What is thimerosal and is it safe to receive a flu shot with thimerosal?
Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative that has been used for decades in the United States to prevent contamination and the growth of microorganisms in multi-dose vaccine vials (vials containing more than one dose), which can cause serious illness or death. Since seasonal influenza vaccine is produced in large quantities for annual immunization campaigns, some of the vaccine is produced in multi-dose vials and contains thimerosal to safeguard against possible contamination of the vial once it is opened. If you have an allergy to thimerosal, then you should discuss this with your doctor before getting either the seasonal or 2009 H1N1 vaccines. If you are eligible, the nasal vaccines may be an option for you. Three leading federal agencies (CDC, FDA, and NIH) have reviewed the published research on thimerosal and found it to be a safe product to use in vaccines. In addition, three independent organizations [The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, Advisory Committee o
