Does aluminum in children’s vaccines cause asthma? US study gives insight

aluminum It has been used since the 1930s as an ingredient in some vaccines – called an adjuvant – that stimulates strong immune defenses.

The study, released Tuesday, shows that young children who received most or all of the recommended aluminum-containing vaccines had at least a 36 percent higher risk of developing persistent asthma than children who received fewer vaccines.

Asthma, a condition that can cause spasms in the lungs, usually results from an allergic reaction. About 4% of American children under the age of 5 have persistent asthma.

By age 2, children should be Vaccination Against 15 diseases, according to American recommendations. There are aluminum adjuvants for seven of them.

Aluminum adjuvants have long been recognized as safe and effective. Still, scientists noted a period of increased rates of allergy and asthma in American children during a 30-year period beginning in 1980, and few wondered whether there was a connection.

A new federally funded study has found a possible link, but experts say the research has significant shortcomings and is not a reason to change current vaccine recommendations. The study does not claim that aluminum causes the breathing condition, and officials say more work is needed to confirm any connection, which was not seen in earlier research.

Previous research has linked aluminum from industrial areas to asthma in residents and factory workers. The study also showed that the aluminum-injected mice had an immune system response, showing inflammation in the airways. childhood asthma,

The study found that children who received 3 milligrams or more of vaccine-related aluminum had at least a 36 percent higher risk of developing persistent asthma than children younger than 3, the researchers said.

(with input from AP)