Life in Nature

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) asserts that vaccines and vaccine ingredients have been disproven as potential causes of autism. Statements by the CDC are generic and encompass all vaccines and vaccine ingredients. For example, the CDC states:

“Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism”

“There is no link between vaccines and autism.”

“…no links have been found between any vaccine ingredients and autism spectrum disorder.” (CDC
website, August 2017)

These statements are not supported by available science. The CDC’s evidence supporting these statements is limited to the MMR vaccine (Taylor 2014), thimerosal preservative (Taylor 2014) and vaccine antigen exposure (DeStefano 2013).

Dr. Frank DeStefano of the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office is co-author of a paper (Glanz 2015) which states:

“To date, there have been no population-based studies specifically designed to evaluate associations between clinically meaningful outcomes and non-antigen ingredients, other than thimerosal.”

This statement applies to, among other vaccine ingredients, aluminum adjuvant. Studies of MMR vaccine cannot be used as evidence of safety for other vaccines, for example vaccines that contain aluminum adjuvant. The overly-broad, generic assertions that no vaccines and no ingredients cause autism are thus not supported by scientific evidence. In fact, the CDC statements are contradicted by a large, consistent and growing body of scientific
evidence, including:

1) studies showing neurotoxic and neuroinflammatory effects (e.g. microglial activation) from dosages of aluminum adjuvants lower than or approximately equal to dosages received by infants according to the CDC vaccine schedule (Crepeaux 2017, Petrik 2007, Shaw 2013, Shaw 2009);

2) studies linking vaccines to immune activation brain injury (Zerbo 2016, Li 2015);

How Aluminium Adjuvants Cause Autism

3) studies showing that early-life immune activation is a causal factor in autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders and mental illnesses (e.g. schizophrenia) (Meyer 2009, Deverman 2009, Estes 2016, Kneusel 2014, Careaga 2017, Meyer 2014).
The accumulating evidence indicates that vaccine-induced immune activation, and aluminum adjuvants in particular, may cause mental illnesses and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.

In this paper, we present scientific evidence that aluminum adjuvants can cause autism and other brain injuries. Also, we explain why the studies allegedly supporting the safety of aluminum adjuvants do not show safety for adverse neurological outcomes.

Immune Activation: A Cause of Autism and Mental Illness
The term “immune activation” describes the activation of the cellular
components of the immune system. The developing brain can be injured by immune activation, with life-long consequences (Meyer 2009, Deverman 2009, Estes 2016, Kneusel 2014, Careaga 2017, Meyer 2014). Immune activation injury is linked to autism, schizophrenia, depression and other mental illnesses or neurodevelopmental disorders. Immune activation effects on the brain are mediated by immune system signaling molecules, especially cytokines (Estes 2016, Meyer 2014, Smith 2007, Choi 2016, Pineda 2013).

It is generally accepted that immune activation (e.g., from infection) during pregnancy is a risk factor for autism and schizophrenia in the offspring (Ciaranello 1995, Atladottir 2010, Brown 2012). The intensity and duration of immune activation and cytokine expression appear to be important factors influencing autism risk (Meyer 2014). Intense immune activation is associated with greater risk of autism (Careaga 2017, Atladottir 2010). Chronic inflammation is associated with greater risk of autism (Jones 2016, Zerbo 2014). However, there is no evidence that short-duration, low-intensity immune activation resulting from common childhood illnesses increase autism risk.

Timing of immune activation in relation to stages of brain development is also an important factor (Meyer 2006, Meyer 2009). Animal experiments have tested the effects of immune activation during pregnancy and postnatally on the development of offspring (Meyer 2009, Deverman 2009, Estes 2016, Kneusel 2014, Careaga 2017, Meyer 2014). In these experiments, pregnant animals (mice, rats and monkeys) or neonates are injected with a non-infectious immune activating substance such as “poly-IC” (which mimics a viral infection) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS, which mimics a bacterial infection). These substances cause immune system activation without infection. They induce fever and cytokine production and can have substantial effects on brain development if activation is sufficiently intense or prolonged and if exposure occurs during vulnerable developmental stages.

To read more, download ICAN-AluminumAdjuvant-Autism-2