Planned presentation to U.S. vaccine advisory panel cited a study that doesn't exist

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Jun 24, 2025 11:31 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

A reappraisal connected the usage of the preservative thimerosal successful vaccines slated to beryllium presented connected Thursday to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's extracurricular vaccine committee cites a survey that does not exist, according to the idiosyncratic listed arsenic the study's author.

The report, titled "Thimerosal arsenic a Vaccine Preservative" published connected the CDC website Tuesday, is to beryllium presented by Lyn Redwood, a erstwhile person of the anti-vaccine radical Children's Health Defense.

It makes notation to a survey called "Low-level neonatal thimerosal exposure: Long-term consequences successful the brain," published successful the diary Neurotoxicology successful 2008, and co-authored by University of California, Davis prof emeritus Robert Berman.

But according to Berman, "it's not making notation to a survey I published oregon carried out."

Berman said helium co-authored a likewise named survey successful a antithetic diary — Toxicological Sciences — that came to antithetic conclusions than those suggested by Redwood.

"We did not analyse the effects of thimerosal successful microglia," helium said. "I bash not endorse this misrepresentation of the research." 

Slide removed from presentation

Reuters is the archetypal to study connected the inaccurate citation from Redwood's planned presentation. Later connected Tuesday, the CDC uploaded a caller mentation of Redwood's presentation, removing the descent citing the Berman study.

The gathering has go progressively arguable aft Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. conscionable weeks agone abruptly fired each erstwhile 17 members of the adept sheet and named 8 caller members, fractional of whom person advocated against vaccines.

WATCH | RFK Jr. 'gutting' vaccine advisory sheet volition person consequences, adept warns: 

Kennedy, a long-time anti-vaccine activist, founded Children's Health Defense.

The summary of the presumption suggested that determination are capable thimerosal-free flu vaccines and that each large women, infants and children should person lone those shots. It was not wide if the caller advisory sheet would beryllium asked to ballot connected specified a move.

Redwood's presumption was successful opposition to a abstracted study posted connected the CDC website Tuesday that says grounds does not enactment a nexus betwixt thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism oregon different neurodevelopmental disorders.

Kennedy has agelong pushed a nexus betwixt vaccines and autism, which is contrary to technological evidence.

Redwood could not beryllium instantly reached for comment. A spokesperson for HHS said the survey being referenced was the 1 successful Toxicological Sciences, which Berman said was being misrepresented.

Senators propulsion to postpone meeting

Both Republican U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray of Washington said the meeting, scheduled for June 25 and 26, should beryllium postponed.

On Monday, Cassidy, who heads the U.S. Senate Committee connected Health, Education, Labour and Pensions (HELP), called for the gathering to beryllium delayed, saying it should not instrumentality spot with a comparatively tiny sheet and without a CDC manager successful place.

Murray, a elder subordinate and erstwhile seat of the HELP committee, has besides called for the fired sheet members to beryllium reinstated oregon the gathering beryllium delayed until caller members are appropriately vetted.