Thimerosal is an organomercury compound, meaning it contains mercury atoms. It is frequently used as a preservative in vaccines and its purpose is to prevent microbial growth, or contamination by bacteria. While thimerosal contains ethylmercury (this is different from methylmercury, which is the mercury considered toxic), many health organizations, including the CDC, WHO, and FDA, have deemed it safe in low dosages; hence, its usage in many vaccines. Thimerosal is vital to preventing fatal bacterial contamination in vaccines. Thimerosal is primarily a component of multi-dose flu vaccines, but it is also used in multiple other international vaccines.
Debates arose over the use of thimerosal in vaccines, especially over the course of the 1990s, in the United States. Many speculated thimerosal to be linked to neurodevelopmental issues like autism. In 1999, US health officials mandated the removal of thimerosal from a multitude of vaccines; this was despite no concrete evidence of adverse health effects. Rather, the presence of mercury was concerning to the general public. Therefore, many vaccines today, particularly childhood vaccines, use no thimerosal. Further, thimerosal and its mercury content have been a cornerstone of anti-vaxination defense.
With the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy to Secretary of Health, pushback to the utilization of thimerosal has been revitalized–including claims which are unendorsed by research. This is despite experts’ consistent affirmations that such a low dosage is trivial.
The Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices (ACIP), which provides advice and guidance on vaccine-preventable diseases in the U.S., was recently overhauled by Kennedy’s hand-picked members–many of whom were vaccine skeptics. During a meeting, the committee came to the controversial vote to recommend all Americans to receive flu vaccines in single doses that do not contain thimerosal.
The debate on thimerosal vaccines is being reintroduced with Robert F. Kennedy’s vaccine skeptic policies, despite the issue being long resolved. Many experts and scientists deem it to be safe. Additionally, around 94% of all flu vaccines administered in the U.S. are thimerosal free.
What are the potential consequences and repercussions of this vote? Multi-dose vials have many positives: easy storage, lower cost, and reduced waste. Removal of multi-dose flu vaccines that contain thimerosal may also affect access to flu shots for Americans and other countries alike. This is because many other countries continue to use thimerosal in their vaccines. Domestically, some experts fear this removal will compromise vaccine access and affordability; however, the CDC insists that single dose flu vaccines are able to supplant multi dose ones.
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