The latest articles I could find about this were all dated 1999, and basically said that the medical community was reviewing whether or not Thimerisol should be removed from vaccines.
Is there any updated info? Is anyone out there familiar with vaccines?
I’m wondering if it has actually been removed from the current vaccines in use. . . . .
I can’t definitively answer your question, but I do note that the U.S. FDA says that, first, a 1999 review “found no evidence of harm from the use of thimerosal as a preservative” (this squares with what you wrote) and, more to the point:
“Much progress has been made to date in removing or reducing thimerosal in vaccines. New pediatric formulations of hepatitis B vaccines have been licensed by the FDA, Recombivax-HB (Merck, thimerosal free) in August 1999 and Engerix-B (Glaxo SmithKline, trace thimerosal) in March 2000. In March 2001 the FDA approved a second DTaP vaccine formulated without thimerosal as a preservative . . . At present, all routinely recommended vaccines manufactured for administration to U.S. infants are either thimerosal-free or contain only trace amounts of thimerosal . . .”
Most of the other stuff I have found is lawyer-glurge.
HTH,
RR
IIRC, there was a piece on NPR in the past week or so, which said that thimerisol was being removed from vaccines as better preservatives had been found.
One more thing: if you are searching on the Web, make sure to spell the word “thimerosal” instead of “thimerisol.” You’ll find a lot more info.
RR
It is still out there. I understood that after about 2 years ago it was no longer allowed to be sold in Ohio (at least), but the stuff in stock could be used. So just before our new daughter was to get her first shot, we called the doctors office, and asked if the vaccinations had mecury in them. Long story short, they did end up having Thimerisol in them (which has mecury in it). It didn’t seem reasonable to be that we should inject even the least amount of mercury into Grace’s bloodstreem, We got the shots elsewhere. (where they were amazed any Thimerisol still existed)
Daughter just turned 6mos, wo hoo! 
Dan
I know my mother’s practice (a nurse in a pediatric office) stopped using thimerosal-bearing vaccines a few years ago, when they became aware of the possible dangers.
Asked and answered.
Thank you all!
There never wqere any dangers of Thimerosol. The amount was just too miniscule. However, the antics and fearmongering of anti-vaccination freaks, combined with the development of better preservatives, lead to vaccination manufacturers changing over.
That said, the anti-vaccination crowd is stil trying to pretend that there is Thimerosol in vaccines, and when it is pointed out to them that there isn’t, they beat their chests as to how it is “proof” there was a problem.
Any more and I get Pit worthy.
** Mr. Miskatonic**,
The question was whether or not it is currently in use in vaccines.
It was asked and answered.
If you want to start your own thread concerning the possible dangers of Thimerosol in vaccines, go right the heck on ahead.
Meanwhile, keep your humble opinion and your inflammatory remarks to yourself please.
Actually, the question is not completely answered. The answer is yes, there is still thimerosal in vaccines.
Thimerosal has been removed from vaccines for children in the U.S. (This is not because of any evidence of harm or because “better preservatives had been found.” It was taken out simply because people worried about possible ill effects. In fact, there is a growing body of evidence that not only is thimerosal in vaccines harmless to children, but there is little reason to think it would be harmful because it does not build up in the body between doses.)
Thimerosal is used in vaccine for adults.
Thimerosal is also used for vaccines for children in developing countries. The World Health Organization looked at the evidence for harm (none) and the potential disadvantages of using thimerosal-free vaccines for children (lots of children dying of preventable infectious diseases) and decided to continue to purchase thimerosal-containing vaccines.
So the answer is, thimerosal is no longer used for vaccines for children in the U.S. but thimerosal is still used in some vaccines.
Update and correction.
I took littleson for his 1 year appt a week or so ago. I asked at the appt this same question. The nurse told me that some vaccines for infants and children are still produded with thimerosol in them, that some batches from (say from Glaxo-Smith-Klein) have it and some were manufacured without.
So she pointed out on his chart which shots came from batches I’d need to call the drug company and ask about. There were a total of three out of the fourteen vaccines he’s had so far. There is now a big fat note taped to his vaccine chart concerning this.
Well, that part is for me to keep track of, but I wanted to let you know that the answer turned out to be yes, that Thimerosol is still used in some vaccines for children (and adults) in the US.
“I wanted to let you know that the answer turned out to be yes, that Thimerosol is still used in some vaccines for children (and adults) in the US.”
I think the nurse may not have had up to date information. Could you please let us know which vaccines (identified by trade name) currently in production in the United States the nurse thinks contain thimerosal? I’d like to get the straight dope on this.
Sure thing, I’ll brb. 
Vaccine - DTAP Manufacturer Smith Kline Beecham lot #527A2
Vaccine - DTAP Aventis lot #60543DA
Vaccine - IPV/OPV 1 Man: Aventis lot # 1446
I called Smith Kline, and they said that yes, thimerosol was still included in some batches, but that particular one did not contain it. Cross one off my list.
The flu shot, once intended for adults, but now also recommended for children does contain thimerosal.
Cite:
http://health.rutgers.edu/influenza/flu.htm
Not quite “manufactured for children” but now being given to children on a CDC recommendation.
Vaccine - DTAP Manufacturer Smith Kline Beecham lot #527A2
Vaccine - DTAP Aventis lot #60543DA
Vaccine - IPV/OPV 1 Man: Aventis lot # 1446
These are specific vaccine lots that are no longer manufactured. My question was about vaccines currently in production in the United States.
Unless you have information to the contrary, I will assume that the following statement from the CDC is correct: “Today, all routinely recommended pediatric vaccines manufactured for the U.S. market contain no thimerosal or only trace amounts.”
Flu vaccine is not quite recommended routinely for all children by the CDC (unlike hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, hemophilus influenzae type B, etc. vaccines). The wording is different: “Because young, otherwise healthy children are at increased risk for influenza-related hospitalization, influenza vaccination of healthy children aged 6–23 months is encouraged when feasible. Vaccination of children aged >6 months who have certain medical conditions continues to be strongly recommended.”
Flu vaccine preparations containing negligible amounts of thimerosal (“preservative free”) are available for children: "For the 2002-2003 flu season, a limited number of individually packaged doses of preservative free, reduced thimerosal-content influenza vaccine are available from Evans Vaccines and Aventis Pasteur. The Evans reduced thimerosal-content vaccine is approved for use in persons over the age of 3 years. In September 2002, the FDA approved Aventis Pasteur’s Fluzone® Preservative-free: Pediatric Dose, Influenza Virus Vaccine for use in children 6 months of age and older. Fluzone® is packaged in 0.25 ml dose syringes for persons under 3 years of age, and in 0.50 ml dose syringes for persons 3 years and older (including pregnant women). "
Noooooooooo, these were from lots produce in the past year. At least, according to my documentation and the records of Smith-Kline.
Trace amounts are all that were in these vaccines, as thimerosal is used as a preservative.
Why are you struggling so hard with this one, just out of curiosity.
Here is a great link, about 1/3 down the page is a table (table 3)that shows exactly “Thimerosal Content in Some Currently Manufactured U.S. Licensed Vaccines”.
I hope it helps to settle this amicably.
"Why are you struggling so hard with this one, just out of curiosity.
Because I’m trying to get the straight dope and you are evidently not reading (or, more likely, selectively reading) your own sources. You claim that “Thimerosol is still used in some vaccines for children (and adults) in the US.” But your own sources say that it is not used in vaccines for routine childhood use in the U.S.
Thimerosal was used as a preservative in many vaccines. It is no longer used as a preservative in vaccines made for the U.S. market that are part of the routine childhood immunization schedule.
Look at Table 2 in your link. It says that thimerosal is used as a preservative only in DT, Td, TT, influenza, and pneumococcal polysaccharide. None of these are part of the routine schedule (although influenza vaccine, since February 2002, is “encouraged” for healthy children).
Look at Table 1 in your link. It says that one of the the 3 DTaP products and one of the two hepatitis B products have traces of thimerosal, less than 1 microgram thimerosal per 0.5 mL dose (equivalent to less than 0.5 microgram of mercury per 0.5 mL dose.) This is a negligible residual from the manufacturing process and, if you will look at Table 3, less than one fiftieth of the typical amount when thimerosal is used as a preservative. For practical purposes, it is thimerosal-free though if you prefer to think of a vaccine that contains less than 0.0002% of thimerosal as containing thimerosal, I’m not going to argue with you. There’s no reason to be less than amicable. But I hope you aren’t going to claim that thimerosal is “used” in vaccines that contain less than one fiftieth of the perservative concentration. If you do say it is “used”, I think you owe it to us to to say what it is used for.
*aenea
Mr. Miskatonic … It was asked and answered. Meanwhile, keep your humble opinion and your inflammatory remarks to yourself please. *
I took it as a valid comment. If a question appears to be based on disputed assumptions - in this case, belief in the latest scare about vaccines - it’s fair to question those assumptions.