A LANDMARK Danish study involving over 1.2 million children has found no association between aluminium exposure from early childhood vaccines and the risk of developing neurological, autoimmune, or allergic disorders. The findings provide robust reassurance for parents and clinicians that aluminium-adjuvanted vaccines do not increase the risk of autism, ADHD, or similar chronic conditions, and that childhood immunisation remains safe and essential.
For decades, aluminium salts have been used in vaccines to boost the immune response, yet concerns have lingered about their possible impact on developing brains and immune systems. This study, conducted using nationwide registry data from Denmark, followed children born between 1997 and 2018 for up to eight years after receiving vaccines during their first two years of life. Researchers linked vaccination records with medical diagnoses to track 50 chronic disorders spanning autoimmune diseases such as juvenile arthritis and type 1 diabetes, allergic conditions including asthma and eczema, and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD. The average cumulative aluminium dose by age two was around 3 milligrams.
Statistical analysis showed no increase in risk for any condition with higher aluminium exposure. In fact, hazard ratios for ASD and ADHD were slightly lower among children with greater aluminium intake (0.93 for ASD and 0.90 for ADHD), and the same absence of risk was seen for autoimmune (hazard ratio 0.98) and allergic disorders (hazard ratio 0.99). These results were consistent across sexes, birth cohorts, vaccine formulations, and follow-up durations.
The evidence from such a large and carefully controlled study demonstrates the safety of aluminium-containing vaccines and challenges claims linking them to chronic health problems. While further monitoring for extremely rare or later-onset disorders will continue, current data clearly support ongoing use of these vaccines in early life. For clinicians, the message is compelling: maintaining high vaccination rates is crucial for protecting individual and public health, and parents can have confidence that routine immunisations are both effective and safe for their children.
Reference
Andersson NW et al. Aluminum-adsorbed vaccines and chronic diseases in childhood: a nationwide cohort study. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2025;DOI:10.7326/ANNALS-25-00997.
