CDC committee moves to phase out controversial mercury ingredient from flu vaccines

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A vaccine ingredient is in the spotlight this week, as a preservative called thimerosal was included on the agenda for a meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

"Presentation regarding thimerosal in vaccines" was listed as an agenda item for Thursday, June 26, followed by "Proposed recommendations regarding thimerosal-containing influenza vaccine."

Thimerosal (also spelled thiomersal) is a mercury‑based preservative that has been used in multi-dose vaccines and medications since the 1930s as a means of preventing contamination, according to the CDC.

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The ingredient is intended to prevent contamination by stopping the growth of bacteria and fungi, the same source states.

Due to growing concerns about potential mercury exposure, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Public Health Service agencies and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be "reduced or eliminated in vaccines."

In 2001, thimerosal was removed from all vaccines recommended for children 6 and younger - except for influenza.

Today, multi-dose flu vaccines still contain thimerosal, but other versions are available without the ingredient.

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At the June 27 meeting, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend that all adults (including pregnant women) and all children 18 years and younger should receive seasonal influenza vaccines only in single-dose formulations that do not contain thimerosal, according to meeting notes published by the CDC.

Despite these recommendations, the CDC and other health agencies have claimed there is no evidence that thimerosal poses health risks.

"Thimerosal use in medical products has a record of being very safe," the agency's website states. "Data from many studies show no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines."

Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, reiterated that American children have not been receiving thimerosal for over 20 years in their vaccines, but that it remains in some multi-use vial vaccines, mostly outside the U.S.

"We support any effort to remove it entirely - there are other preservatives that are not based on mercury," Glanville told Fox News Digital. 

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Glanville noted that his company's vaccines never contain mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, or pig- or cow-derived materials.