Brady Collins
Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, has been used for decades in the United States in multi-dose vials of medicines and vaccines. While mercury exposure can be harmful, the type of mercury in thimerosal, ethylmercury, does not stay in the body and is unlikely to cause sickness. Since 2001, all vaccines routinely recommended for children 6 years of age and younger in the US are thimerosal-free, except for some influenza vaccines. Studies have found no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Thimerosal | A mercury-based preservative used to prevent the growth of harmful microbes in vaccines. |
| Thimerosal in children's vaccines | All vaccines routinely recommended for children 6 years of age and younger in the U.S. are available without thimerosal. However, some formulations of inactivated influenza vaccines may contain it. |
| Safety | Thimerosal was removed from most childhood vaccines in 2001 due to concerns over mercury exposure. Studies have found no adverse health effects or links to autism or other neurologic problems. |
| Alternatives | Parents can opt for single-dose vaccines that do not contain thimerosal. |
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What You'll Learn
Thimerosal/Thiomersal is an additive in some vaccines
Thimerosal/Thiomersal, a mercury-based preservative, has been used for decades in the United States in multi-dose vials of vaccines. It is added to vials of vaccines that contain more than one dose to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi, which can cause severe local reactions, serious illness, or even death.
Thimerosal has been used as an additive in some vaccines since the 1930s. It is a mercury-containing organic compound (an organomercurial) that has been widely used to prevent the growth of harmful microbes inadvertently introduced into the vaccine during use. Thimerosal contains 49.6% mercury by weight, and a 0.01% solution contains 50 micrograms of mercury per 1 mL dose or 25 micrograms per 0.5 mL dose.
In 1999, the Public Health Service, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated from vaccines as a precautionary measure. This decision was made due to scientific uncertainty at the time, and the goal was to reduce childhood exposure to mercury from all sources. As a result, substantial progress has been made in removing or reducing thimerosal from childhood vaccines in the United States.
Currently, all vaccines routinely recommended for children 6 years of age and younger in the U.S. are available in formulations that do not contain thimerosal. However, some vaccines given to adults and certain high-risk children, such as the influenza vaccine, may still contain thimerosal. It is important to note that thimerosal has a long record of safe and effective use, and there is a robust body of peer-reviewed scientific studies supporting the safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines.
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Thimerosal contains mercury but it is not the harmful kind
Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative that has been used for decades in the United States in multi-dose vials of medicines and vaccines. It is a mercury-containing organic compound (an organomercurial) and has been widely used as a preservative in biological and drug products, including many vaccines, to prevent the growth of harmful microbes inadvertently introduced into the vaccine during use.
Thimerosal is approximately 50% mercury by weight. A 0.01% solution (1 part per 10,000) of thimerosal contains 25 micrograms of mercury per 0.5 mL dose. However, it is important to note that thimerosal contains a different form of mercury called ethylmercury. While methylmercury is known to be harmful and is found in certain kinds of fish, thimerosal does not contain this type of mercury. Studies have shown that ethylmercury does not accumulate in the blood and is eliminated from the body through the gastrointestinal system.
There is no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site. Research has been conducted over the years to study the effects of thimerosal, and there is no data or evidence of any harm caused by the level of exposure that some children may have encountered following the existing immunization schedule. In fact, a robust body of peer-reviewed scientific studies supports the safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines.
While concerns about the potential link between thimerosal and autism have been raised, multiple studies have failed to find any association between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. The Immunization Safety Review Committee of the Institute of Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) have all contributed to research that does not support an association between thimerosal and autism.
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Thimerosal has been phased out of most children's vaccines
Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, has been used for decades in the United States in multi-dose vials of medicines and vaccines. It is added to some vaccines to prevent the growth of harmful microbes and to prevent germs (like bacteria and fungi) from growing in them.
In 1999, the Public Health Service agencies, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated from vaccines as a precautionary measure. This was due to the conclusion that, despite there being no known health risk from thimerosal-preservative at the concentration used in vaccines, it was prudent to reduce childhood exposure to mercury from all sources.
Following this, thimerosal was rapidly phased out of most U.S. and EU vaccines. Since 2001, all vaccines routinely recommended for children 6 years of age and younger in the U.S. have been thimerosal-free, except for some formulations of inactivated influenza vaccines. Similarly, vaccines recommended in the US vaccination schedule for children younger than 6 years no longer contain thimerosal as a preservative or contain at most trace amounts.
Despite the phasing out of thimerosal, some parents continue to suspect a link between thimerosal and autism. However, numerous studies have shown no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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There is no link between thimerosal and autism
Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative that has been used for decades in the United States in multi-dose vials of medicines and vaccines. It is a different type of mercury than the kind found in some fish that can make people sick. Thimerosal does not stay in the body and is unlikely to cause sickness.
In 1999, the Public Health Service, the FDA, the NIH, the CDC, the HRSA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated from vaccines as a precautionary measure. This was because, at the time, there was scientific uncertainty about the effects of thimerosal.
However, there is no evidence of a link between thimerosal and autism. The CDC has stated that there is "no data or evidence of any harm caused by the level of exposure that some children may have encountered in following the existing immunization schedule." The FDA has also concluded that the evidence does not support an association between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. Multiple studies have found no link between thimerosal exposure and neuropsychological delays or problems. One study found no association between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism in Denmark and Sweden, where autism rates continued to increase despite thimerosal being removed from vaccines in 1992. Another study reviewed over 200 scientific studies that examined thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism and found "no association between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism."
Despite this, concerns about pediatric exposure to mercury through vaccine administration continue, and some preparations of the influenza vaccine still contain thimerosal.
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Thimerosal is still used in some multi-dose influenza vaccines
Thimerosal, also known as thiomersal, is a mercury-based preservative that has been used for decades in the United States in multi-dose vials of medicines and vaccines. It is a mercury-containing organic compound that has been used since the 1930s to prevent the growth of harmful microbes in vaccines.
Thimerosal is approximately 50% mercury by weight, and while high levels of mercury can be toxic to humans, thimerosal contains ethylmercury, which is processed differently in the human body compared to methylmercury, the type of mercury found in fish and the environment.
In 1999, the Public Health Service, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and vaccine manufacturers agreed to reduce or eliminate thimerosal from vaccines as a precautionary measure. This decision was made due to concerns about childhood exposure to mercury and the potential link between thimerosal and autism.
Today, thimerosal is no longer used in vaccines routinely recommended for children 6 years of age and younger in the United States, except for some formulations of inactivated influenza vaccines. These influenza vaccines are not given to children under 6 months old.
While some people continue to express concerns about the presence of thimerosal in vaccines, numerous studies have found no association between thimerosal and autism or other neurologic problems. The scientific consensus is that thimerosal does not cause autism or other health issues, and the benefits of flu vaccination are considered to outweigh any risk from thimerosal exposure.
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Frequently asked questions
Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, has been used for decades in the United States in multi-dose vials of medicines and vaccines. Since 2001, vaccines recommended for children 6 years of age and younger in the US are available in formulations that do not contain thimerosal, except for some formulations of inactivated influenza vaccines.
Thimerosal is added to some vaccines to prevent germs (like bacteria and fungi) from growing in them. If germs grow in vaccines, they can cause illness or even death.
While exposure to mercury may result in damage to the brain, kidneys, and developing fetus, the scientific consensus is that thimerosal has no such effects. Thimerosal contains ethylmercury, which does not stay in the body and is unlikely to make us sick.
No, there is no link between thimerosal and autism. Multiple studies have found no association between thimerosal and autism, and rates of autism have continued to increase despite the removal of thimerosal from vaccines.
In 1999, the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics determined that some children could be exposed to a cumulative level of mercury over the first 6 months of life that exceeded federal guidelines. Thimerosal was rapidly phased out of most US and EU vaccines as a precautionary measure.
