Former Anti-Vaccine Leader to Present on Thimerosal at CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee Meeting

Brenda Goodman and Meg Tirrell's CNN article reports that a former leader of the anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense, Lyn Redwood, will present on thimerosal in flu vaccines at a meeting of the newly appointed vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Redwood, a nurse practitioner with experience in pediatrics and family medicine, will discuss thimerosal, a preservative used in some flu vaccines that was removed from most shots decades ago due to concerns about mercury exposure.

Key Takeaways:

• Lyn Redwood, a former leader of Children's Health Defense, will present on thimerosal in flu vaccines at the CDC vaccine advisory committee meeting.
• Redwood has a history of advocating against vaccines and has co-authored papers and testified before Congress about the alleged link between thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.
• Thimerosal is still used in some multidose vial forms of flu vaccines, which account for about 4% of flu vaccines given in the US.
• Experts are puzzled by the inclusion of the topic on the agenda, as most flu vaccines given to children now come in single-dose vials or prefilled syringes that do not contain thimerosal.
• Redwood's presentation is unusual, as typically presenters are members of the ACIP working groups who have spent months gathering and discussing evidence on a given topic.
• The CDC says data from multiple studies "show no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines."
• Thimerosal has been demonstrated to be safe, and it's still used in much of the world with no evidence of harm.

Statistics:

• 4% of flu vaccines given in the US are multidose vials that still contain thimerosal.
• Thimerosal has been evaluated in numerous studies, which have found no evidence of harm caused by low doses in vaccines.
• Over 20 years ago, the US removed thimerosal from routine vaccines due to concerns about mercury exposure.
• Most flu vaccines given to children now come in single-dose vials or prefilled syringes that do not contain thimerosal.

Sources:

• Brenda Goodman and Meg Tirrell's CNN article
• Children's Health Defense website
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s bio on his vaccination stance
• World Mercury Project, [website](https://worldmercuryproject.org/)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, [website](https://www.cdc.gov/)
• Dr. Sean O'Leary, pediatrician at Children's Hospital Colorado, as cited by CNN's article