Thiomersal dosage of 50mcg contains 25mcg of mercury. For adults, there are thiomersal free and preservative free vaccines. Thiomersal-free has no thiomersal, while preservative free contains trace amounts, or about .3mcg per dose. Although childhood vaccines can no longer contain thiomersal (as of 1999), the government considers the trace amounts in preservative free versions acceptable, plus, any vaccine that was produced prior may be still be used (assuming its shelf date has not expired).
The FDA set the daily safe limit of mercury at 1.0mcg per kg of bodyweight per day to avoid neurological damage. However, paying attention to the weekly average tends to be a more accurate indicator.
The ultimate question of course is, “Is it Safe”? Continue reading “Is the Mercury in Thiomersal Dangerous” »