Thimerosal
Thimerosal is a mercury-containing preservative that has been used in some vaccines and other products since the 1930's. "Thimerosal consists of 49.6% ethyl mercury, an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal that allows manufacturers to sell the vaccine in large, multi-dose containers without fear of contamination."[1] Mercury has long been known to be highly toxic.
In July 1999 the U.S. 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.
Today, the government claims that all routinely recommended childhood vaccines manufactured for the United States market contain either no thimerosal or only trace amounts. But physicians continued to use vaccines containing thimerosal long after the recommendation of its elimination, in order to clear the old inventory of pharmaceutical companies.[2]
About 80% of flu vaccines contain thimerosal as of 2007.[3]
