Mercury-Based Flu Shot Ingredient Rejected by RFK Jr.'s New Vaccine Approval Panel
In a landmark move reflecting growing scrutiny over vaccine ingredients, a CDC vaccine advisory panel newly appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has voted to no longer recommend flu shots that contain thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative long targeted by health freedom advocates.
What Is Thimerosal?
Thimerosal (also spelled thiomersal) is an organomercury compound historically used in vaccines to prevent bacterial and fungal contamination, particularly in multi-dose vials of flu vaccines. It contains ethylmercury, a compound distinct from methylmercury which can be found in some fish. Some health agencies claim that ethylmercury can be eliminated more quickly by the body and has been declared “safe” by agencies such as the CDC and WHO.
However, many of us with common sense have questioned whether any form of mercury belongs in injectable medicine—especially when it comes to pregnant women, infants, and children with developing nervous systems. The CDC even says themselves “There may never be a safe level of mercury exposure, especially for an unborn child.” But we’re okay with the cumulative effects of injecting it into our everyone’s blood?? Wild.
Why Ethylmercury Should Never Be Injected
(In My Opinion)
While defenders of thimerosal often claim that ethylmercury (the form found in this vaccine preservative) is “safer” than methylmercury, a deeper look at the science—and common sense—suggests otherwise.
In a landmark 2005 study funded by the NIH and published in Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers injected newborn macaque monkeys with ethylmercury-containing vaccines that mimicked the U.S. infant immunization schedule of that time. The results were striking: although blood levels of mercury dropped faster than with methylmercury, a significant portion of the ethylmercury crossed the blood-brain barrier and was converted into inorganic mercury, where it remained lodged in the brain tissue at the end of the study, with no indication of clearance—suggesting potentially long-term or even permanent retention (Burbacher et al., 2005).
Specifically, the study found that:
Brain levels of inorganic mercury were up to 34% of total mercury in the ethylmercury group—5x higher than in the methylmercury-exposed monkeys.
Inorganic mercury in the brain has an exceptionally long half-life—over 120 days—making it far more difficult for the body to eliminate.
The brain-to-blood mercury ratio was actually higher for ethylmercury, meaning the body offloaded less to circulation and more to the brain.
Mercury: A Toxin Without an Exit Strategy
“Because inorganic mercury is known to be less efficiently cleared from the brain and has a longer half-life, this could result in accumulation with repeated exposures.”
— Burbacher et al., 2005, Environmental Health Perspectives
Unlike some toxins the body can break down or excrete quickly, inorganic mercury in the brain cannot be eliminated easily through sweat, urine, or bile. Chelation is difficult and risky, especially for infants and children.
This kind of mercury can remain in the central nervous system for months or even years—silently contributing to inflammation, neurological dysfunction, and cognitive disruption — all symptoms that coincidentally resemble autism spectrum disorder👀.
It’s common knowledge that we have had an explosion in autism diagnosis’s in recent years, but how many of those people were tested for mercury poisoning to rule that out? With so many shots on the schedule containing these heavy metal adjutants, and the lack of research into the cumulative effects of all these vaccines taken together in one person, we have to wonder if any of them are just victims of mercury poisoning. Anecdotally, many parents report that their autistic children’s symptoms improve drastically with chelation therapy.
Mercury Poisoning vs Autism Spectrum Disorder
| Mercury Toxicity | Autism Spectrum Disorder |
|---|---|
| Delayed speech and language development | Delayed or absent speech |
| Social withdrawal or lack of eye contact | Social impairment, lack of eye contact |
| Repetitive behaviors (hand flapping, rocking) | Repetitive movements (stimming) |
| Sensory hypersensitivities (to noise, light, touch) | Sensory processing disorder is common |
| Cognitive delays or regression | Developmental delays or regression after normal development |
| Immune dysregulation and gastrointestinal issues | Common comorbidities: GI issues, immune dysregulation |
| Poor motor coordination | Motor planning and coordination challenges |
Even the CDC has acknowledged in its public materials that "there may never be a safe level of mercury exposure, especially for an unborn child."
From a holistic health standpoint, it defies all principles of safety and precaution to allow any form of mercury to be injected—especially in a developing or vulnerable person. The precautionary principle tells us: if there's even a possibility of harm, especially long-term neurological harm, we must err on the side of protecting life—not convenience, $$$$, or pharmaceutical shelf stability.
Why Was Thimerosal Controversial?
The controversy around thimerosal peaked in the early 2000s following a wave of parental concern over its potential links to autism and neurodevelopmental issues. Though multiple government and academic reviews concluded there was "no credible evidence" connecting thimerosal to autism, many parents and holistic-minded practitioners remained unconvinced—pointing out the limitations/issues, funding sources, and inherent biases in the studies being cited. We now have word from HHS that many of these “studies” were tampered with to show more pharmaceutical-friendly outcomes.
Here’s a clip from a recent interview with the new HHS Secretary speaking about some of the tampering they found in the trials used to recommend the Hep B Vaccine:
Anyway, as a result of this public pressure during the 2000s, thimerosal was largely already removed from most childhood vaccines in the U.S. by 2001, though it remains in about 4–5% of adult flu shots that are still administered from multi-dose vials. Unfortunately, they are now using aluminum-based compounds to as both an adjuvant and to control growth of bacteria in the vials. Like mercury, there is no safe level of aluminum in the body and the body has a very difficult time getting rid of it. I’ll be exploring the health impacts of aluminum exposure in upcoming articles.
What Did RFK Jr.'s Panel Vote On?
In June 2025, Kennedy's new vaccine advisory committee voted 5–2 to no longer recommend flu vaccines that contain thimerosal. This came after testimony from Lyn Redwood, a nurse practitioner and board member of Children’s Health Defense, who warned about the risk to pregnant women and potential neurological effects of mercury-based preservatives.
The CDC currently recommends thimerosal-free versions of flu vaccines for infants and pregnant women—but does not ban thimerosal-containing versions. This vote could mark the beginning of a policy shift.
What Does This Mean for Flu Vaccines in the U.S.?
Practically speaking, this vote is unfortunately mostly symbolic—since nearly 96% of flu vaccines in the U.S. are already thimerosal-free. However, symbolically, it signals a move toward cleaner vaccine formulations and a willingness to reexamine once-dismissed concerns about some of the other problematic ingredients used to produce these liability-free products.
My take on this is that it is a very super small step towards rebuilding the trust in our medical institutions that was completely lost after the last few decades of mismanagement, rubber stamping and blatant pharmaceutical conflicts of interest. I think especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, people really lost so much trust, which worsens every week as more information comes out about the completely botched mRNA clinical trials. I think that in order for people to fully trust again, we need to repeal The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 (NCVIA). If they’re so “safe”, why do manufacturers need this liability shield?
Could This Affect Global Vaccine Supply?
Critics of the vote argue that removing thimerosal from multi-dose vials could complicate vaccine distribution in low-resource countries, where multi-dose vials are cheaper and easier to store. Without thimerosal, these vials are more prone to contamination after being opened. Should cost efficiency override safety and long-term health considerations?
My take on this is that instead of more vaccines, our tax dollars should be invested into fixing sanitation issues, improving nutrition and creating better working conditions worldwide. We know from historical records (detailed at great length in the book Dissolving Illusions by Dr Suzanne Humphries) that most diseases like polio, measles, whooping cough etc all declined like 95% before vaccines even came on the scene because of improvements to sanitation, working conditions and nutrition.
Our tax dollars have been funding organizations like GAVI, who was accused back in 2016 of giving thousands of African children “vaccine derived polio” and paralyzing them with their experimental oral vaccine, and recently our government has stated that we will no longer be funding GAVI due to loss of public trust, probably from incidents like this one. I’m hopeful that if we are going to continue sending our tax dollars overseas, that it will be put towards projects that actually promote health instead of more vaccines.
A Turning Point for Informed Consent?
For holistic health and health freedom advocates like myself, this move could signal a growing openness to informed consent, medical freedom, and risk-benefit discussions that include environmental toxins, long-term/cumulative impacts, and the principle of “first, do no harm.”
I am hopeful to see a full ban on the use of thimerosal in vaccines in time, but for now we can definitely say that this vote signifies a significant positive shift in perspective from our health governing bodies.
Sources
Burbacher TM, Shen DD, Liberato N, Grant KS, Cernichiari E, Clarkson T. Comparison of blood and brain mercury levels in infant monkeys exposed to methylmercury or vaccines containing thimerosal. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Aug;113(8):1015-21. doi: 10.1289/ehp.7712. PMID: 16079072; PMCID: PMC1280342.
Politico. Kennedy’s vaccine panel votes to remove preservative long targeted by activists
AP News. Thimerosal: What to know about the vaccine preservative from a bygone flu-shot debate
Washington Post. What is thimerosal, the flu vaccine ingredient targeted by RFK Jr.?
Children’s Health Defense. Mercury, Autism and the Global Vaccine Agenda
