CDC Vaccine Report Error: Non-Existent Study Cited
- A report on thimerosal as a vaccine preservative, scheduled for presentation to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine committee, is under scrutiny.
- Robert Berman, UC Davis professor emeritus, said the report, titled "Thimerosal as a Vaccine Preservative," cites a 2008 study he supposedly co-authored.
- "We did not examine the effects of thimerosal in microglia," Berman said.
The CDC vaccine panel meeting is embroiled in controversy surrounding a report citing a non-existent study on thimerosal, a vaccine preservative. Lyn Redwood is slated to present the report, but the cited author, Robert berman, a UC Davis professor emeritus, disputes the claims, stating the study doesn’t exist. This error fuels existing concerns surrounding both the report’s accuracy and the panel’s composition, especially after the Health Secretary replaced expert panel members. Sens. Cassidy and Murray called for alterations. News Directory 3 keeps you informed on the latest in health news.Despite the issues, the meeting will still proceed. Discover what’s next in the evolving story.
CDC Vaccine Panel Meeting Faces Controversy Over Thimerosal Report
Updated June 25, 2025
A report on thimerosal as a vaccine preservative, scheduled for presentation to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine committee, is under scrutiny. The report, slated to be presented by Lyn Redwood, a former leader of Children’s Health Defense, references a study that the listed author says does not exist.
Robert Berman, UC Davis professor emeritus, said the report, titled “Thimerosal as a Vaccine Preservative,” cites a 2008 study he supposedly co-authored. Berman stated the citation is inaccurate. He did co-author a similarly named study in Toxicological Sciences, but its conclusions differed from those suggested by Redwood’s presentation.
“We did not examine the effects of thimerosal in microglia,” Berman said. “I do not endorse this misrepresentation of the research.”
The meeting’s controversy is compounded by recent actions by Health Secretary robert F. Kennedy Jr., who replaced all 17 members of the expert panel with eight new members, half of whom have publicly opposed vaccines. Kennedy founded Children’s Health defense, an anti-vaccine group.
Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., have urged a postponement of the June 25-26 meeting. The presentation summary suggests that only thimerosal-free flu vaccines should be given to pregnant women, infants, and children. It remains unclear if the advisory panel will vote on this suggestion.
this presentation contrasts with a CDC report stating that evidence does not support a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders. Kennedy has long promoted the debunked link between vaccines and autism.
The CDC’s briefing materials reviewed studies on neurodevelopmental outcomes and vaccines containing thimerosal, a preservative used in multidose vials to prevent contamination.
According to the CDC, 96% of flu vaccines in the U.S.were thimerosal-free during the 2024-25 season. Only 0.3% of doses given to pregnant women in 2024 contained thimerosal.
Cassidy, who chairs the Senate committee on health, education, labor and pensions (HELP), called for the meeting’s delay, citing the small panel size and the absence of a CDC director. Murray, a senior HELP committee member, wants the fired panel members reinstated or the meeting delayed until new members are properly vetted.
What’s next
The CDC committee will proceed with its meeting, but the controversy surrounding the thimerosal report and panel composition is expected to continue.