11/27/2002

Big Government Moves to Suppress Evidence Linking Mercury Preservative in Vaccines to Autism

http://www.ewire-news.com/wires/309CED69-5859-48C6-9F11F855339AA871.htm

SOURCE: Mercury Policy Project

Department of Justice lawyers asked a federal court “task master” to withhold from the American public documents on hundreds of lawsuits filed by parents of injured children claiming mercury-induced autism resulting from childhood vaccines. Autism and mercury advocacy groups expressed outraged at this legal maneuver by the Bush Administration to conceal evidence linking the mercury preservative in childhood vaccines with autism. “This cover-up attempt by the Bush Administration at the apparent behest of Eli Lilly and others is appalling,” said Michael Bender director of the Mercury Policy Project. “All parents - not just those with autistic children - have the right to be informed about exposure risks from mercury that may affect their children. We have to ask: what are in these documents that they are so desperately trying to hide and suppress?” The groups questioned the Bush Administration’s motivation and apparent close-knit ties to the drug industry. The primary beneficiaries of sealing the records are manufacturers who added thimerosal to their vaccines, and, in particular, Eli Lilly, the developer of thimerosal.

Lilly’s chairman, president and CEO, Sidney Taurel, was recently given a coveted seat on the president’s Advisory Council on Homeland Security and Mitch Daniels, former president of Lilly’s North American operations, is now the Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Bush Administration. The pharmaceutical industry as a whole, and Lilly in particular, were major donors during the last elections, contributing around$14 million.

Safe Minds and the Mercury Policy Project believe that corrective action is needed. “We want Congress to investigate why the Bush Administration is bending over backwards to help thimerosal vaccine makers and Eli Lilly to the point that they would grant them total immunity from civil action. We didn’t let ‘Big Tobacco’ of the hook, why are we letting the drug makers?” said Lyn Redwood, president of Safe Minds. “Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) has requested an explanation from the Bush White House, and we call on Congress to conduct a thorough investigation.” The US government legal action comes on the heels of last week’s 11th hour insertion of a rider to the Homeland Security Act, apparently at the request of the Bush White House. The provision’s intention is to unilaterally deprive parents of autistic children of their right to bring civil action against the thimerosal-based vaccine manufacturers and Eli Lilly in Federal Court.

Safe Minds and the Mercury Policy Project are asking Members of Congress to repeal the thimerosal liability shield provision from the Homeland Security Act, a step supported publicly by several Republican and Democratic legislators. Both organizations are in favor of the bipartisan Burton-Waxman legislation to reform the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Act. The Mercury Policy Project and Safe Minds are non-profit organizations dedicated to reducing and eliminating mercury exposure and improving children’s health and environmental outcomes through the elimination, treatment, and scientific investigations of mercury, regardless of its source, including thimerosal in medical products.