What is thimerosal?
Thimerosal is an ethyl mercury-based preservative used in vials that contain more than one dose of a vaccine (multi-dose vials) to prevent germs, bacteria and/or fungi from contaminating the vaccine.
Why are preservatives sometimes used in vaccines?
Preservatives are used to protect vaccines packaged in multi-dose vials. Each time a vaccine dose is drawn from a multi-dose vial, bacteria or fungi can enter the vial. Receiving a vaccine contaminated with bacteria or fungi can be dangerous. Preservatives are needed to prevent contamination of multi-dose vials each time individual doses are drawn.
Do flu vaccines contain thimerosal?
Flu vaccines in multi-dose vials contain thimerosal to safeguard against contamination of the vial. Most single-dose vials and pre-filled syringes of flu shot and the nasal spray flu vaccine do not contain a preservative because they are intended to be only used once.
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THE BACTERIOSTATIC AND BACTERICIDAL ACTIONS OF SOME MERCURIAL COMPOUNDS ON HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI In Vivo and in Vitro Studies
JAMA. 1948;136(1):37-41. doi:10.1001/jama.1948.72890180010008
Full Text
Mercurial compounds have been employed as disinfectants since the beginning of bacteriology. Indeed, for a long period mercurial compounds, such as bichloride of mercury, headed the list of chemicals which were thought to be effective in the killing of microorganisms. This perhaps may be attributed to the favorable publicity which Koch1 in 1881 gave to bichloride of mercury during his work with the organism causing anthrax. In substance he stated that, without special preparation of the objects to be disinfected, bichloride kills by a single application of a very dilute solution, and in a few minutes even the most resistant forms of the organisms are killed.
Geppert2 in 1889 first pointed out that false inferences were drawn that bacteria were killed by the action of bichloride of mercury when growth of the organisms was prevented by traces of the chemical in the culture medium. In support of his
PDF OF ENTIRE 1948 STUDY HERE:
jama_136_1_008 2
QUESTION: IF MERCURY COMPOUNDS DO NOT KILL BACTERIA (BACTERICIDAL) BUT ARE ONLY BACTERIOSTATIC (the compounds only cause the streptoccoci bacteria to go into a state of suspended animation and preservation), then how can any mercury compound be used as a preservative in any vaccine?
