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yesterday

CDC Vaccine Advisers Debate Thimerosal After Leadership Overhaul and Faulty Citation

A bipartisan group of senators has urged postponement to protest the meeting of newly appointed advisers without a confirmed CDC director.

A general view of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Tami Chappell/File Photo
The entrance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seen, Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in Atlanta. A decision by a federal judge in Florida to throw out a national mask mandate for public transportation across the U.S. created a confusing patchwork of rules for passengers. The CDC recently extended the mandate, but the court decision put the mandate on hold. (AP Photo/Ron Harris)
People protested in 2005 over a preservative that had been used in vaccines for decades. By 2001, thimerosal had been removed from or reduced in all vaccines routinely recommended for children under 6 in the US.
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Overview

  • The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is voting June 25–26 on whether to restrict thimerosal in flu vaccines after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced all 17 members with eight appointees, some of whom have questioned vaccine safety.
  • Lyn Redwood, former leader of Children’s Health Defense, initially cited a 2008 study on thimerosal effects that scientist Robert Berman says does not exist, prompting the CDC to remove the slide and issue a revised presentation.
  • Although about 96% of U.S. flu vaccines for the 2024–25 season were thimerosal-free, the panel may consider banning multidose vials that still rely on the preservative.
  • The CDC maintains that low-dose thimerosal poses no link to autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders, but experts warn that eliminating all preservatives could hinder vaccine access and safety in low-resource settings.
  • Senators Bill Cassidy and Patty Murray have called for delaying the vote over questions about the panel’s expertise and the absence of a confirmed CDC director.