How to Find Vaccines Without Preservatives

Finding certain vaccines without preservatives can require both patience and persistence.

Since the 1930s, thimerosal has been used as a preservative in hundreds of biological products and drugs, including vaccines. Thimerosal is an organic compound that contains mercury and, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in recent years, it has been cause for concern. According to the National Autism Association, several different studies have shown a link between thimerosal and autism and other doctors have raised concerns about the possibility of low level mercury poisoning. The FDA has responded to these issues by working with vaccine manufacturers to eliminate thimerosal from vaccines. As of October 2010, the only vaccine that still uses thimerosal for children under six is the flu shot --- the flu mist is thimerosal-free. There are still small amounts of thimerosal in some adult vaccines, including the tetanus and diphtheria shot. Preservative-free versions of all vaccines are available, but can be difficult to locate because of the shortened shelf life.

Things You'll Need

• Telephone
• Telephone book
• Health insurance information

Instructions

How to Find Preservative-Free Vaccines

1. Call your doctor's office. If you need to get a flu, tetanus or diphtheria shot, ask if a preservative-free version of the shot is available. If it is, make an appointment for the vaccine, if not ask if the office knows of any place they are available.

2. Check with your local health department. Call the office and see if they are aware of any place offering preservative-free vaccines. Health departments will often hold flu shot clinics, so if that is what you need, check and see if there will be any preservative-free shots available. If the answer is yes, make an appointment and specifically state you want the thimerosal-free shot.

3. Call Urgent Care Centers and local pharmacies that offer vaccinations. Check with the pharmacist or the person running a vaccine clinic and see if preservative-free versions are available. You may need to make multiple calls, but the persistence will pay off. Once you find a location, check and see if they accept your health insurance. If not, decide if you want to pay out-of-pocket for the vaccine.

References

• U.S. Food & Drug Administration: Thimerosal in Vaccines
• National Autism Association