Is aluminum in vaccines safe?

The press conference also made the ingredients in vaccines seem unsafe, particularly aluminum. President Trump said, “We want no aluminum in the vaccine.”

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.

A recent study from Denmark looked at the health of more than 1.2 million children over many years. The researchers checked for long-term problems like asthma, autism, and other ongoing illnesses. Because the study was so large and carefully done, it gives very strong evidence that aluminum in vaccines does not cause chronic health problems in children.