In a step with far-reaching consequences, a panel formed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has advised in favor of removing the controversial preservative thimerosal from flu vaccines.
See the tweet below!
This move could ignite a nationwide transformation aligned with Kennedy’s controversial stance on vaccine safety.
This influential panel, restructured by Kennedy himself, unanimously supported the recommendation to exclude thimerosal from seasonal influenza vaccines, except for one dissenting vote.
Kennedy’s bold step of replacing all 17 previous Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) members has brought his longtime skepticism about vaccine preservatives to the forefront.
Despite being used since before WWII and already removed from most common vaccines, thimerosal accounts for about 5% of flu vaccine vials today.
The discussion centered around its potential risks to vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women, a claim lacking substantial scientific evidence.
The lone dissenting voice in the panel was Dr. Cody Meissner, who simply stated, “The risk from influenza is so much greater than the nonexistent, as far as we know, risk from thimerosal.”
The decision could have sweeping consequences beyond America’s borders, potentially reducing global access to vaccines and increasing their costs.
Many countries rely on these thimerosal-preserved vaccines as part of essential healthcare distribution.
The panel’s recommendation is not merely a domestic issue but a global one.
While Kennedy’s actions align with his decade-long critiques against vaccine additives, experts like Dr. Sean O’Leary argue that there’s a marked difference between the panel presentations and the actual scientific consensus on thimerosal.
“There is a very big difference between what was shared at the meeting versus what is reality,” O’Leary said.
If adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the panel’s recommendation represents a significant shift in federal policy.
Dr. Meissner further warned, “Removing thimerosal from all vaccines used in other countries, for example, is going to reduce access to these vaccines, it will increase costs, and I think it’s important to note that no study has ever indicated any harm from thimerosal.”
Given the FDA and CDC’s past actions to limit or remove thimerosal as a precaution, the panel’s decision feels like a contradiction to certain public health policies.
Though most flu vaccines in the U.S. are already thimerosal-free, this strong push could change global perceptions of vaccine safety policy.
This is HUGE!
The vaccine advisory board just voted to not recommend thimerosal (mercury) flu vaccines anymore 🙌
For too long, pregnant women have been told to not eat fish because they contain mercury, but they have recommended the mercury filled flu vaccine.
Mercury is a… pic.twitter.com/ImKUmZDNaL
— Anna Matson (@AnnaRMatson) June 26, 2025
