Study confirming aluminum safety in vaccines sparks fresh wave of false claims

This week, a seemingly pro-vaccine video circulated online promoting hesitancy about certain vaccines and misleading claims that doctors are bribed to give vaccines.

This week, a new study found that aluminum in vaccines is safe, setting off a wave of online debates. Meanwhile, a popular video that appeared to support childhood vaccines promoted hesitancy about COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines. Finally, the misleading claim that doctors receive bribes to vaccinate their patients recirculated, following a June 15 U.S. Senate hearing on vaccine injuries.

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What’s trending in vaccine conversation:

A large-scale Danish study, which followed over 1.2 million children for 24 years, found no association between exposure to aluminum in vaccines and autoimmune, allergic, or neurodevelopmental conditions. The study assessed whether aluminum exposure level—based on the number of received doses of aluminum-containing vaccines—correlated with an increase in conditions such as asthma, eczema, autism, ADHD, and allergies. Although the study did not directly compare unvaccinated and vaccinated children, it did include children who had no exposure to aluminum-containing vaccines. The study has drawn international attention as vaccine opponents argue that the study is “propaganda” that is “riddled with flaws.” Several skeptical social media users claimed that coverage of the study is “misleading,” accused the researchers of being paid by “Big Pharma,” and compared the research to past studies that claimed that cigarettes were healthy. Some commenters expressed concern about mercury in vaccines, while others claimed, without evidence, that aluminum exposure is harmful.

On July 19, a mother posted a video with over half a million views of a baby looking happy and healthy before and after vaccination. Although the video appears to be pro-vaccine, the caption states that the mother is opposed to flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines. Several commenters questioned how the mother can claim to trust vaccine science while refusing certain immunizations for her child. Additionally, many replies correctly pointed out that the RSV immunization for infants and young children is not a vaccine but a monoclonal antibody treatment. However, some commenters agreed with the caption, saying that they are generally vaccine-positive but avoid the listed vaccines because of concerns that they are too new or may cause serious side effects.

The claim that doctors are paid or bribed by pharmaceutical and insurance companies to “push” vaccines is being widely discussed online after a U.S. senator hosted a hearing about alleged vaccine injuries on July 15. In addition, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently falsely claimed that vaccine profits are a “perverse incentive” for doctors to vaccinate their patients. Social media users thanked these figures for raising awareness about the issue, arguing that there should be no financial motivations in health care. Several physicians, medical groups, and media outlets refuted the claim, stating that providers often lose money by providing vaccinations. Others noted that pediatrics is the lowest-paying medical field and that doctors don’t become pediatricians for the money.

Read the fact checks: 

• Unbiased Science: A Massive Study Finds No Evidence Aluminum in Vaccines Causes Childhood Disease 
• Children's Mercy Hospital: COVID-19, RSV, and the Flu: What you need to know 
• New York Times: Kennedy Claims Doctors Profit Off Vaccines. In Fact, Many Lose Money on Them.

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Talking points for health care providers to use in response to trending narratives

Each week the Infodemiology.com team will provide talking points and supporting messages in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. Health care providers can use this messaging when discussing vaccines online, talking to patients, or engaging with communities.

The small amount of aluminum in vaccines is safe and makes vaccines more effective.

• The largest study to date has confirmed that there is no link between aluminum in vaccines and negative health outcomes in children. The study followed over a million children over a period of 24 years.
• This massive study found that health risks were no different between children who had received the highest number of aluminum-containing vaccines and children who received few or no vaccines.
• The study shows there is no link between aluminum in vaccines and autism, asthma, ADHD, allergies, or over 40 other conditions.
• Aluminum has been used to make vaccines more effective for almost as long as modern vaccines have existed, with no evidence of safety concerns.

The aluminum in vaccines is safe and has been used to boost vaccine effectiveness for decades.

• Vaccines contain many ingredients that make them safer and more effective. Adjuvants boost your body’s immune response to the vaccine, increasing protection and reducing the vaccine dose needed to gain immunity.
• Aluminum has been used to enhance vaccine effectiveness for decades, with research consistently demonstrating that the ingredient is safe. 
• While the substance can be toxic in very high doses, small amounts of aluminum are harmless and occur naturally in soil, water, and food. Humans get far more aluminum through their daily diet—including vegetables, bread, and tea—than from vaccines. 
• A recent study that followed over a million children for 24 years found that aluminum-containing vaccines are not linked to any childhood disorders, including autism, asthma, allergies, and ADHD.

Respiratory viruses hospitalize and kill thousands of babies and young children each year. Immunizations are the best protection.

• Respiratory viruses hospitalize around 100,000 children a year. RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization in infants and young children. There’s no way to know how your baby will fare if they catch a respiratory virus without protection. That’s why getting immunized is so important. 
• The pediatric RSV immunization is not a vaccine, but a monoclonal antibody treatment that is very safe and effective. The treatment for infants under 8 months is 80-90 percent effective against hospitalization. 
• Infants and children under 5 are at higher risk of severe flu illness and complications like pneumonia. Vaccines reduce your child’s risk of catching the flu and of becoming seriously ill. 
• COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of severe illness and long COVID.

Vaccines don’t just save lives. They save billions of dollars worldwide by preventing deadly and debilitating diseases.

• Vaccines are one of the most cost-effective medical innovations in history. 
• Doctors do not receive payments from pharmaceutical companies to provide vaccines. Some insurance companies offer financial incentives to doctors to improve patient health outcomes and reduce health care costs, which may include encouraging patients to stay up to date on recommended vaccinations, make healthy lifestyle choices, and undergo routine medical tests, such as skin cancer screenings.
• Pediatricians and health insurers recognize that vaccinations are an important part of keeping children healthy by reducing their risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases.

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