Even with this decision, Dr. Offit said, “it’s very hard to unscare people after you’ve scared them.”

To sum up the following pages, the vaccine is similar to the seasonal flu vaccine and yes, multi-dose vials do contain thimerosal.  There is a single dose vial available which does not contain thimerosal.  Thimerosal is a preservative that has been removed from most vaccines because of concerns about a link to autism, but no such link was ever proven.  Because the flu vaccine has to be manufactured quickly in large batches, it requires some kind of preservative in multi-dose vials so it doesn’t become contaminated with bacteria and fungi.  (Yech.)  Links:

General Questions and Answers on the H1N1 Vaccine from CDC

General Questions and Answers on Thimerosal from the CDC

And now let’s get to straightening out some of the lies.

Harriet Hall on Science Based Medicine does a great takedown of the fear mongering surrounding the H1N1 vaccine.

A favorite quote:

Claim: People should be allowed to “self-shield.” For self-shielding you go home lock the doors and stay there. Then you can try to further protect yourself with nano-silver, homeopathic remedies, cold packs, vitamins, flavonoids, zinc, astaxanthin, magnesium, and other stuff.

Fact: A self-imposed quarantine is better than nothing, but I question whether it would be effective in practice. The suggested (untested) remedies might conceivably keep people entertained so they are more willing to stay home.

Hee hee.

“More on flu woo” on Science Based Medicine explains some other misguided thinking about the flu.

And finally, an “Influenza Primer” on Science Based Medicine explains why this flu is different from normal seasonal flu.

If you just read or even skim these articles, you should be reassured that the benefits of the H1N1 vaccine outweigh the risks.  And you can make an educated decision about who in your household should get the vaccine.  We’re definitely getting our 15-month-old son vaccinated, and I will probably get vaccinated myself.  I am not among the groups listed as high priority, but I work in a public school, and I’d like to minimize the chance that I will get swine flu.

If I were pregnant or trying to get pregnant, I would not hesitate to vaccinate myself against H1N1. So far, the 2009 H1N1 virus has affected pregnant women more severely than the general population.

So that’s the real information.  Next post, I’ll muse about some of the misinformation I’m hearing in my neck of the woods.

For starters, catgirl asks “For comparison, how hazardous is a normal light bulb?”

Great question! I hadn’t really thought about it. I’d say the short answer is that while both types of bulbs have their drawbacks, I’d rather have an incandescent bulb break a foot from my face than a CFL (curly) bulb. But I don’t think either is going to kill me.

I found a few  material safety data sheets (MSDS) on the internet for incandescent bulbs: here,  here and here (all pdfs). They all stress that unbroken intact bulbs pose no real danger. However, if an incandescent bulb breaks, there may be some lead present in the solder or glass, which can be toxic if inhaled. I’m sure the amount present varies with different types and brands of bulbs.

Let’s compare and contrast the  Sylvania MSDS for incandescents to the Sylvania MSDS for CFLs, and we find that in both documents Section V. Health Hazards has the exact same statement:

“No adverse effects are expected from occasional exposure to broken lamps. As a matter of good practice, avoid prolonged or frequent exposure to broken lamps unless there is adequate ventilation. The major hazard from broken lamps is the possibility of sustaining glass cuts.”

But the MSDS of incandescents lists only lead as as a possible health hazard and recommends ventilating the area before cleaning, then placing the broken bulb in a closed container to prevent generating dust, whereas the MSDS for curly bulbs lists mercury, lead, phosphor, barium compounds, manganese, yttrium, aluminum oxide, and Krypton-85 as possible health hazards and then states, “Clean-up requires special care due to mercury droplet proliferation.”

So, be careful. Don’t break any bulbs if you can help it. If you do break a curly bulb, clean-up requires extra work, but you’ll probably live (as I did). Or, you can spend $23 or so per bulb and get shatter-resistant curly safety bulbs!

Back to the comments, Stacy McKenna and Arwen had questions about how “green” CFLs can be, if they contain toxic mercury. I found this Fox News article that mentions that incandescents use much more energy than CFLs, and the energy probably comes from burning coal, and burning coal releases mercury into the atmosphere.

“The EPA has estimated that the mercury in a CFL added to the mercury emitted from the electricity used to power it is still less than the mercury emitted from powering an incandescent bulb. So they’re still the better choice, the EPA’s Bergstein says.”

So, are CFLs going to save the planet? I dunno, but they do use less energy. If they are recycled properly, they might be a better bet than energy-hogging incandescents. Maybe in the near future we’ll have an affordable, mercury-free option, such as plasma bulbs or energy-efficient incandescents.

Poison?? CFLs are going to save the planet, right? You hear it all the time on TV: “Save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb’s lifetime!”, each bulb uses “up to 75% less energy!”, CFLs will “help out the planet!” (Points with which I am not here to argue.) But did you know that curly bulbs, as well as all fluorescent bulbs, contain mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause brain, liver and kidney damage, and which, therefore, must be disposed of properly?

After breaking the bulb and scaring the kids, I got on the internet to refresh my memory as to how to clean up the mess I just made. According to the EPA’s website, the clean-up process for a broken fluorescent bulb is complicated. It contains multiple steps, including evacuating and airing out the room for at least 15 minutes, cleaning up the glass using stiff cardboard and packing tape, and, very importantly, not vacuuming if you can help it.

After reading all that, I am upset. Just how hazardous is this mess? There are no windows in that bathroom, so is turning on the exhaust fan (which vents outside) enough? Surely 15 minutes isn’t sufficient evacuation time. Gosh, this is the kids’ bathroom, maybe I should just lock the door and never let them in there ever again!

After two hours of fretting and research, I’ve got my gloves on, I have a good supply of ziplock bags, cardboard, paper towels, and packing tape, and I’m ready to go in there. Glass is everywhere. I mean everywhere! Tiny, tiny pieces of glass under the vanity, behind the toilet and even in the tub. Plus there is a fine powder on the vanity, which is the mercury itself. First thing I do is put all the stuff that can’t be cleaned into ziplocks, including the fancy guest soap, the paper cups, the roll of toilet paper, and the kids’ toothbrushes. Then I put the rugs, towels and hand towels in the washing machine. Then I use cardboard to scrape up all the big pieces of glass, and packing tape to pick up all the microscopic ones. Next I clean with paper towels. And I do mean clean. The whole room. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s a bathroom, it needed cleaning anyway, but not like that! Once I’m done, all the used cardboard, tape and paper towels go in ziplock bags, to be disposed of properly later. It takes an hour even though it is a small room. Then I shut the door, leave the exhaust fan on, and don’t let the kids in until the next day.

A quick search on the web reveals that there seems to be universal agreement that care must be taken to properly clean up a broken CFL. I found one study that backs up these claims. The Maine government conducted a study in which they broke bulbs and measured levels of mercury before and after clean-up. They dropped different kinds of bulbs, from different heights, onto different types of flooring. They cleaned up using different methods, including vacuuming. They found that vacuuming is a no-no, since it can disperse the mercury powder into the air. They made the scary discovery that “flooring surfaces, once visibly clean, can emit mercury.” They developed new recommendations on how to clean up broken bulbs, which the EPA used to modify their recommendations. The study makes the point that “it is unclear what the exact health risks are from exposure to low levels of elemental mercury, especially for sensitive populations, so advising for the careful handling and thoughtful placement of CFLs may be important.”

That last point from the Maine study was one that occured to me after my marathon bathroom-cleaning: Where you place CFLs is important. I was glad this bulb broke in a room with no carpeting, since carpeting is hard to clean, and might need to be replaced. Also, that bulb is in a fairly safe location, and if I hadn’t physically dropped the dumb thing, there was virtually no way it would have broken. But what about other bulbs in my house? Can they get broken accidentally? It turns out that all the bedrooms in my house have ceiling fans, with downward-facing, tulip-shaped lamps. A year ago I replaced all the burned-out bulbs in my 5-year-old son’s bedroom fan with CFLs. Well, they are now incandescent again, because that child constantly throws thing in his room, including toys and balls. I now have the nightmare image of him throwing a toy up, a CFL breaking right above him, and mercury powder raining down on his face. Yikes.

Before this incident, I happened to have already read that breaking a CFL could be a big deal, and knew to research the proper method before beginning clean-up. But what about the majority of CFL consumers? Does anyone else know about this? The package the bulbs came in doesn’t mention any of it. All the package says is, “dispose of properly.” No mention of bulbs being a hazard if broken, no mention of how to safely clean up, nothing. It doesn’t even point out that “dispose of properly” means don’t throw used bulbs away in the trash.

I broke one little curly bulb, and I personally was pretty diligent in my effort to clean up. Part of that was the mommy in me, since this was the kids’ bathroom, and I’ll happily go overboard to protect them. Did I overreact? Or should I have done more? Now that I think of it, I forgot to take down and wash the shower curtain. Damn, I better go do that now…

(Part 2)