Does thimerosal in vaccines pose a risk to infants?
When pregnant women eat foods or take medicines that contain mercury, the mercury can be transferred to the developing fetus through the placenta. Infants can be exposed to mercury through foods, including breast milk, or medicines. Developing fetuses and young children are believed to be more susceptible to mercury exposure than adults because mercury can interfere with the developing nervous system.1 Guidelines for safe exposure to methylmercury, based on the analysis of cases where people were accidentally exposed to toxic levels of mercury, have been developed by three federal agencies1. Although the three agencies’ guidelines are each slightly different, each leaves a large margin for safety, and exposure to amounts that exceed these guidelines does not mean that the individual has been exposed to toxic levels of mercury. Additionally, it should be noted that, some studies 3 5 show that ethylmercury (the kind to which thimerosal is metabolized) may be less toxic than methylmercury
Related Questions
- what is being done about the thimerosal content of less commonly administered vaccines and other biological products given to infants, children, and pregnant women?
- What progress has been made since July 1999 in removing thimerosal from vaccines routinely recommended for infants?
- What Has Been Done Since July of 1999 to Remove Thimerosal From Vaccines For Infants?
