Surprise surprise, what everyone feared would happen with RFK Jr. as Health Secretary has in fact happened. Your kids’ vaccines will have to be formulated without thimerosal. While this doesn’t prevent drug makers from making vaccines or your insurance from covering vaccines, it will lead to supply chain issues and ultimately reduced vaccine availability and higher insurance premiums. We know what happens next—fewer parents will want to deal with the hassle of vaccinating their kids (especially people of color/poor/rural/less educated)
So many stupid games being played:
- Kennedy fired all 17 former members of the panel in June, citing “conflicts of interest”, and appointed eight new members, all of whom are ideological allies of the secretary.
- None of the new members have published written conflict of interest disclosures or been added to a Trump administration-developed conflict of interest tracker for ACIP members, as of Thursday morning.
- Repeated, large studies conducted across several countries have found no association between thimerosal and neurological effects. A presentation from CDC career scientists that was initially expected to go through some of this substantial data was removed before the panel reconvened on Thursday.
- The panel instead heard a presentation from Lyn Redwood, a nurse practitioner who founded the World Mercury Project, the predecessor to Kennedy’s anti-vaccine advocacy group Children’s Health Defense. Prior to the meeting, her presentation was found to include a reference to a study that appeared to be made up.
Decision to restrict thimerosal in immunizations could impact future vaccine availability on a global scale
www.theguardian.com