FairWarning, an investigative news site started a few years ago by refugees from the Los Angeles Times, is making a serious effort to investigate health, safety, and corporate issues, but a recent investigation of mercury in vaccines gets off to an unfortunate start.
The story, by Rebecca Kessler, begins with a few words about the danger of exposing infants and children to mercury, and then notes that a global treaty to minimize mercury emissions excludes a form of mercury "that is injected, in tiny amounts, straight into young kids’ bodies."
That startling image is in the first graf, and it's clear the story has already taken sides. Readers now expect to read a story that savages the use of mercury–a familiar story to anyone who has followed medical news over the past decade or two.
What's unfortunate about this is that as the story unfolds, it does a competent job of balancing the risks and benefits of mercury in vaccines–yes, there are benefits–mostly without taking sides. If the lede had signaled that we were going to get a fresh, balanced look at mercury, this piece would be a helpful addition to the extensive coverage this issue has received.
The story reports that the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics–which has called for the removal of the mercury-containing preservative called thimerosal from vaccines–both supported excluding thimerosal from the treaty's prohibitions.
"The exemption also stemmed from a widely shared economic judgment that the cost to make and distribute thimerosal-free vaccines would be steep and couldn't be justified by the uncertain benefits," Kessler writes.
The story lays out the alternatives: Yes, there might be some small, statistical risk associated with thimerosal. But the preservative makes it safer and cheaper to distribute vaccines in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world. Kessler quotes a WHO official who says removing thimerosal "would hurt the world's poorest, most vulnerable kids." The effect "would be tremendous."
Those who read to the end will get a good understanding of the trade-off. But too many readers who glance at the lede and see what looks like an anti-mercury screed might click to exit.
-Paul Raeburn
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