The overhauled US panel reviewing vaccine data backed the use of only thimerosal-free flu shots for Americans, taking aim at a little-used ingredient that has been falsely linked with autism despite decades of evidence showing it to be safe.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, voted five to one Thursday with one abstention in a move that would curtail use of larger vaccine vials that use the preservative.
ACIP’s decision affects only about 5% of the flu shots given each season, according to data from the