RFK Jr. approves removal of thimerosal from all US flu vaccines
A suggestion to exclude thimerosal from all influenza vaccines has been approved by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., despite the fact that many studies have found no proof the mercury-based preservative is dangerous.
At its June meeting, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decided that only single-dose flu shots free of mercury should be administered to adults, pregnant women, and children.
The vote followed a presentation by the head of a Kennedy-founded anti-vaccine organization.
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“This action fulfills a long-overdue promise to protect our most vulnerable populations from unnecessary mercury exposure after more than two decades of delay,” Kennedy said in a statement.It is contrary to public health responsibility and common sense to inject children with any amount of mercury when there are safe, mercury-free alternatives. We prioritize safety today.
Kennedy and anti-vaccine organizations have long linked vaccine thimerosal to autism. Nevertheless, research after research has failed to find any proof for that assertion or any connection to more harm.
The CDC website states that there is “no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site.”
