From the November 1999 Idaho Observer:

All 1999 flu vaccines contain themerosal

COEUR D' ALENE -- Last spring the federal government admitted that the mercury derivative thimerosal, a carcinogenic preservative commonly used in vaccines, was not safe for children. Officials were quick to comment that thimerosal had not been problematic in the past but because children are being given so many vaccines the cumulative toxic effect of thimerosal may outweigh the advantages of being vaccinated.

Since thimerosal is a heavy metal (and a derivative of one of the most carcinogenic compounds on earth) it is not easily metabolized by the body. It accumulates and remains stored in fat. If thimerosal is bad for children, one must infer that it is bad for adults as well.

For the 1999 cold and flu season, there are four flu vaccines available in the U.S. Three of them are listed as containing thimerosal. The manufacturer of the fourth vaccine, Medeva, was contacted and asked if its vaccine was thimerosal free. A spokesperson for Medeva stated that their vaccine had been incorrectly listed as being thimerosal free in one of the standard informational books that pharmacists, doctors and hospitals use and that their vaccine does contain the toxin.

The creation of several million doses of flu vaccine, according to the CDC, is a year-long process that requires tremendous cooperation between the federal government, public health services, vaccine manufacturers and chicken ranchers who must produce 5,000,000 chickens that lay 500,000 fertilized eggs per day. The machinery to create millions of doses of flu vaccine for 1999 was going strong by the time it was announced that thimerosal was dangerous. Rather than destroy millions of dollars worth of thimerosal- containing vaccine because it may be dangerous, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control is advising healthcare delivery personnel to inject people with the thimerosal-containing flu vaccines until the supplies have been exhausted.