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| - Last Updated on February 2, 2023 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
A widely shared social media post claims that the presence of mercury and aluminium in vaccines may be extremely toxic to humans when injected. We verified the claim. According to our research, the assertion is False.
The Claim
A claim has received a lot of likes and shares on social media. These include Twitter and Facebook. According to the viral post, when used as vaccine adjuvants, both mercury and aluminium are highly toxic substances that could harm both the tissues and the bloodstream.
Fact Check
Does the viral video have any association with the vaccine’s ingredients?
No, absolutely not. The YouTube video clip, which was taken from a Home Science episode, does demonstrate the chemical reaction between mercury and aluminium. However, it is unrelated to vaccines or the components that make them up. This is due to the fact that the contested vaccine ingredients are not pure metals. Besides that, this video demonstrates how to create an amalgam using two pure metals that is similar to the dental amalgams used as ‘silver’ fillings for tooth cavities.
Do the aluminium and mercury in vaccines have the potential to be harmful?
No, not exactly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that when vaccine manufacturers create a vaccine, they frequently include ingredients that help strengthen the immune system’s response to the vaccine, improving the vaccine’s efficacy. These substances are referred to as adjuvants. The vaccine’s efficacy is improved by these additions.
For more than 70 years, vaccines have been made safely using aluminium salts like aluminium hydroxide, aluminium phosphate, and aluminium potassium sulfate. In order to enhance the body’s immune response to the diphtheria and tetanus vaccines, aluminium salts were first used in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Additionally, aluminium salts have been included in vaccines against Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis A and B, some influenza, and other diseases.
In addition, there is scant evidence linking high aluminium levels to Alzheimer’s disease. The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety of the World Health Organization has also disregarded the evidence linking aluminium in vaccines to autism.
On the other hand, thimerosal, also known as ethylmercury, has been a preservative in vaccines since the 1930s. It is currently only present in a small number of influenza vaccines. In order to avoid dangerous bacterial or fungal contamination, preservers are necessary. But in recent years, thimerosal has become a significant source of worries about the safety of vaccines. It is advised against using ethylmercury-containing vaccines because the chemical is frequently confused with methylmercury. Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that only methyl mercury, not ethyl mercury, is toxic.
Further emphasis should be placed on the fact that numerous studies have dismissed the controversy surrounding the association of thimerosol in vaccines with autism. The addition of thimerosol to the vaccines in amounts that have been approved and specified is also regarded as safe by the CDC and WHO.
Please be aware that in all circumstances, vaccines containing adjuvants are tested for safety and efficacy in clinical trials before they are licensed for use and, as a result, approved by the licensed governmental bodies, such as the CDC and FDA in the United States.
What components make up vaccines?
Vaccines are one of the most useful medical products ever developed, saving more lives than any other advancement in medicine or public health. Water is the main component of majority of vaccines. Vaccines function primarily because of antigens. They are elements that cause an immune reaction. However, inactive components, also known as ‘excipients’, are also included in vaccines. These usually serve as stabilizers, antibiotics, and preservatives or boost the immune response to the vaccine. These are typically present in extremely small amounts, with some naturally occurring in our bloodstream. Nevertheless, all excipients must pass a rigorous evaluation before they can be used in vaccines. This is done to make sure the substances are safe in the dosages used and that their safety is constantly monitored.
THIP MEDIA TAKE: It should be emphasized that neither mercury nor aluminum are added to the vaccines as pure metals. According to regulatory standards, the vaccine ingredients are always added in predetermined concentrations. Additionally, the adjuvants and preservatives that are added to the vaccines go through stringent safety and efficacy tests. As a result, we conclude that the assertion is false.
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