Recently, LD 1947, An Act to Protect Children from Autism, was not passed by the Maine Legislature. This bill was written primarily to remove Thimerosal, the mercury-containing preservative, from vaccines given to pregnant women and children under age 8. Also, if passed, this bill would have required grocery stores to place advisory posters in supermarkets about the dangers that mercury in fish may pose to nursing and pregnant women.

This bill was not passed because research correlating Thimerosal in vaccines to the onset of autism is controversial and certainly not accepted by the majority of scientists. However, scientists are perplexed by the rapid increase in the rate of autism, which has tripled over the last 10 years. Childhood immunizations, birth injuries and-or genetics are all factors that may be influencing this increase, scientists say.

We may not know for sure if mercury exposure causes autism but we do know that mercury toxicity has been shown to have detrimental effects on the nervous system. This is why the Maine Bureau of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency post “Safe Fish Consumption Advisories” (www.state.me.us/dhs/etp).

High levels of mercury exposure during a child’s development can cause brain and nerve damage. Since we know that high levels of mercury from fish are dangerous to nursing and pregnant women, why aren’t these advisories posted in supermarkets to inform vulnerable and uneducated populations?

We have recently reviewed the documents that were submitted to the Health and Human Services Committee during the work session, which revealed some important facts to consider. The majority of those opposed to the bill were individuals from the medical community, and they primarily argued that passing this bill could limit Maine residents’ access to vaccines.

In response to this argument, Thimerosal is not a necessary component of vaccines, as evidenced by both the facts that there are vaccines available which do not contain Thimerosal and that single-dose vaccine vials do not require preservatives. The availability of these vaccines would not disrupt a physician’s ability to administer scheduled doses to children or adults.

Those who advocated for the bill to pass were either parents of children with autism and-or members of the Autism Society of Maine. One parent, Becky Grant-Widen, made several particularly important statements in her testimony.

She reiterated Maine’s efforts to reduce mercury exposure from the air and water, and stated the importance of this bill in continuing these efforts. She concluded in simply stating that mercury is poison, and made a compelling argument that if a mercury- containing vial is dropped on the floor, a hazardous-materials team is called to clean it up, yet our children are being injected with this same substance. Also, Dr. Alan Clark provided extensive resources showing the detrimental effects of mercury poisoning.

The bill as it was written was rejected by a vast majority of the Senate; however, advocates of the bill are proposing to change its title and amend it, therefore limiting the emphasis on autism. The new title reads An Act to Protect Children from Mercury Toxicity. The amendments include:

. Starting in January 2007, prohibiting the use of more than trace amounts of mercury in any immunizing agent administered to children under age 8 and pregnant women.

. Requiring labeling and written information packaged with the immunizing agent.

. Providing an exemption if it is determined that an immunizing agent containing more than a trace amount of mercury is necessary because of an actual or potential bioterrorist incident or public health emergency.

. Development of a plan to ensure that all immunizing agents are mercury-free.

. Require supermarkets to place “Safe Consumption of Fish Guidelines” in poster format in supermarkets.

The argument behind these amendments was that there is no clear link between autism and mercury, but there clearly are health risks tied to mercury exposure. These amendments are a step toward protecting people from these health risks.

Vulnerable populations as well as the general public need to be educated about these risks. We strongly encourage involvement in these issues and support of these amendments so that Maine may protect its citizens from the harmful effect of mercury toxicity.

Shellie Carey and Jennifer Gouvea are UMaine graduate students in social work.