Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is concerned by recent reports that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is pressuring Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to no longer supply vaccines that contain thimerosal — a preservative used in vaccines that has been proven safe through extensive research.
Multi-dose vial vaccines like those against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough rely on thimerosal to prevent contamination and ensure vaccines remain effective. They are especially useful in low-income settings and humanitarian emergencies where MSF works as they are easier to store in places with limited cold chain infrastructure, like refrigeration.
This recent demand from HHS marks yet another attempt by the US government to undermine confidence in lifesaving vaccines.
Alex Wade, senior global health advocacy and policy specialist at MSF USA, said:
"Millions of children worldwide rely on vaccines that include the preservative thimerosal to be protected against deadly diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough. This is an ingredient that research has confirmed for decades is safe.
“As a medical organization, our doctors and nurses see daily the deadly effects of not being able to access vaccines — from war zones to refugee camps to some of the world’s more remote villages.
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Read more“We’ve been prioritizing vaccination for more than 50 years because we know how important it is to prevent children from getting sick in the first place, especially in communities with few medical care options for those who fall ill.
“In conflict zones in particular — when health systems break down and access to medical services is limited — multi-dose vials that require thimerosal to stay effective are often the only feasible way to quickly reach large numbers of children during brief windows of safety.
“Reducing the number of vaccines available through Gavi if they can no longer supply vaccines that contain thimerosal to ministries of health would block countless people all over the world from accessing these lifesaving tools.
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Read more“Undermining the value and safety of vaccines poses a serious threat to global health.
“The World Health Organization, medical experts, and public health bodies worldwide continue to support the use of thimerosal for a reason. For the US to ignore the scientific evidence and cast doubt on the safety of these vaccines is reckless and unconscionable.”
