When science is not enough: thimerosal overwhelmingly safe

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When science is not enough - a risk/benefit profile of

thiomersal-containing vaccines.

Clements CJ; McIntyre PB

Centre for International Health, The Macfarlane Burnet Institute for

Medical Research and Public Health Ltd, GPO Box 2284, Commercial Road,

Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia. john@...

Expert opinion on drug safety.

[Expert Opin Drug Saf] 2006 Jan; Vol. 5 (1), pp. 17-29.

Abstract: Without a preservative, such as thiomersal (known as

thimerosal in the US), multi-dose liquid presentations of vaccine are

vulnerable to bacteriological contamination that can result in death or

serious illness of the recipient. Concerns about levels of mercury

exposure from thiomersal-containing vaccines were first raised in the US

during 1999 in the context of Hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. Since

then, a large body of evidence from animal and epidemiological studies has

accumulated on the safety of thiomersal. Ironically, these data have

become largely irrelevant in wealthy countries, where

mono-dose,thiomersal-free vaccines have been introduced as a precautionary

measure in almost all childhood vaccines, in part related to residual

public scepticism. In poor countries, multi-dose vials remain important

for vaccine delivery. There is a real danger that this controversy may

result in the loss to the world of thiomersal as a preservative, simply

from popular pressure. In reality, it would be impossible to cease

overnight using thiomersal and maintain the supply of vital vaccines. This

paper reviews and summarises the data available from published studies on

mercury toxicity, and thiomersal in vaccines in particular, that

overwhelmingly indicate continued use of thiomersal is safe in those

countries where it is most needed.

PMID: 16370953

NLM ID: 101163027