RFK Jr. Announces Complete Ban on Mercury-Based Vaccine Preservative in US

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Saturday that the use of thimerosal—a mercury-based preservative historically included in flu vaccines for children and pregnant women—has been fully banned across the United States. This move comes after over 20 years of activism by Kennedy, who has consistently advocated for removing the preservative from vaccines. In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Kennedy expressed pride in fulfilling a long-standing commitment to protect vulnerable populations from unnecessary mercury exposure. His video elaborated on the decision and criticized federal health agencies for decades of approval of thimerosal despite evidence of its neurotoxic effects. Thimerosal contains ethylmercury and was used as a preservative in multi-dose vaccine vials. Numerous studies have linked it to neurotoxicity, yet the CDC continued to permit its use in flu shots administered to pregnant women and young children. Kennedy cited peer-reviewed research and official documents classifying thimerosal as a neurotoxin, carcinogen, mutagen, and reproductive hazard. He highlighted that the amount of ethylmercury in the now-banned flu vaccine exceeds the EPA’s safety level fo...