Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, vowing to replace them within two weeks. The move has drawn sharp criticism from medical and public health leaders, who warn it could undermine vaccine trust and safety. Dr. Evan Nadler, pediatric surgeon and obesity expert, joins LiveNOW from FOX’s Carel Lajara to discuss the implications of Kennedy’s decision.

A new study has found no link between aluminum in vaccines and an increased risk of 50 chronic disorders, including autoimmune diseases, allergies and neurodevelopmental disorders.

The study followed public concerns about potential associations between vaccination with aluminum-adsorbed vaccines and increased risk for chronic conditions like autism.

The study was published Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Study finds no link between aluminum in vaccines and autism

By the numbers:

The study authors looked at more than 1.2 million children born in Denmark between 1997 and 2018 to assess the association between aluminum exposure from early childhood vaccination and risk for autoimmune, atopic or allergic, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

The study tested for 50 chronic conditions, including autoimmune (dermatologic, endocrinologic, hematologic, gastrointestinal, and rheumatic), atopic or allergic (asthma, atopic dermatitis, rhinoconjunctivitis, and allergy), and neurodevelopmental (autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder).

Researchers were also able to compare children who received more aluminum in their vaccines by age two compared with those who received less. The study didn’t include unvaccinated children.

The results found that cumulative aluminum exposure from vaccination during the first two years of life was not associated with increased rates of any of the 50 disorders assessed.

What they’re saying:

“This nationwide cohort study did not find evidence supporting an increased risk for autoimmune, atopic or allergic, or neurodevelopmental disorders associated with early childhood exposure to aluminum-adsorbed vaccines,” the study authors wrote. “For most outcomes, the findings were inconsistent with moderate to large relative increases in risk, although small relative effects, particularly for some rarer disorders, could not be statistically excluded.”

Why is aluminum in vaccines?

Dig deeper:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aluminum is used in vaccines as an adjuvant. An adjuvant is a vaccine component that boosts the immune response to the vaccine. Adjuvants allow for lesser quantities of the vaccine and fewer doses.

“In other words, adjuvants help vaccines work better,” the CDC noted.

Aluminum-adsorbed vaccines include but are not limited to those offered in early childhood vaccination programs, such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis; Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib); pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV); and hepatitis A and B vaccines.

Although immunization with aluminum-adsorbed vaccines in children has been used worldwide for many decades and is generally considered safe, concerns about potential harms continue to resurface. In particular, findings from mainly animal studies have fueled theoretical concerns about potential neurotoxic effects of aluminum-adsorbed vaccines and an increased risk for inducing autoimmunity and atopic disorders

However, the neurotoxic effects of aluminum observed in animal models (rats) were subjected to long-term, high-dose parenteral administration and in humans receiving high-level exposure through dialysis, occupational inhalation, or intravenous parenteral nutrition.

Understanding aluminum in our atmosphere

According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, aluminum is the third most abundant element after oxygen and silicon, and it is the most abundant metal, making up almost 9% of the earth’s crust. Aluminum is found in plants, soil, water and air.

The children’s hospital also said aluminum is found in numerous foods and beverages including fruits and vegetables, beer and wine, seasonings, flour, cereals, nuts, dairy products, baby formulas, and honey. Typically, adults ingest 7 to 9 milligrams of aluminum per day.