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The Netherlands has been swept up in a “wave of anxiety” and scepticism about H1N1 flu vaccinations, reports De Volkskrant. The Dutch daily recounts that anti-vaccination associations have sprouted up and “the media, politicians and epidemiologists have been receiving an unremitting barrage of mails” from people worried about the supposed toxicity of the vaccine. The main causes of concern are two ingredients, Thiomersal (aka thimerosal) and Polysorbate 80, suspected of causing brain disorders and fertility problems – which allegations are refuted by scientists. This confusion is fuelled by the proliferation of cockamamie theories circulating on the web, De Volkskrant explains: some claim the vaccine contains a microchip designed to enslave unwitting patients, others suspect the World Health Organization (WHO) of being in on a plot to decimate the population.
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