Aluminum-adsorbed vaccines and chronic diseases in childhood

Background Aluminum-based adjuvants are critical components of many non-live vaccines, enhancing the immune response to antigens. Despite decades of widespread use, concerns persist about potential chronic health consequences—including autoimmune, allergic, and neurodevelopmental disorders—following aluminum exposure through vaccination during early childhood. Most previous studies were small, indirect, or ecological, leaving considerable uncertainty regarding long-term safety. This nationwide cohort study from Denmark aimed to clarify whether cumulative exposure to aluminum-adsorbed vaccines in infancy is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases later in childhood. Objectives The investigators sought to evaluate whether cumulative aluminum exposure from routine childhood immunizations administered within the first two years of life is linked to subsequent risk of: Autoimmune diseases (e.g., type 1 diabetes, thyroiditis, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis) Atopic and allergic disorders (e.g., asthma, eczema, rhinitis, food or drug allergy) Neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder [ASD], attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]) Methods Setting and population The study included 1,224,176 Danish children born between 1997 and 2018,...