November 27, 2002

The Honorable John D. Ashcroft
Attorney General of the United States
U.S. Department of Justice
10th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Mr. Attorney General:

Today's edition of the New York Times reported that the U.S. Department of Justice has asked a federal claims court to seal documents about the potential hazards of thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative in vaccines that some claim has caused autism and other neurological disorders in children ("Justice Dept. Seeks to Seal Vaccine Papers," November 27).

If the report is accurate, the U.S. government is seeking to deprive parents of critical information about this preservative, which was used in vaccines up until 2001. Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, asks that the Justice Department's action be stopped immediately.

Vaccines protect millions of children from contracting debilitating and sometimes fatal diseases. But news reports about cases of catastrophic reactions to vaccines have raised concerns among some parents about vaccine safety. Openness and transparency are the best response to parents' concerns. Sealing these documents would be an outrageous move that would not only deny families from seeing relevant information concerning their children, but it could also fan the fears of parents who might choose not to have their children immunized at all.

News of the Justice Department's action follows the actions of members of Congress who inserted a provision in the homeland security bill that was intended to protect Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of thimerosal, from lawsuits over the preservative. We are particularly concerned that Eli Lilly has exerted undue influence over the political process. Surely the Justice Department believes that the interests of sick children are more important than the interests of the drug industry.

Sincerely,


Sally J. Greenberg
Senior Product Safety Counsel
Consumers Union Washington DC Office

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