Thimerosal is used in the US in a small % of flu vaccines as a SAFE preservative that prevents contamination. The bigger issue? His legitimization of lies will impact vaccines used globally. It will erode trust, reduce vaccine rates, & allow preventable illness to spread. 2/
RFK Jr’s lies about thimerosal will kill lots of children, primarily in developing and underserved regions. But, they won’t be affluent white kids, so I guess RFK Jr and his MAHA buddies view those kids as expendable. 3/
Survival of the fittest. It’s one of RFKjr’s themes.
This is a feature, not a bug. MAHA and MAGA are death cults dedicated to a survival of the fittest approach where fittest = white and wealthy. They are very much in favor of others being sick and dying.
Thank you for the truth- feels harder to come by every single day!
Why does RFK Jr and his hand picked ACIP continue to push this lie that was debunked decades ago? Because he makes money off it. He and Mark Hyman published a book in 2014 spreading these exact lies about thimerosal. 4/
Why does RFK Jr and his hand picked ACIP continue to push this lie that was debunked decades ago? Because he makes money off it. He and Mark Hyman published a book in 2014 spreading these exact lies about thimerosal. 4/
Oh, is that how people make a ton of money? What can I debunk, now?🤔 Hmmm.
I think it’s more than just greed…. My post on the topic bsky.app/profile/rich...
What’s real? Thimerosal is NOT mercury. Thimerosal’s official name is Ethyl(2-mercaptobenzoato-(2-)-O,S) mercurate(1-) sodium. That doesn’t sound like mercury, right? It also doesn’t look like mercury. 5/
I’m guessing RFKJr, along with about 90% of MAGA, never passed (or even enrolled in) any college-level chemistry classes. Most probably limped through HS chemistry (if they took it at all).
omg!🤣 they zeroed in on the Hg.
Thimerosal, C9H9HgNaO2S, is not the same as Hg (mercury). Claiming thimerosal is mercury is like saying water (H2O) is hydrogen gas. Or glucose (C6H12O6) is diamonds (made up of C only). Or air, a mixture of gases, is just nitrogen gas. You agree those aren’t true, right? Use the same logic. 6/
I have to admit that I, a MD, had unfounded worries about thimerosal (even though I knew it to be safe) because of all misinfo & lies spread by "reputable" sources. "Table salt is not sodium metal" is probably the best explanation to help understand that "thomerosal is not mercury"
Table salt is also not chlorine and thus not a chemical weapon
These are the semantics games played and have deadly consequences. He keeps saying that "vaccines have Mercury in them". Without context this sounds really bad It's like saying that table salt is bad for you cuz it contains Chlorine (NaCl). Chlorine would be bad to ingest (Trump) but salt is not
A chemical compound is NOT the same as its elemental parts. That’s why table salt, sodium chloride (NaCl), doesn’t explode in water. Sodium explodes in water! If anti-vaccine activists applied their logic to table salt, they SHOULD be claiming it explodes in water. But they’re not. 7/
DECADES of data show thimerosal is a safe & effective antimicrobial. It doesn’t bioaccumulate. It doesn’t cross the placenta or blood-brain barrier. It doesn’t cause neurotoxicity. It DOES prevent contamination with harmful microorganisms, which is why it has been used for one HUNDRED years. 8/
The US has already removed thimerosal from nearly all vaccines decades ago because of public outcry. Adopting the lie that thimerosal isn’t safe as POLICY will harm people globally who rely on multidose vaccines. Many countries look to the US (previously a leader in science) for guidance. 9/
I just don’t see why the rest of the world will keep looking at the US for guidance. Why would they?
Not anymore
*previously*
Vaccines used globally that will be targeted: • Inactivated influenza vaccines • DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccines in Gavi-supported countries • Tetanus toxoid (TT), DT, & Td vaccines • Multi-dose hepatitis B vaccines • Meningococcal vaccines, especially in Africa’s meningitis belt 10/
Multi-dose vaccines are less expensive. They’re easier to store & transport. And thimerosal ensures they don’t get contaminated after a vial is unsealed. When our health agencies lie about the safety of vaccines, we will see the consequences around the world. 11/
People will fear safe vaccines. Fear means vaccine refusal. Refusal means vaccine rates decline, which means more preventable illness & death and increased spread of pathogens. More outbreaks, harder to control infections, & increased demand on healthcare impacting everyone needing care. 12/
What I am hearing, "accelerating the decline in trust in US institutions may now be considered prophylactic." A scenario I classify as suboptimal for, reasons.
thats the plan… sow distrust in established norms and foment chaos🤷♂️ Seems to be working just fine so far🤬