Risk Assessment of Aluminum Exposure and Neurotoxicity Due to Infant Vaccinations

Background: Over a billion vaccine doses are given annually, and most are given to healthy infants, children, and adults. It is thus imperative that immunizations be both effective and safe. The use of adjuvants, such as aluminum, in vaccines is widely promoted, as adjuvants stimulate an earlier, stronger, more persistent immunological response.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted to integrate information from epidemiological and toxicological studies to assess the association between exposure to aluminum as an adjuvant in vaccines and the risk for neurotoxicity.

Results: While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not defined a reference dose for aluminum, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) set minimum risk level (MRL) for exposure as 2 mg/kg/day. The ATSDR also restricts the amount of aluminum compounds in vaccines to be no more than 0.85 mg/dose to prevent the possibility of aluminum toxicity-induced adverse effects. While the mechanism of aluminum toxicity is currently unknown, it might be implicated in inhibiting neuronal microtubule formation. Yet, aluminum levels permitted in vaccines are much lower than the maximum daily amount allowed in infants.

Conclusions: The amount of aluminum an infant receives from a year’s worth of vaccines is significantly below the minimum risk level and thus well under potentially toxic levels. While neurotoxicity may be a concern for parents whose infants receive vaccines containing aluminum-adjuvants, the risk of contracting the illnesses the vaccines prevent is of much greater alarm.