Aluminum in Vaccines Is Not Safe, According to Art

TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 21, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons notes that, because of public concerns that mercury (as thimerosal) in childhood vaccines might be contributing to soaring rates of autism, this component was mostly phased out as a “precaution.” Autism rates continued to rise, prompting authorities to assert that autism is not linked to mercury in vaccines and that vaccination policies are safe and appropriate, writes Neil Z. Miller in the winter issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons .

At the same time as mercury was being phased out, Miller noted that there was a 25 percent increase in the amount of aluminum in vaccines administered before age 18 months.

Aluminum, also a neurotoxin, is used as an adjuvant in vaccines, Miller explains, to induce a stronger immune response. It is contained in hepatitis B, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), pneumococcal (PCV), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and hepatitis A vaccines.

Miller recounts case reports of aluminum toxicity dating back to 1921. He cites concerns of the American Academy of Pediatrics that prolonged use of intravenous feedings that contain aluminum could impair neurological development. He quotes a 2011 article stating that “aluminum is a widely recognized neurotoxin that inhibits more than 200 biologically important functions and causes various adverse effects in plants, animals, and humans.”

Some health authorities acknowledge reasons for concern, Miller writes. A director of the National Vaccine Program Office admitted that “those of us who deal with vaccines have really very little applicable background with metals and toxicological research.”

Some health authorities, Miller states, are concerned about how burdensome it would be to remove the aluminum. “Existing vaccines, if they change the adjuvant for any reason, would need to be resubmitted for clinical trials for safety and efficacy and it would take a great deal of time to do that.”

Miller concludes that there is no convincing evidence of adjuvant safety, but compelling evidence that injected aluminum can be detrimental to health. “Vaccines are normally recommended for healthy people, so safety (and efficacy) standards must be impeccable. Parents, especially, should not be compelled to permit their loved ones to receive multiple injections of toxic metals that could increase their risk of neurodevelopmental and autoimmune ailments. Safe alternatives to current disease prevention technologies are urgently needed.”

The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is published by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) , a national organization representing physicians in all specialties since 1943.

Contact: Neil Z. Miller, neilzmiller@gmail.com, or Jane M. Orient, M.D., (520) 323-3110, janeorientmd@gmail.com