June 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention in a report said that evidence does not support a

link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism, ahead of

a two-day meeting of experts scheduled for later this week.

The report, along with the meeting's final agenda and other

documents, was posted on the agency's website on Tuesday.

Lyn Redwood, a former leader of anti-vaccine group

Children's Health Defense, is set to make a presentation on flu

vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal at the meeting

on Thursday.

Thimerosal has long been used in the United States in vials

of medicines and vaccines that contain more than one dose,

according to the CDC. It is added to some vaccines to prevent

germs, such as bacteria and fungi, from growing in them.

The report posted on Tuesday reviewed existing evidence on

thimerosal-containing vaccines and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

During the 2024-2025 season, 96% of all influenza vaccines

in the United States were thimerosal free, according to the

report.