(NewsNation) — Federal officials are reviewing whether to remove aluminum from some common vaccines.
According to The New York Times, the review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began after President Trump listed aluminum in vaccines as harmful during a press briefing on Tylenol. The move is being pushed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has replaced several Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisers with members more skeptical of aluminum’s safety, citing concerns such as possible links to autism and asthma. But many experts argue there is no new science driving this review.
Every major health agency, from the CDC to the World Health Organization, says aluminum in vaccines is safe. It has been used for more than 70 years and helps the body build stronger, longer-lasting immunity.
“Aluminum is in vaccines as an adjuvant. It helps decrease the amount of antigen or actual disease that’s in there to help stimulate your immune response so it’s more robust,” Dr. Joel Warsh, a pediatrician, said. “Without it, you would need more doses, or it just wouldn’t be as effective.”
If aluminum is removed, affected vaccines could include those for whooping cough, polio, hepatitis and the flu. Together, they make up nearly half of all childhood immunizations in the U.S. Experts warn removing aluminum would force manufacturers to reformulate entire vaccines, delaying supply and disrupting immunization schedules.
Some scientists warn that without aluminum, many vaccines might not work as well, and some couldn’t be made at all. That could lead to spikes in diseases that have long been under control while new formulas are tested.
“I’m not personally opposed to pulling it if they have something else that’s better and safer. Let’s make sure that we can define what our concern is, and then let’s study the other ingredients which we could replace it with and see if those are just as effective and have less of a safety risk,” Warsh said. “But I think just pulling it without having a plan would be a bad idea.”
The FDA says its review is still in the early stages. The CDC has also formed a working group to reassess the childhood vaccine schedule, including whether aluminum-based vaccines should remain recommended or require a doctor’s approval or prescription.