Senator Ciesla of the 10th Legislative District has introduced S618 in the NJ State Senate. Assemblyman Biondi of the 16th Legislative District has introduced A1324 in the NJ State
Assembly.
S618 and A1324 provide for a ban of the use of the preservative thimerosal, a 50% ethylmercury based preservative by weight, here in the State of New Jersey. This legislation, as
introduced, is the most aggressive legislation so far in the US as it provides for a total phasing out of the use of the preservative in all vaccines, including the flu vaccine, for
children and adults in NJ by 2009. Under the legislation, the administration of vaccines containing mercury would be phased out as follows:
> Beginning January 1, 2007, health care providers would be prohibited from administering influenza vaccines containing more than 0.5 micrograms of mercury per 0.25 milliliter dose to
a child under three years of age or 1.0 microgram of mercury per 0.5 milliliter dose to a person over three years of age, and any other vaccine that contains more than a trace amount of
mercury;
> Beginning January 1, 2008, health care providers would be prohibited from administering to any person a vaccine that contains more than a trace amount of mercury;
> Beginning January 1, 2009 health care providers would be prohibited from administering to any person a vaccine that contains any amount of mercury.
What you can do:
Please contact your State Senators and ask them to co-sponsor S618. This is due to come up for a hearing in the Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Services Committee soon.The more
support we have for the bill, the better chance it will have in passing for a vote in the general Senate.
Please contact your Assemblymen and ask them to support the A1324. The Assembly Legislation has gone before the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee for a hearing where it was
subsequently put on hold pending another hearing. When contacting your Assemblymen/women please also urge them to push for another hearing on A1324.
To find out who your legislators are for your district, please go to:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp
Any questions, feel free to contact:
Ellen Sweeney
(732) 451-1073
NJNoMercuryLegislation at comcast.net
MERCURY BAN NJ TEAM: Ellen Sweeney, Geoff Dubrowsky, Hilary Downing, Adrian Prokofiew, Rosemary Dubrowsky