Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has officially adopted a recommendation to eliminate thimerosal from U.S. flu vaccines, marking a major win for anti-vaccine advocates and a decades-long goal for Kennedy himself.
The move follows a 5-1-1 vote by the newly restructured Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), whose members were appointed by Kennedy after he removed the previous panel. The vote came after a presentation by Lyn Redwood, former head of Children’s Health Defense—a group founded by Kennedy and known for promoting vaccine skepticism.
“Today, we put safety first,” Kennedy said in a statement, calling thimerosal “unnecessary mercury exposure” and claiming its removal was long overdue.
Thimerosal, once common in vaccines, was largely removed from pediatric doses in 2001. It is still used in a few adult flu vaccines distributed in multi-dose vials, though the CDC says extensive research shows no link between thimerosal and autism.
With CDC Director nominee Susan Monarez still awaiting Senate confirmation, Kennedy signed off on the recommendation himself. Manufacturers have confirmed that switching to thimerosal-free options will not disrupt supply.
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