Aluminums Boost Immune System

Have you ever taken a vaccine and been advised to take some aluminum concoctions to help the process along?  Interestingly enough, this is a common method of helping to raise the efficacy of vaccines, but until recently  it was never understood why it worked so well.    It is astonishing how much medical science can advance without having a clear understanding of the process, but it has.

According to Science Now,

Many vaccines contain adjuvants, nonspecific agents that help jolt the immune system into action. “Alum,” a term referring broadly to aluminum hydroxide and several aluminum salts, has this effect, as was accidentally discovered in the 1920s. It has been widely used in human vaccines since the 1950s, and it’s still the only adjuvant allowed in the United States. “But we didn’t really have a clue about how it worked,” says immunologist Harm HogenEsch of Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in West Lafayette, Indiana.

I generally like to know why certain forms of treatment are needed whenever I turn to medical professionals for help.  I guess as long as we ‘know’ it isn’t dangerous, some people are more willing to stick anything in their bodies!

Fred is an Attorney, Entrepreneur, and Blogger from the Silicon Valley.
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