A comprehensive study conducted by researchers at Statens Serum Institut (SSI) in Denmark has found no link between aluminum in childhood vaccines and an increased risk of 50 different health conditions, including autism and asthma. The findings, published in the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine, offer reassuring evidence regarding the safety of commonly used childhood vaccines.

The research team analyzed data from over one million Danish children born between 1997 and 2018, utilizing Danish health registers to track the incidence of 50 disorders in relation to aluminum exposure from vaccines. The study encompassed 36 autoimmune disorders, nine atopic or allergic conditions, and five neurological developmental disorders.

Niklas Andersson, physician and first author of the study at SSI, emphasizes that the results confirm the high safety of vaccines used in Denmark for decades. According to him, the research demonstrates that the small amount of aluminum included in the childhood vaccination program does not elevate the risk of developing various disorders.

Aluminum is used as an adjuvant in certain vaccines, such as those against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough, to enhance the immune response. While the study provides strong evidence against a link between aluminum in vaccines and the 50 disorders examined, researchers acknowledge that vaccines can have side effects due to the activation of the immune system.

Anders Hviid, head of department at SSI and leader of the study, clarified that their findings are limited to the 50 disorders investigated. He noted that vaccination granulomas, small, itchy lumps at the injection site, are a known and generally transient side effect of aluminum in vaccines, for which compensation is available in Denmark.

The SSI researchers tracked vaccinated children from the ages of two to five, but also conducted additional analyses extending the follow-up period to eight years. The extended analysis yielded consistent results, further strengthening the conclusion that there is no association between aluminum in vaccines and the development of the studied disorders.

Despite the study’s strengths, including its large size and long duration, the researchers acknowledge that it is an observational study, which has inherent limitations. They cannot entirely rule out the possibility of unmeasured differences between the compared groups, such as lifestyle factors like nutrition, that could potentially influence the results.