The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), made up of members lately hand-selected by Well being and Human Providers Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted 5-1 on Thursday to advocate in opposition to flu vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal.
Just a few moments earlier than, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee voted 6-0 to advocate all People aged 6 months and older obtain an annual influenza vaccine.
One committee member, Vicky Pebsworth, abstained on every vote.
Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative, which is used to forestall microbial contamination of vaccines. Most flu vaccines at the moment utilized in the US comprise little to no thimerosal, however each the Meals and Drug Administration and the CDC say there isn’t a proof low doses of thimerosal in vaccines trigger hurt apart from minor reactions on the injection website, comparable to redness or swelling.
Moreover, a 2010 CDC research discovered publicity to vaccines and immunoglobulins that comprise thimerosal, in prenatal or toddler levels, doesn’t improve threat for autism spectrum dysfunction.
This preservative was beforehand utilized in some widespread childhood immunizations, Nevertheless, within the late Nineties, federal well being businesses, the American Academy of Pediatrics and vaccine producers agreed to scale back or get rid of thimerosal in vaccines as a precautionary measure, which public health experts previously told ABC News gave rise to anti-vaccine teams alleging thimerosal isn’t protected and fueled hypothesis that mercury causes autism.
Kennedy, who has promoted vaccine-skeptic views that consultants and many years of strong analysis have refuted, wrote a e-book in 2014 falsely claiming thimerosal is “poisonous to mind tissue” and should trigger autism, calling for its elimination from all vaccines.
Well being and Human Providers Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies earlier than the Home Vitality and Commerce Committee Well being Subcommittee, June 24, 2025 in Washington.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Photographs
In the course of the ACIP assembly, Lyn Redwood, a former president of Youngsters’s Well being Protection, a bunch that was chaired by Kennedy, gave a extremely charged presentation as a personal citizen. She claimed the preservative was poisonous to the mind and refuted evidence-based claims that there was no confirmed hurt from thimerosal in vaccines.
Her presentation obtained pushback from ACIP member Dr. Cody Meissner, who was the one member to vote in opposition to the advice. He mentioned there “is not any scientific proof that thimerosal has triggered issues.”
“The chance for influenza is a lot better than the non-existing threat from thimerosal,” he added.
Meissner mentioned vaccines with thimerosal are metabolized as ethylmercury, not methylmercury, which is the type of mercury present in fish and shellfish, and is understood to be a neurotoxin.
“I am not fairly positive how to answer this presentation,” he mentioned. “That is an outdated challenge that has been addressed up to now. Ethylmercury is excreted way more shortly from the physique. It isn’t related to the excessive neurotoxicity that methylmercury [is].”
Meissner additionally added that thimerosal is included in most multi-dose vaccines administered all over the world as a result of single-dose vials are dearer, and eradicating thimerosal may improve the prices of vaccines.
“Thimerosal is included in most vaccines which might be administered across the globe, and that’s as a result of single-dose vials are dearer, and plenty of international locations can not afford a single-dose vial,” Meissner mentioned.
He went on, “I understand ACIP is concentrated on the US, however the suggestions that the ACIP makes are adopted amongst many international locations all over the world and eradicating thimerosal from all vaccines which might be utilized in different international locations, for instance, goes to scale back entry to those vaccines, it should improve price.”
A number of liaisons of medical teams within the committee additionally questioned within the assembly why Redwood was permitted to current given her restricted scientific background and pushed again on the dearth of peer-reviewed research in her presentation.
“This committee has at all times prided itself on openness, transparency and knowledge and proof. So I’m questioning if we could have an precise scientific presentation with peer-reviewed literature, sturdy proof to really talk about this challenge, as many statements have been made right here right this moment, with out help of science or proof, however merely opinion,” Dr. Jason Goldman, a liaison for the American Faculty of Physicians (ACP), mentioned within the assembly.
A CDC evaluation of proof on thimerosal was beforehand printed on the company’s web site — exhibiting no security dangers from the ingredient — however was later taken down. A former CDC official posted a copy of the article online.
“A scientifically rigorous CDC report reviewing the security of thimerosal was posted for public entry after which abruptly eliminated on the course of the Workplace of the Secretary. The elimination of this doc, which contextualized many years of proof exhibiting no hyperlink between thimerosal and neurotoxicity or autism, raises severe issues about transparency and the integrity of the decision-making course of,” Sean O’Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Infectious Illnesses, mentioned in a press release to ABC Information.
An indication marks the doorway to the federal Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, on Oct. 8, 2013.
David Goldman/AP
Medical doctors have voiced concern that now not recommending thimerosal in some flu pictures may result in much less individuals getting vaccinated and gasoline additional mistrust of vaccines.
“Any lower within the variety of flu vaccines obtainable will possible lead to fewer individuals being vaccinated and subsequently extra hospitalizations and deaths. Its elimination may additionally sign to most people unwarranted security issues,” O’Leary mentioned.
One other heated change within the assembly got here throughout the dialogue of flu vaccines when ACIP member Dr. Robert Malone described the 250 flu deaths amongst kids throughout the latest flu season as a “modest quantity.”
“The 250 pediatric deaths, which is, let’s acknowledge, is a modest quantity luckily,” Malone mentioned.
This previous season noticed the best variety of flu deaths amongst kids for a non-pandemic season, and the best quantity seen because the 2009 H1N1 world flu pandemic, CDC data reveals.
Malone obtained instant push again throughout the assembly. Goldman from ACP mentioned the variety of deaths “isn’t a small quantity, particularly if it is your personal little one dying from the vaccine preventable sickness.”
Jade A. Cobern, MD, MPH, is board-certified in pediatrics and common preventive drugs, and is a medical fellow of the ABC Information Medical Unit.
