Most people have heard of the controversy connecting the mercury content in vaccines to the rise in childhood autism. However, there may be more to the picture than advocates of this position originally had thought. This is not surprising considering the fact that most things related to health have more than one antecedent, trigger, or cause.

Recently, Dr. Mercola interviewed Dr. Ayoub to discuss the link between aluminum present in vaccines and its contribution to autism in children. According to Dr. Ayoub, aluminum could contribute to autism and other health related due to a variety of its properties. As a toxic metal that accumulates in the body and intereferes with the removal of mercury, aluminum binds to transferrin (interfering with iron absorption) and can cause damage to the kidneys. High aluminum exposurer has also been linked to diseases such as dementia, nervous system disorders, hyperactivity, vision changes, and much more.

According to the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital at Philadelphia:

The small quantity of aluminum in food, water or vaccines that is not eliminated by the kidneys begins to accumulate in the body. Most of the aluminum settles in the bones, some in the lungs and some in the brain. By the time children become adults, they will have accumulated between 50 and 100 milligrams of aluminum, almost all of which comes from food.

Many vaccines contain aluminum, including:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis)
  • Hib vaccine
  • Pneumococcal vaccine
  • Gardasil (HPV vaccine)
According to Dr. Mercola’s article:

Dr. Ayoub has identified one vaccine in particular as being one of the absolute worst in terms of aluminum content – Pediatrix. It’s a combination vaccine, which contains 850 mcg of elemental aluminum.

Adding to the problem, however, is the fact that many children end up receiving multiple vaccines at a time. In effect, children are getting concentrations of aluminum that are 10 to 20 times higher than mercury.

Based on the number of vaccines given, children today are receiving 17 shots that contain aluminum, compared to four vaccines in the 1970s into the mid-80s. According to Dr. Ayoub’s calculations, the milligram dose of aluminum received has more than doubled in that time.

This can have significant implications, as aluminum is not only toxic in and of itself, but it also impairs your body’s ability to excrete mercury, and it impairs glutathione synthesis. As a consequence, aluminum will make whatever amount of mercury you have in your system even more toxic.

Remember, you and your children are exposed to mercury from other sources as well, not just vaccines. Fish and amalgam dental fillings are two major sources of mercury exposure as well.

The average aluminum content per vaccine ranges between 200 to 400 mcg. Others contain less, such as Prevnar, which has 125 mcg of aluminum.

According to Dr. Ayoub, legal limits of aluminum dosage are not based on toxicity, but rather on the effectiveness of the vaccine as an adjuvant. Therefore, young children are at higher risk. So, what can you do?

First be aware. Please check the list of vaccine ingredients under references before you plan on vaccinating.

Furthermore, here are some ways to avoid excess aluminum:

Avoid the following:

Calcium and Vitamin C supplements that aren’t therapeutic grade

Antacids

Aluminum Baking Soda

Antiperspirant

Aluminum cans & cookware

Aluminum in toothpaste and personal care products

Some helpful hints for un-doing the damage:

See a health care professional who can put together the pieces from your blood work and health history. As a Naturopathic Doctor it is my job to find and treat the cause of the toxicity and utilize the best products for the individual to support  liver and kidney detoxification and replenish any confounding deficiencies.

References:
Dr. Mercola: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/20/david-ayoub-interview-february-2010.aspx

Philadelphia Children’s Hospital:http://www.chop.edu/export/download/pdfs/articles/vaccine-education-center/aluminum.pdf

Think Twice Global Vaccine Institute: http://mercola.fileburst.com/PDF/Aluminum_in_Vaccines.pdf

Dr. Weil:http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400319/Aluminum-A-Vaccine-Danger.html

CDC: List of Vaccine Ingredients: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-1.pdf