HHS Secretary Kennedy Officially Signs ACIP's Recommendation to Remove Thimerosal from All Flu Vaccines in U.S.

HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has officially signed ACIP’s recommendations to “remove the mercury-based preservative thimerosal from all influenza vaccines distributed” in the U.S.

The move comes after a “5-1-1 vote at the ACIP’s June 25-26 meeting at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, where committee members voted that all children 18 years and younger, pregnant women, and adults receive only single-dose influenza vaccines free of mercury.”

Kennedy said that this action “fulfills a long-overdue promise to protect our most vulnerable populations from unnecessary mercury exposure.” However, reportage from USA Today states that the preservative has “long been targeted by anti-vaccine advocates despite broad scientific consensus on its safety.” The call against thimerosal was “first presented [to ACIP] by Lyn Redwood, former leader of Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group founded by Kennedy.”

Dr. Cody Meissner, who was the only ACIP member to vote against the recommendation, “said thimerosal has been used since World War II and ‘no study has ever indicated any harm.’ He said removing thimerosal from all vaccines could reduce access and increase costs, especially in other countries where vaccine alternatives may not be available.”

Preservatives like thimerosal “are compounds that kill or prevent the growth of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. … However, improvements in manufacturing technology have decreased the need to add such preservatives.” A CDC briefing document found that, in the 2024-2025 season, “96% of all influenza vaccines in the U.S. were thimerosal-free.” The FDA also states that “a robust body of peer-reviewed, scientific studies conducted in the United States and countries around the world support the safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines.”