Overview

• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed off on a June 5-1-1 ACIP vote to eliminate thimerosal from all influenza vaccines for the 2025-26 season.
• Kennedy reconstituted the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in June by firing its 17 previous members and appointing eight new advisers including vaccine-skeptical figures.
• Multi-dose vials containing thimerosal accounted for roughly 4–5% of last season’s U.S. flu vaccine supply, and manufacturers have pledged uninterrupted production of single-dose, preservative-free alternatives.
• Both the FDA and CDC maintain that thimerosal’s ethylmercury is safe, supported by more than 40 peer-reviewed studies finding no link to autism or other harm at vaccine doses.
• Critics, including ACIP member Dr. Cody Meissner, caution that removing thimerosal-containing options may drive up costs and limit vaccine access in low-resource settings.