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In July 1999, U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (DHHS) agencies, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); The American Academy of Pediatrics; and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure and to reduce exposure to mercury from all sources. This decision was based on the various Federal guidelines for methyl mercury exposure and the assumption that the health risks from methyl and ethyl mercury were the same. More research is needed to determine if the guidelines for methyl mercury are also appropriate guidelines for thimerosal.