If you have a social media platform you frequent, you’ve probably read at least a handful of opinions about vaccines and their questionable safety. Aluminum is one of the big, bad culprits, according to some opinions. However, a lot of these opinions are firmly established in the investigation of ingredients that are commonly found in vaccines.
Some people blame aluminum. They claim that the amounts of aluminum and aluminum salts, when used as an adjuvant in some vaccines, surpass the safe limits determined by the FDA. They believe it may cause an increase in mental illnesses and other chronic conditions in adolescents. This is why vaccine rates among children and adolescents have decreased.
The FDA closely monitors vaccines and their ingredients. Vaccines are required to go through a rigorous and extensive development program in order to determine safety and effectiveness. Because social media spreads misinformation, misleading or inaccurate social media posts lead to vaccine hesitancy among patients. This is why you need to be vigilant about educating your patients. Provide accurate, science-based information about vaccine safety to fight against the stream of dangerous trends.
Every ingredient in a vaccine is for a specific purpose. Every single ingredient helps to make the vaccine as effective as possible while maintaining its safety. Furthermore, ingredients are used in the smallest quantities possible. Aluminum is used as an adjuvant to enhance the immune response of vaccinated individuals.
There are some vaccines that have an aluminum-based adjuvant. These include diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccines, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, the human papillomavirus vaccine, and some hepatitis B vaccines.
As a pharmacist, arm yourself with this knowledge when you talk to adult patients. With parents of infants and young children, provide scientific evidence to combat the misinformation. Tackle it before it becomes a public health crisis.
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