CDC Vaccine Panel Meeting Under Fire as Controversial Presentation Cites Non-Existent Study

A critical meeting of the CDC’s advisory committee on vaccines, scheduled for June 25–26, has been thrown into immediate turmoil following revelations of a presentation citing a non-existent study. The controversy centers on a report titled “Thimerosal as a Vaccine Preservative,” submitted by Lyn Redwood, a figure previously associated with the anti-vaccine organization, Children’s Health Defense.

The disputed presentation claimed to reference a 2008 study co-authored by UC Davis Professor Emeritus Robert Berman. However, Berman has categorically denied ever conducting such research, stating that the cited findings misrepresented his actual work published in Toxicological Sciences. The erroneous citation was first brought to light by Reuters, prompting the CDC to swiftly upload a revised version of Redwood’s presentation, with the offending slide removed.

This incident escalates already heightened tensions surrounding the CDC’s vaccine policy. It comes on the heels of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent decision to completely overhaul the agency’s 17-member vaccine panel, replacing it with eight new members, half of whom are known vaccine skeptics. The abrupt changes have drawn bipartisan concern, with Republican Senator Bill Cassidy and Democratic Senator Patty Murray jointly urging a postponement of the ongoing meeting, citing insufficient vetting of the new panel members and the absence of a permanent CDC director.

Redwood’s presentation, which reportedly advocates for concerns about thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, stands in stark contrast to a separate CDC staff report that reaffirms the safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines, concluding they do not cause autism or other neurodevelopmental issues. While the debate over thimerosal continues, CDC data indicates that 96% of flu vaccines administered during the 2024–25 season were thimerosal-free, with only a minuscule 0.3% of flu vaccines given to pregnant women containing the preservative.

The broader implications of this controversy are significant, highlighting the ongoing battle against vaccine misinformation. Kennedy, a long-time critic of vaccine safety who has previously claimed thimerosal causes brain damage—claims consistently debunked by scientific research—is now overseeing a panel with known skeptics. As the newly appointed advisors deliberate whether to recommend thimerosal-free vaccines for all pregnant women and children, the integrity of the information presented to them, and by extension, to the public, remains under intense scrutiny. Lyn Redwood has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter.

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