BREAKING NEWS: Mercury-Based Thimerosal OUT from U.S. Vaccines

On Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed a commitment to remove the mercury-based preservative, thimerosal, from all influenza vaccines distributed in the United States.

This followed a recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and a 5-1-1 vote at the ACIP’s June 25-26 meeting at CDC headquarters in Atlanta. The committee members voted that all children 18 years and younger, pregnant women, and adults receive only single-dose influenza vaccines free of mercury.

“After more than two decades of delay, this action fulfills a long-overdue promise to protect our most vulnerable populations from unnecessary mercury exposure,” Kennedy said in a statement.

He continued, “Injecting any amount of mercury into children when safe, mercury-free alternatives exist defies common sense and public health responsibility. Today, we put safety first.”

With Kennedy’s signature, the recommendation becomes federal health policy, fulfilling the HHS Secretary’s commitment to restore trust with Americans by removing risk and still sustaining access to vaccines.

Before he was elected to lead HHS, Kennedy edited the 2014 book, "Thimerosal: Let the Science Speak,” which emphasized how evidence proved that mercury, a Neurotoxin, must be removed from all vaccines.

Efforts to remove mercury from childhood vaccines began in 1999.

HHS’s action on Tuesday marks the final step to remove mercury from all vaccines given to Americans.

An HHS press release, issued Wednesday, in part reads, “Secretary Kennedy’s newly-appointed ACIP members broke with long-standing inaction by voting to remove mercury entirely from all influenza vaccines, fulfilling the 1999 pledge and aligning U.S. policy with that of Europe, which phased out mercury additives years ago.”

The release further states:

“Vaccine manufacturers have confirmed they have the capacity to replace multi-dose vials containing mercury, ensuring the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program and adult vaccine supplies will remain uninterrupted.

The ACIP, composed of leading medical and public health experts, advises the CDC on vaccine safety, efficacy, and clinical necessity. This historic decision marks a critical step toward enhancing public confidence in vaccines and advancing the nation’s commitment to safer immunization practices.

Secretary Kennedy added, “With the U.S. now removing mercury from all vaccines, we urge global health authorities to follow this prudent example for the protection of children worldwide.”