By Daan de Wit
Translated by Ben Kearney

Reassuring reports are appearing in the mainstream media about the flu vaccine. The coverage has caused people to shrug their shoulders and close their eyes - and not just while receiving the shot. This contrasts widely with the online publications, where anxiety is setting the tone. An increasing number of people want to know exactly what's going on, but are no longer able to see the forest for the trees. Part two of a DeepJournal series on the facts and fiction surrounding the Swine Flu.

'[Dutch] Minister Klink said on the radio this morning that the Swine Flu vaccine is safe. Last week there were reports of dangerous substances in the flu vaccine, but according to Klink that's not true: "A drug that is not approved, and is thus not safe, is not going to be released to the general public.'''

Thiomersal in the vaccine
One of the names that comes up again and again in the emails and articles by worried citizens is that of Ad van Rooij. He is Safety Manager at Philips Medical Systems Nederland B.V. [Philips sends an email: Van Rooij's contract has been terminated since 1 August 2008] On October 24th he wrote a letter [PDF] to his manager. Van Rooij has been involved in an ongoing labor dispute with Philips and is applying more pressure through this letter. In it, he asks Philips to refrain from cooperating with the effort to administer the vaccine, because it contains the mercury compound Thiomersal (also spelled Thimerosal). Van Rooij believes this to be an illegal substance in The Netherlands. But according to the European Union's Cosmetics Directive, the use of Thiomersal is permitted. That is stated in this document [PDF], issued at the behest of The Dutch  Environmental Ministry. Yet according to Van Rooij, this has to do with a European system of judicial review, not a law. He submits that Thiomersal is forbidden by the Dutch Pesticide Act.

In his letter, Van Rooij cites another letter, this one written by Healthcare Minister Hoogervorst. In 2005 he wrote: 'It's true that the vaccines that have been used in The Netherlands for the annual influenza campaign since 2004 no longer contain Thiomersal. The reason to keep Thiomersal out of vaccines has not been to prevent side effects but to avoid burdening the body with unnecessary mercury'. Nevertheless Thiomersal is now again part of the H1N1 flu vaccine. And it's because of this that Van Rooij believes that the vaccines acquired by Minister Klink earlier this year shouldn't be used. They can't even be sold, because it would be forbidden by law to sell products containing Thiomersal.

Van Rooij also points out that 70% of the vaccine's contents are unknown. That's clear, he explained over the telephone, from the Material Safety Data Sheet documentation that is required to be included with the vaccine. He put an example of just such a document online, which includes his own notations. He calls the summary of product characteristics for Pandemrix - as reported on the website of the European Medicines Agency - extremely incomplete.

In the U.S. Thiomersal has been investigated by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of the well-known politician. On the basis of subpoenaed documents and discussions with experts, Kennedy says and writes that Thiomersal is responsible for autism in children. He cites the conclusion of the most important investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives: 'Thimerosal used as a preservative in vaccines is directly related to the autism epidemic'. Kennedy: 'More than 500,000 kids currently suffer from autism, and pediatricians diagnose more than 40,000 new cases every year. The disease was unknown until 1943, when it was identified and diagnosed among eleven children born in the months after thimerosal was first added to baby vaccines in 1931'.

The distinction is often made between ethylmercury and methylmercury as regards Thiomersal. NRC Handelsblad writes in an article with the headline Much ado over a little mercury: 'Thiomersal contains ethylmercury, which is broken down and eliminated by the body much more quickly than methylmercury'. Kennedy: 'Although the vaccine industry insists that ethylmercury poses little danger because it breaks down rapidly and is removed by the body, several studies -- including one published in April by the National Institutes of Health -- suggest that ethylmercury is actually more toxic to developing brains and stays in the brain longer than methylmercury'. On the website of the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment - which conducts research into public health issues - it states [PDF]: 'Considering everything, these pandemic vaccines are safe. Even after repeated administration, the maximum burden allowable is not exceeded and there are no indications of a connection with neurological or behavioral disorders'.

Lawsuit
Dr. Jannes Koetsier is one of the people behind a lawsuit filed in Zwolle against the Ministry of Public Health. The Ministry failed to produce any documents regarding the composition of the vaccine. It also failed to explain what information it had that formed the basis of the decision to launch the vaccination campaign and what agreements were made with the manufacturers of the vaccine. During the hearing the judge declared that it was clear to him that there was an urgency to the lawsuit, Koetsier explained over the telephone. Understandably so: the vaccinations would be starting only a few days later: Tuesday. To his surprise, the ruling was made last Friday by a different judge. That judge found no urgency in the suit and was also dismissive in his ruling: the government was not required to release the requested information. Current affairs tv-program Netwerk writes about reactions to the recent broadcast with Koetsier: 'H1N1 vaccination: viewers angry over poor information from government'.

Koetsier is also disappointed over the lack of questions from members of parliament to the government, despite the open letter that he has written. His advice is to read the information about side-effects in the leaflet included in the vaccine. 'It's a very mild virus. The hype surrounding it is unbelievable'. On his blog he writes: 'Worldwide flu that requires vaccinations is big business'.

Squalene in the vaccine
There is a relatively large amount of squalene (10.69 milligrams) in the vaccine. It's an organic compound that is only dangerous when injected. It's added to vaccines to increase their effectiveness. In The Netherlands, at least. In America it's still being considered. There are varying reports regarding a link between this substance and Gulf War Syndrome.