>>http://www.webmd.com/content/article/78/95711.htm is a reasoned article from a trusted site on this issue. The FDA admits they have NOT tested the toxicity of ethylmercury used in vaccines. They only BELIEVE it's ONLY as toxic as methylmercury. http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimfaq.htm#q4 The US Congress has recently passed an act to reform the no-so-100% competent FDA. Just look at the number of drugs being withdrawn from the market, it seems, on a monthly basis. I am NOT saying clearing drugs for safety is an easy job!! I am saying it's not being done with 100% certainty. >>But the science is bad and the results of not vaccinating your children through ignorance is criminal. That's a strong opinion that I respectfully don't agree with. The Amish don't vaccinate because they believe it weakens the immune system and you don't hear about breakouts of epidemics. Despite their lifestyle, they do interface a lot with the society at large and no one has eliminated viruses from the environment. I was taught in school viruses survive in the environment almost indefinitely. >>Ignorance is not bliss. It kills. That's right. Vaccine inserts state they don't guarantee immunity. Vaccine injury and death are very difficult to prove. Nevertheless, the federal government - one can't sue the pharmaceutical industry because vaccination is required by law - has paid out $1.5 billion in compensation for 1,800 children either injured or killed as a result of vaccinations. According to official statistics, 1 in either 166 or 500 (depending on the source) American children is autistic. It's recent phenomenon that trails the tripling of mandatory vaccinations since 1975. You won't find 40- or 50-year old autistic adults in any significant numbers. There has not been any good science on what happens to the immune system when a virus is introduced directly into the blood stream via a vaccine bypassing the primary defenses at the skin, respiratory tracks, digestive track, either. Some [scientists] feel repeated vaccinations cause the immune immune system to 'panic to this breach of the first line of defense' and blindly react the same way to threats and non-threads contributing to asthma, allergies, MS etc. All of these are auto-immune disorders that have increased in proportion to the increase in the number of required vaccines. >>As far as causing cancer, just about anything can do that. Of course. Everyone produces cancer cells on a daily basis. The T and B cells in your immune system are designed to locate, identify and neutralize cancer cells in the body. Weaken the immune system, the control of cancer growth is compromised. This just one aspect of cancer. I think the immune system of honeybees is not that much unlike ours. Bees seems to handle the presence of viruses in the hives just fine on their own. But introduce varroa that 'injects' the same viruses directly into the bees' bloodstream and the colonies collapse. Treatment chemicals in the brood comb seem to accelerate colony collapse and cause other problems after varroa is brought under control. The chemical may interfere with egg laying, brood raising but I would not be surprised if they affected the bees immune system resulting in shorter life cycles. These are my opinions & observations. I'd like to see more good science on the cause & effect of the treatments and better methods of containing viruses that cripple humans and bees. Waldemar Long Island, NY -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---