The Claim:
RFK Jr.’s former organization has a viral post asking if a baby’s immune system can handle aluminum when it cannot handle honey.
The Facts:
- Aluminum in vaccines helps the immune system build strong protection.
- The amount of aluminum in vaccines is very small and far below harmful levels.
- The body removes most aluminum through the kidneys, and it does not build up to dangerous levels.
The reason we don’t give babies honey before the age of one is that honey can contain a bacterial spore called botulinum, which, because of a baby’s immature gut, including a lack of natural gut flora, can germinate and cause botulism.
Aluminum isn’t the same thing at all. Aluminum is the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, and there is more aluminum in breastmilk and formula than in vaccines. Aluminum is sometimes added to vaccines as an adjuvant to help the body’s immune system respond better. This means children need fewer doses to get full protection.
Research has shown over and over that the tiny amount of aluminum in vaccines is far below levels that could be harmful. Our bodies already handle small amounts of aluminum because it’s naturally found in food, water, and even some medicines.
Most of the aluminum from vaccines leaves the body quickly through the kidneys. One study published in Vaccine found that the amount in vaccines is much smaller than what people take in every day from food and the environment.
The small amount that stays in the body for a short time does not build up to dangerous levels. Vaccines save millions of lives every year, and their benefits are much greater than the very small and disproven risks sometimes claimed.