Posts Raise Unfounded Concerns About Aluminum in Vaccines

SciCheck Digest Small amounts of aluminum have been used for many decades to strengthen the immune response to vaccines. Exposure to high levels of aluminum has been associated with brain and bone problems, but there is no evidence that the level of exposure provided by vaccines leads to such toxicity, contrary to social media claims. What ingredients are in vaccines? What ingredients are in vaccines? All vaccines contain an active ingredient, or antigen, and tiny amounts of other substances that allow them to work, stay free of contamination and remain effective for longer.& The antigen is a substance that prompts the body to mount an immune response, including protective antibodies. Antigens can be viruses, bacteria, parts of those or even the genetic code to produce parts of them. All viruses, bacteria or toxins used in vaccines are either inactivated or weakened so that they can’t make people sick. Manufacturers list the components of each vaccine on publicly available package inserts and anyone can check for possible allergens.& Some vaccines may also contain adjuvants, preservatives, stabilizers and residual byproducts from the manufacturing process. All of these components are safe in the concentrations used in vaccines. Many of them are common and...