The head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) took to X on Wednesday, June 25, to voice out his criticism of the British paper. "The Guardian is blind," Kennedy wrote, pointing out how the publication "did not bother to cite any peer-reviewed study" in a piece it published on June 20.

"Journalists don't seem to read those anymore," he continued. "Scientifically baseless repetition of empty industry assurances about thimerosal safety is yet another proof that journalists, and particularly science journalists, have now devolved into obsequious stenographers for Big Pharma."

The health secretary also debunked the claim that routine injections no longer contain thimerosal. "There are high bolus doses of mercury in flu shots," Kennedy asserted.

"CDC [the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] recommends [these flu vaccines] to pregnant women in any trimester of pregnancy, and as a routine vaccine for children at six months and in every year of life. Between conception and age 18, a compliant American child today could get a cumulative load of as much as 500 [micrograms] of ethylmercury from multidose flu shots."

CDC ignored mercury risks; will new panel finally act?

Despite assurances from agencies like the CDC that the compound is safe, independent research and historical admissions from regulators suggest otherwise. With Kennedy's advisory panel set to review thimerosal-containing influenza vaccines later this month, the question remains: Why does a known neurotoxin persist in medical formulations recommended for pregnant women and children?

Scientific literature paints a damning picture. A 2005 National Institutes of Health study found ethylmercury from vaccines crosses the blood-brain barrier, converts into highly toxic inorganic mercury, and lingers in the brain for years. Meanwhile, a 2017 CDC study correlated flu vaccines with a sevenfold increase in miscarriage risk – particularly when administered consecutively across seasons.

The controversy traces back decades. Thimerosal, nearly 50 percent ethylmercury by weight, was introduced in the 1930s as an antiseptic. It was later incorporated into vaccines to prevent contamination in multi-dose vials.

In 1998, the Food and Drug Administration banned thimerosal from over-the-counter products like topical antiseptics, yet paradoxically allowed its injection into infants. The CDC likewise continued endorsing mercury-laden flu shots for infants and expectant mothers.