US Removes Mercury-Based Preservative From Flu Vaccines

The United States, under the direction of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will remove the mercury-based preservative thimerosal from all influenza vaccines distributed nationwide. This decision follows a 5-1 vote by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, whose membership was recently reshaped by Kennedy to include vaccine skeptics, and was formalized without CDC director approval due to the position being vacant pending Senate confirmation of President Trump's nominee. Although thimerosal has been deemed safe by multiple health authorities and was removed from children's vaccines in 2001, Kennedy and the panel support its removal as a precautionary measure to reduce mercury exposure, emphasizing the existence of safe, mercury-free alternatives. The policy change affects the small percentage of flu vaccines still using multi-dose vials with thimerosal, and vaccine manufacturers have confirmed their capacity to supply mercury-free single-dose vaccines without disrupting flu shot availability or public immunization programs. The move has drawn criticism from some experts concerned about potential increased vaccine hesitancy but is positioned by Kennedy as fulfilling a public health responsibility to protect vulnerable populations from any unnecessary mercury exposure. This shift could also influence future public health policies and vaccine development beyond the U.S.