NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Physicians for Informed Consent (PIC), an educational nonprofit organization focused on science and statistics, has just released its Aluminum Vaccine Risk Statement (VRS) entitled "Aluminum in Vaccines: What Parents Need to Know." The educational document answers important questions about the risks of aluminum-containing vaccines administered to newborns, infants and children.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that the public is very interested in weighing the risks of infectious diseases versus the risks of vaccines," said Dr. Shira Miller, PIC founder and president. "Parents and the public must become knowledgeable about aluminum in vaccines because even though it is used as an adjuvant in many vaccines, it is a neurotoxin—and overexposure may lead to significant harm, including problems in motor, sensory, and cognitive function." Currently, up to 22 doses of aluminum-containing vaccines are recommended to children, with 11 doses recommended from birth to 6 months of age.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), have raised concerns about the negative effects of aluminum exposure in humans. In scientific studies, small amounts of aluminum that remain in the body have been observed to interfere with a variety of cellular and metabolic processes in the nervous system and in tissues of other parts of the body. Some of the most damaging effects of aluminum range from motor skill impairment to encephalopathy (altered mental state, personality changes, difficulty thinking, loss of memory, seizures, coma, and more).
The FDA states that if some vaccines did not include aluminum (i.e., aluminum hydroxide and aluminum phosphate) as an adjuvant, the immune response they trigger may be diminished. Therefore, aluminum is included in many vaccines on the childhood schedule, including the following: hepatitis B (HepB), Haemophilus influenzae type b (PedvaxHIB), pneumococcal (PCV), hepatitis A (HepA), human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal B (MenB), and diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP and Tdap).
"Vaccines are administered preventively to healthy people, not people with acute or chronic infections, so it's crucially important to know the safety data upon which one's recommendations are based," said Dr. Miller. "PIC developed the Aluminum VRS to help families and their physicians advance their understanding of the risks of aluminum adjuvants, so they may engage in informed decision-making."
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to discuss the Aluminum VRS educational documents with their children's doctor. To read the Aluminum VRS or to download it, please visit physiciansforinformedconsent.org/aluminum.
About Physicians for Informed Consent
Physicians for Informed Consent is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization focused on science and statistics. PIC delivers data on infectious diseases and vaccines, and unites doctors, scientists, healthcare professionals, attorneys, and families who support voluntary vaccination. In addition, the PIC Coalition for Informed Consent consists of more than 200 U.S. and international organizations. To learn more or to become a member, please visit physiciansforinformedconsent.org.
SOURCE Physicians for Informed Consent
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