Vaccine mercury is still a concern

To the editor:

In view of the fact that the Institute of Medicine has just shirked its responsibility by exonerating thimerosal (merthiolate) and mumps-measles-rubella vaccines, it is particularly important to keep fighting to get the mercury out of vaccines.

It is scandalous how a few people who know nothing about autism or the effects of mercury can keep a substance hidden in vaccines that, as a topical antiseptic, has long been taken off the shelves in pharmacies.

The amount of mercury being injected in babies is enough to cause harm. Whether this harm is autism or some other future disability is irrelevant. I am disturbed that there is so little known about the most dangerous poison known to man. I have researched the subject since 2001. I have collected information on it in my Web page:

http://www.stanford.edu/~bcalhoun/amalgam.htm

BIRGIT CALHOUN

Palo Alto, Calif.