Thimerosal
"Thimerosal is a mercury-containing preservative used in some vaccines and other products since the 1930s. No harmful effects have been reported from thimerosal at doses used in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site. However, in July 1999, the Public Health Service (PHS) agencies, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure. Today, with the exception of some influenza (flu) vaccines, none of the vaccines used in the U.S. to protect preschool children against 12 infectious diseases contain thimerosal as a preservative." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

"Based on a thorough review of clinical and epidemiological studies, neither the mercury-based vaccine thimerosal nor the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine are associated with autism... Five large epidemiological studies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden since 2001 consistently provided evidence that there is no association between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism... " National Academies press release about the IOM report "Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism," May 18, 2004

Do you have questions about thimerosal in vaccines? Here are some helpful links.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  
Vaccine Safety Updates
www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  
Thimerosal in Vaccines: Frequently Asked Questions
www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/QuestionsaboutVaccines/UCM070430

Thimerosal in Vaccines
www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM096228
 
Institute of Medicine
  
Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism (5/18/04)
www.nap.edu/books/030909237X/html

Immunization Safety Review: Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (10/01/01)
www.nap.edu/books/0309076366/html
 
National Network for Immunization Information
Thimerosal/Mercury
www.immunizationinfo.org/issues/thimerosal-mercury
 
Vaccine Education Center
 
Thimerosal: What you should know
English
Spanish
 
Institute for Vaccine Safety
 
Thimerosal in Vaccines
www.vaccinesafety.edu/cc-thim.htm

Thimerosal Content in Some U.S. Licensed Vaccines
www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm
 
Immunization Action Coalition
 
Clear Answers & Smart Advice About Your Baby's Shots (by Dr. Ari Brown)
www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2068.pdf

Joint Letter to Congress (April 3, 2006)
Source: Multiple organizations concerned about efforts to restrict access to vaccines
www.immunize.org/thimerosalletter.pdf

Persons wishing to access journal abstracts related to thimerosal can click here to visit the appropriate section on IAC's website for healthcare providers.
  
Michigan Immunization Alliance

Mercury and Vaccines
www.aimtoolkit.org/talk/education/Mercury_and_Vaccines_12192005.pdf

Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety
 
Thimerosal and Vaccines
www.who.int/vaccine_safety/topics/thiomersal/en/index.html

This page was reviewed on November 29, 2010