I’ve heard that flu shots contain mercury, also known as thimerosal. Is that true?
Yes, a typical flu vaccination contains an extremely low amount, about 25 micrograms of ethylmercury. A six-ounce can of tuna, by contrast, contains about 29 micrograms of methylmercury. The type of mercury used in vaccines—ethylmercury—is much less likely to accumulate in the body and cause harm than methylmercury, which is the type of mercury found in fish and elsewhere in the environment. Mercury is a very effective preservative that has been used since the 1930s to keep vaccines safe. There is no convincing evidence of harm caused by the low doses of ethylmercury in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site. CDC, http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/thimerosal.htm; Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=75751; How foul is that fish? http://www.eurocbc.org/hg_content_us_tuna_18aug2003page1250.
Yes, a typical flu vaccination contains an extremely low amount, about 25 micrograms of ethylmercury. A six-ounce can of tuna, by contrast, contains about 29 micrograms of methylmercury. The type of mercury used in vaccines—ethylmercury—is much less likely to accumulate in the body and cause harm than methylmercury, which is the type of mercury found in fish and elsewhere in the environment. Mercury is a very effective preservative that has been used since the 1930s to keep vaccines safe. There is no convincing evidence of harm caused by the low doses of ethylmercury in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site.
