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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Demystifying Vaccine Ingredients - Formaldehyde

There seems to be a lot of fear and confusion surrounding many of the ingredients (PDF) that are listed as being in vaccines. Many of them have long, scary or hard to pronounce chemical names, like polyethylene glycol. Others just sound a little disturbing, like chick embryo fibroblasts. Then you have more familiar chemical names that have some manner of negative connotation associated with them, such as formaldehyde.

Generally, in discussions about such ingredients, those who are in some manner opposed to vaccines will say something about "the toxins!" What they actually mean is generally unclear. Just as unclear, at times, is what the supposed toxin is supposed to do; how is it supposed to hurt people? They may not be certain what it does or why it is bad, but they know it is bad and that's that. I thought I might turn my hand, then, toward trying to understand, from a lay perspective, what these ingredients are, how they are used and whether they really are, as claimed, "toxic". Let's start with formaldehyde.

What is Formaldehyde?

Microscopic molecule or cute Disney robot?
Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a rather strong odor, made up of a carbon atom, two hydrogen atoms and an atom of oxygen, CH2O. It has very potent antibacterial and antifungal properties. Many textile industries use formaldehyde in their production processes. It is used to create resins and adhesives found in products like plywood. Carpet manufacturers use it. Crease-resistant fabrics contain formaldehyde. Facial tissues, paper towels, napkins, paints, foams, insulation all utilize formaldehyde. Perhaps its most famous use is in embalming, the preservation of dead tissues, at least for a short while.

With the ubiquitous manufacture and use of this chemical, questions about its safety naturally arise. OSHA has rather extensive guidelines on its safe use and health effects. Acute, short-term exposure to large amounts can be fatal. Long-term chronic exposure to inhaled or topical formaldehyde can result in respiratory illnesses, skin irritation and has long been a suspected carcinogen. In 2011, the U.S. government changed its designation from "reasonably likely" to cause cancer in humans, based on cancer studies in animals, to "known carcinogen". However, these health issues are primarily a risk for those who regularly work with large, industrial quantities of the substance; they are exposed to much higher levels than the rest of us.

How Are We Exposed?

I won't go into industrial exposure, as it does not apply to the majority of us, but in addition to off-gassing from products like carpet, upholstery and combustibles, formaldehyde is all around us. The NIH Report on Carcinogens, 12th Edition, profile on formaldehyde states that it is in the "air, soil, food, treated and bottled drinking water, surface water and groundwater". Our primary route of exposure is breathing it, indoors or outdoors. Much of this inhaled formaldehyde comes from car exhaust, tobacco smoke, power plants, forest fires and wood stoves. Outdoors, we are exposed to anywhere from 0 to 100 parts per billion (ppb) every day. Indoors, it can be as much as 500 to 2,000 ppb (temporary housing such as that used after hurricane Katrina measured from 3-590 ppb). To a smaller degree, we ingest it in our food and water (the average American diet contains about 10-20mg of formaldehyde from things like apples, carrots, pears, milk, etc.), as well as some exposure via cosmetics.

What many people may not know is that our own bodies produce and use formaldehyde as a part of our normal metabolism (Final Report on Carcinogens Background Document for Formaldehyde [PDF], 2010). When we are exposed to methanol (e.g., via inhalation or ingestion of foods like citric fruits and juices, vegetables or fermented beverages), our bodies break it down into formaldehyde and other byproducts. Our bodies produce formaldehyde as a result of DNA demethylation (an important process for controlling gene expression, e.g., in developing embryos) and other biological processes. It is such a regular part of human metabolism, that our normal, naturally produced blood concentrations are generally about 2-3μg of formaldehyde per gram of blood (or about 2.12-3.18μg/mL)*. And it is actually a pretty important chemical; our bodies use formaldehyde to form DNA and amino acids (Toxicological Profile for Formaldehyde [PDF], ATSDR, 1999).

Role in Metabolism

Formaldehyde plays an essential role in our metabolism. As part of the metabolic process, formaldehyde, whether from an external source or produced by our bodies, is converted into formate (PDF) by the enzyme formaldehyde dehydrogenase. The resulting formate can then be eliminated in the urine, further broken down into CO2 and exhaled, or used by our cell machinery to synthesize nucleotides and nucleobases, such as purines and thymidine.

Purines include two of the four basic building blocks of DNA: adenine and guanine. When formaldehyde is converted into formate, the body can then use it to synthesize these basic building blocks of life.

Likewise, thymidine, also called deoxythymidine, is integral to life. It is a nucleoside, which is a class of compounds that are components of nucleic acids; in other words, you need thymidine to make the nucleic acid thymine. They also perform a lot of other important functions. Nucleosides mediate hormone signaling and play a role in blood pressure and energy transfer, among other things (Jucker, 1993). Formaldehyde provides your body with the compounds necessary to synthesize thymidine. Just like with purines, if your body stopped using formaldehyde to make these basic compounds, well, all of your worries would disappear, since you'd be dead.

Even before the advent of industrial uses of formaldehyde, humans, as with every other animal on Earth, had been exposed to formaldehyde through the foods they ate, the environments in which they lived and their own metabolic processes. They developed the means to use the chemical for their own cellular function, as well as the ability to get rid of excess amounts that would otherwise be toxic.

How Much Is Too Much?

We know that formaldehyde is actually pretty darn important for life. We also know that too much of it can be a bad thing. But just how much is too much? When do we need to start worrying?

A good place to start is to figure out what is the NOAEL, or No Observable Adverse Effect Level. That is the largest dose at which there are no significant adverse effects among those exposed to the substance in question. Thankfully, the EPA has looked at that and extrapolated from animal experiments what a safe level of formaldehyde exposure should be. According to their calculations, a human could consume 0.2 mg/kg of formaldehyde every day, in addition to what their own body produces, without showing any adverse effects, such as weight loss, and that is factoring in a lot of safety buffers; the real safe exposure level is likely around 10-100 times higher than that. But, this is the EPA; they like to play it safe. Similarly, Health Canada lists a NOAEL for indoor air concentrations of formaldehyde of 615 μg/m3, though for avoiding observable respiratory effects in children, they set the safe level for 8-hour indoor exposure at about 50 μg/m3. Again, these levels include pretty big safety buffers, with the level at which adverse effects first become apparent being much, much higher. Serious effects, like death, don't occur until even higher levels.

It has also been observed (PDF) that low-level chronic irritation and damage is reversible, that damage tends to be localized to the specific point of exposure and that it does not produce any negative effects on reproductive health or in fetuses. Carcinogenic effects appear to be only related to inhalation, affecting tissues along the respiratory pathways. But even then, there is little data in the literature showing a consistent causal relationship. Any cancerous effects, then, appear to be primarily at rather high levels of exposure.

In the end, small exposures (but still higher than average daily exposure) probably will not do you much harm beyond some irritation or minor tissue damage; it's the bigger amounts you really need to worry about.

What About Vaccines?

That brings us to vaccines. Just how much formaldehyde are we talking about? Why is it even used?

The first thing to make clear is that not every vaccine contains formaldehyde. In vaccine production, it is used to kill or inactivate the antigens being used. Because of its anti-microbial properties, it cannot be used in any of the "live" vaccines (e.g., MMR, rotavirus, varicella, and some flu vaccines), or else they would be rendered useless. Only inactivated vaccines use formaldehyde during the production process. Once the bacteria or viruses are inactivated, the formaldehyde is diluted out, leaving only minute amounts.

So how much are we talking? Not too long ago, I provided a table of all approved vaccines and their thimerosal content. I got the numbers from the package inserts, where available. It seemed to work well, so I've done the same thing for formaldehyde. Here are the formaldehyde contents of the approved vaccines (I'm only showing those that are on the recommended vaccination list):

Click to enlarge

Looking at the recommended schedule of vaccines from the CDC, let's pick the vaccines from that list that a child might receive in their first 6 years of life (picking the highest amounts, just for illustration). Note, not all of these are actually required for school entry and lower formaldehyde content vaccines are available for most of these:
  • HepB - Recombivax - 3 doses (birth, 1-2 mos. and 6-18 mos.) - 7.5μg/dose
  • DTaP - Infanrix - 5 doses (2 mos., 4 mos., 6 mos., 15-18 mos. and 4-6 yrs.) - 100μg/dose
  • Hib - ActHIB - 3 doses (2 mos., 4 mos. and 12-15 mos.) - 0.5μg/dose
  • IPV - IPOL - 4 doses (2 mos., 4 mos., 6-18 mos. and 4-6 yrs.) - 100μg/dose
  • Influenza - Fluzone - 7 doses (6 mos., 12 mos. and yearly 2-6 yrs.) - 100μg/dose
  • HepA - Havrix - 2 doses (12 mos. and 6-18 mos. after first dose) - 100μg/dose
That's all of the vaccines on the recommended schedule for 0-6 years that contain formaldehyde. If a child got all of those doses all at once (which they never would), they would get a total of 1,824μg, or 1.824mg, of formaldehyde. A 3.2kg (~7lb) newborn with an average blood volume of 83.3mL/kg would naturally have, at any given time, about 575-862μg of formaldehyde circulating in their blood. By the time they are 6 years old (~46lb or 21kg), they'll naturally have 3,562-5,342μg of formaldehyde in their blood. Bear in mind that the formaldehyde from each shot will not build up in their bodies from shot to shot, as it is very rapidly (within hours) metabolized and eliminated as formate in the urine or breathed out as CO2.

So what's the most a child might get in a single office visit? That would probably be at their 6 month visit (when they are, on average, 16.5lbs or 7.5kg) with HepB, DTaP, IPV and flu, for a total of 307.5μg. That is about 160 times less than the total amount their body naturally produces every single day*. Compare that to the 428.4-1,516.4μg of formaldehyde in a single apple.

Now, some might try to claim that the formaldehyde in vaccines is different from the formaldehyde in your body, but they are wrong. Formaldehyde, whether it is in a vaccine or your body, consists of two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom bound to a carbon atom. The chemical structure is the same.

In Conclusion

Formaldehyde has a lot of scary connotations and images associated with it. It's very easy to let that fear lead us astray and blow things out of proportion. But when you step back and look at things, you realize that, where formaldehyde and vaccines are concerned, there really is nothing to be afraid of. The amount that is present is so small as to be only a negligible exposure, one that the body very quickly handles by either using it for normal cell functions or getting rid of it completely. The beginnings of adverse effects aren't even seen until exposed to many times the residual amounts present in vaccines. While reductions in the amount of environmental exposure are a good thing, the tiny amounts in vaccines are not a health concern.

The bottom line is, put things in perspective and you'll find that what sounds scary really isn't.

[Edited to add, per Ren's request: 1kg = 1,000g = 1,000,000mg = 1,000,000,000μg

Here are some real-world examples of those weights (technically masses):
1kg = a 1L bottle of soda
1g = a paper clip
1mg = a very, very small snowflake
1μg = take your paper clip, cut it into a million pieces and take one of those]


*With a blood half-life of about 1.5 minutes, this means that the human body produces about 50,000μg of formaldehyde every day.
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94 comments:

  1. Todd, would you mind giving us a quick math lesson and the difference between micrograms, milligrams, grams, and kilograms? I know it's a conversion, but I believe some readers are confused and convinced by the toxin gambit precisely because metric is not an everyday thing to many of them.

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    1. I am sure you long since have found your answer (as it really couldn't be simpler), but anyway: 1 kilogram (kg) = 2.20462 lbs. 1 kg = exactly 1000 grams (g), 1 g = exactly 1000 milligrams (mg), 1 mg = (again exactly) 1000 micrograms (ug), and so on.... In other words: 1 ug = 1/1,000,000,000 kilos.

      As a parallel: 1 lb = 16 onces... and who knows for anything smaller than that?! Which is why the imperial system is retarded.

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  2. This is really excellent, Todd, thank you.

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  3. Timely article. Someone just posted on my site that we should “Wake up people-all you have to do is read the ingriedient list in these vaccines and the 32 plus recommended doses to figure out something is off.”

    I bet formaldehyde is one of the things she is worried about.

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    1. I just sent this to my sister (Anti-vaccine), because she has asked me multiple times why it is in vaccines. Haha.

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    2. This article is useless and is is geared toward pro-vaccine propaganda. It does not address the difference between ingesting and digesting formaldehyde (Apple) and injecting formaldehyde (vaccine), two completely different routes of entry. Critical thinking and common sense should tell you that there must be a difference as their is when you inject a protein via vaccine that cause autoimmune disease as opposed to ingesting and digesting protein that is broken down into amino acids in the stomach in order to be utilized by the body for protein synthesis.

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    3. The pharmakokinetic/pharmakodynamic information in the post deals with what happens to formaldehyde once it is past the various barriers of oral exposure. That information is therefore applicable to what happens to formaldehyde that is injected. I addressed this concern in a comment below.

      If you believe that there is a very significant difference, I welcome any science-based sources you'd like to provide showing that anything in my post is incorrect.

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    4. I don't have any science based sources. I stumbled across this researching adehydes and purines, but I do wonder about people with mutated aldehyde genes who might have a great deal of oxidative stress from endogenous aldehydes alone (those from food and created in the gut as a result of dysbiosis) and who might be experiencing ongoing DNA damage because their purine synthesis is disrupted (conjecture on my part... I keep unraveling threads unrelated to vaccines). They are likely acutely sensitive to aldehydes in the environment. Given their oxidative stress and resulting inflammation then they'd, it seems, be likely to suffer consequences of a weakened blood brain barrier (unless this research has proven to be faulty, inflammation makes the BBB more permeable).

      So I have concerns but that might be because I don't know enough. However, your post raised these questions for me regarding people with ALDH and ADH issues.

      Thanks. I found this very informative.

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  4. Too bad formaldehyde isn't the only toxin in vaccines

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    1. Please define "toxin".
      I know it's generalizing but when someone uses that term I immediately think of them of an irrational chemophobe and possibly a scientologist.

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    2. Look up the MSDS on beta-propriolactone (a common vaccine ingredient) and read the adverse health effects of exposure. Also Google the study on Pubmed called "Inactivation of DNA by beta-propiolactone"

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    3. Really? Does the problem happen in the dose used in a vaccine? Provide the PubMed indexed studies by reputable qualified researchers that show the vaccines with that in it cause problems.

      Remember you made the claim, therefore you need the verifiable documentation, not the ridiculous "Google it..."

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    4. @brothersun

      First off, I'm curious as to why you're posting a comment about beta-propiolactone on a post about formaldehyde. Second, while one could read the MSDS's section on adverse health effects from exposure, one would also need to keep in mind that the purpose of the MSDS is to give guidance for those working with industrial amounts of the substance so they can handle it safely. The effects listed on the MSDS occur at a much higher level of exposure than is found in any vaccine, particularly considering that BPL breaks down quickly in water and sera. Finally, while the study you reference is interesting, it has nothing to do with exposure to BPL via vaccines. As Chris asks, please provide evidence that there is any cause of concern for the amounts of BPL that are left in the final vaccine product.

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    5. Todd their isn't any studies done using all these compounds found in vaccines and how the body reacts to all of them at once. Formaldehyde, Mercury, Aluminum, MSG, beta-propiolactone, fetal tissue, Polysorbate 80, antibiotics, and propylene glycol to mention some. I want to find the study where all of these are injected in an animal and at what level does it become toxic? Because we are injecting our own human babies without knowing the consequence. We only see one compound at a time being studied for their toxicity. That along with the multiple shots given at a time will add up. Our bodies function at a micro level. All of these compounds injected into a new developing baby may or may not alter developing biological pathways. We literally do not know what the outcome will be. And that should be scary enough to take a look at it.

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    6. Todd their isn't any studies done using all these compounds found in vaccines and how the body reacts to all of them at once. Formaldehyde, Mercury, Aluminum, MSG, beta-propiolactone, fetal tissue, Polysorbate 80, antibiotics, and propylene glycol to mention some. I want to find the study where all of these are injected in an animal and at what level does it become toxic? Because we are injecting our own human babies without knowing the consequence. We only see one compound at a time being studied for their toxicity. That along with the multiple shots given at a time will add up. Our bodies function at a micro level. All of these compounds injected into a new developing baby may or may not alter developing biological pathways. We literally do not know what the outcome will be. And that should be scary enough to take a look at it.

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  5. Tip, did you even read the article? How are the amounts of formaldehyde in vaccines even close to the level created by your own body? Show that you actually understand the issues by giving a real argument instead of a fact free drive by comment.

    And to help Todd write his future articles, please list those "toxins" and the supporting scientific literature to show that they are dangerous in the amounts used in vaccines.

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    1. This article is a disinformation piece. The formaldehyde in the body is highly controlled. It is not just floating around in your blood. There is a big difference. The formaldehyde in your body is created where it is needed by your body. Formaldehyde is not a "nutrient" that enters your body through your blood stream. This article is a real laugh. *Any* amount of formaldehyde "free floating" in your blood stream is a poison. The macrophages in your blood stream specifically target formaldehyde modified proteins.

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    2. Mr. Holmgren,

      As my links indicate, some formaldehyde can be found in the blood naturally. It does not last very long, at all, but it can be found in the blood. It does not last long because nearly every cell in the body is equipped to break down formaldehyde into metabolites that are excreted in the urine, stool or exhaled. That formaldehyde which does not get broken down can form protein and DNA crosslinks.

      Are you trying to argue that the formaldehyde in some vaccines 1) is injected into the bloodstream directly and 2) somehow overwhelms the body's ability to break it down when the body deals with significantly higher levels on a daily basis?

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    3. 1. No. Free formaldehyde anywhere in the body outside of the cells where it is produced will bind to proteins which will then be attacked by your body's immune system. That is why your macrophages have evolved specific receptor sites for formaldehyde. It is a poison when it exists outside the chambers where it is created and used by the body.
      2. The "higher levels" you speak of are as I previously explained, formaldehyde that is produced by the body in specific chemical reactions. This formaldehyde does not leave the confines of those reactions. It does not randomly stumble into cells who then use them. Formaldehyde that is not controlled by body processes is useless to the body and cannot be broken down or used by your body. This is why I say your article is a disinformation piece, you are purposely over simplifying the processes that utilize formaldehyde in the human body and attempting to equate them with introduced foreign formaldehyde, as if one has the same effect on the body as the other. Your body was not designed to utilize foreign formaldehyde, and instead has developed defences to fend itself against it.

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    4. "As my links indicate, some formaldehyde can be found in the blood naturally."

      Yes... but where in the blood? In the cells. And how did it get there? Created within the cells. It is constantly controlled by your bodily processes. Just because a substance is in abundance in your body, does not mean it is good for you, or even harmless. As in the case of formaldehyde, it may only be used temporarily as a precursor to support specific reactions.

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    5. "Formaldehyde that is not controlled by body processes is useless to the body and cannot be broken down"

      The links I provide suggest that any formaldehyde that is not used by the body is broken down and exhaled or excreted as waste products. How quickly it is broken down is dependent on the individual's metabolism and the amount of formaldehyde in the system. I would welcome any citations you have that show where I am in error. You have yet to provide any links.

      "but where in the blood? In the cells. And how did it get there? Created within the cells."

      Citation? Please provide a source showing that the formaldehyde in the bloodstream is all created within the cells and is not from exogenous sources.

      "Your body was not designed to utilize foreign formaldehyde"

      Again, my links beg to differ. For example, the text "converted to formate" links to a PDF on the toxicology of formaldehyde. That document states:

      "Almost every tissue in the body has the ability to break down formaldehyde. It is usually converted to a non-toxic chemical called formate, which is excreted in the urine. Formaldehyde can also be converted to carbon dioxide and breathed out of the body. It can also be broken down so the body can use it to make larger molecules needed in your tissues, or it can attach to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or to protein in your body."

      It also notes:

      "The metabolism of formaldehyde to formate takes place in all of the tissues of the body as a consequence of endogenous formation of formaldehyde. Exogenous formaldehyde enters this pathway and is eliminated from the body as metabolites, primarily CO2."

      Also:

      "Formaldehyde is metabolized to formate by the enzyme formaldehyde dehydrogenase; this appears to take place at the initial site of contact."

      If you are suggesting that the formaldehyde in vaccines makes it to the blood without any of it being broken down at the injection site, please provide evidence.

      "Just because a substance is in abundance in your body, does not mean it is good for you, or even harmless."

      And where in my post did I make this claim? Formaldehyde is a necessary part of human metabolism. In excess, as with everything, it is dangerous, which I acknowledged in the post. However, the body is able to deal with a fairly large amount of formaldehyde before it causes any serious, permanent damage. Where we see the negative effects of formaldehyde is when exposure is significantly higher (by orders of magnitude) than what you would find in any vaccine.

      As I've invited you before, if you feel that the formaldehyde found in vaccines is dangerous and can cause serious and/or permanent injury, please provide evidence. And for any points where you believe that I'm mistaken or misstating the facts, provide the evidence to support your argument. Don't just make assertions that I'm wrong. If the evidence warrants, I will update my post accordingly.

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    6. I do know that the FDA say that there are numerous amounts of formaldehyde found in our modern society due to mainstream products, pollutants, food. Luckily my family and I have a very mindful lifestyle, we eat local, organic and never eat canned food. We spend the extra dollar to five plus when it comes to our shampoos, soaps, cleaners and do without "brand-new" products that off gas from furniture, carpet and paint. Just because our body produces small amounts of formaldehyde does Not give the excuse for man to just dump more formaldehyde into the human body. The human body just does not have formaldehyde floating around in the blood. It is found in the blood cells where it is a byproduct of natural processes of metabolism. As for how man-made formaldehyde is made...
      "Two primary methods of manufacturing formaldehyde from methanol are used today. The first uses silver as a metal catalyst in its reactions. In earlier years, facilities used a copper catalyst in this process. The second method uses a metal oxide catalyst". http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp111.pdf

      The second method is a mixture of an iron and molybdenum or vanadium oxides. Aside from that, the World Health Organization has a great document of research that was published about Formaldehyde and it's mechanisms of carcinogenicity.

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    7. " Given the fact that formaldehyde is a highly reactive gas, the question arises as to how it reaches the blood and bone marrow to elicit toxic effects and produce leukemia. Several studies have reported increased chromosomal damage in the form of aberrations and micronuclei in circulating peripheral blood lymphocytes of workers exposed to formaldehyde (Suruda et al., 1993; Kitaeva et al., 1996; Ye et al., 2005; Yu et al., 2005; Orsiere et al., 2006). Increased levels of cytogenetic damage have also been reported in the bone marrow of exposed mice and rats, suggesting that it reaches the bone marrow in experimental animals (Kitaeva et al., 1990; Tao et al., 2004). In aqueous solution, formaldehyde is convertedmostly to oligomers of its diol form methanediol (formaldehyde hydrate, CH2(OH)2, or methylene glycol) and a dynamic equilibrium with formaldehyde is formed. The concentration of the diol oligomers versus that of formaldehyde depends on the precise conditions (temperature, pH, formaldehyde concentration) under which the reaction occurs (Walker 1964). Thus, methanediol, with a molecular weight of only 48, which can readily penetrate into tissues, may travel to the marrow through the blood where it is in equilibrium with reactive formaldehyde. The formaldehyde, once regenerated, can react with cellular macromolecules producing toxic injury (Fox et al., 1985). Further research into the generation of methanediol and its persistence in the circulation would be of value. It is also possible that formaldehyde promotes leukemogenesis through direct induction of DNA damage and chromosome aneuploidy in hematopoietic stem or early progenitor cells in the nasal circulation or the nose. This hypothesis clearly requires additional testing and there at least two alternate mechanisms. As suggested by Zhang et al. formaldehyde may induce leukemia by damaging hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells circulating in the peripheral blood; or, by damaging the primitive pluripotent stem cells present within the nasal turbinates and/or olfactory mucosa. In these two alternate models, damaged stem/progenitor cells would then travel to the bone marrow and become initiated leukemic stem cells (Zhang et al., 2009). New research related to the possible relation of formaldehyde leukemogenesis to known human leukemogens Known human myeloid leukemogens are ionizing radiation, benzene and various systemic cancer chemotherapeutic agents. While the specific physicochemical processes vary greatly, common to all are mechanisms which result in the disruption of bone marrow DNA. Some act by direct alkylation of DNA; some through the action of free radicals or active states of oxygen; some through intercalating metals within the DNA structure; and some by inhibiting enzymes involved in cell division. Yet all of these agents produce pancytopenia at high doses, which has not been described in the English literature with formaldehyde. Further, the epidemiological literature on AML associated with formaldehyde suggests a much longer latency period than usually observed with other known human myeloleukemogens (Goldstein 2009)." http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Publications/techrep42/TR42-11.pdf

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    8. I feel it is safe to assume that the metals used to make formaldehyde are hard to leave the body for a reason. It may be used for good intentions to keep the vaccine in the body to work, however with annual exposure of this does not out weigh the problematic issues of the chromosomal damage of DNA, and how it does NOT get excreted from the urine like formate, the by product of the naturally occurring formaldehyde.
      Formaldehyde
      • US EPA allows no more than 0.016ppm formaldehyde in the air in new buildings.
      • Symptoms of tearing and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat at 3ppm
      • National Institue of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) state that formadehyde is immediately dangerous to life and health at 20ppm*.
      • In the body, formaldehyde can cause proteins to irreversibly hind to DNA.
      • Formaldehyde is a carcinagenic to humans.
      Occupational Health and Safety www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/formaldehyde/health_for.html

      mcg/0.5cc dose = ppm (parts per million)
      Agriflu 25 50*
      Flulavel 25 50*
      Fluzone (Ped & Adult) 25 50*
      Fluarix 50 100*
      Fluzonee High dose 100 200*

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    9. @Dahl Face

      "Just because our body produces small amounts of formaldehyde does Not give the excuse for man to just dump more formaldehyde into the human body."

      You miss my point. The body is well equipped to handle the miniscule amounts of formaldehyde that remain in vaccines after production. I would assume, from your comment, that you also avoid apples, pears, dairy, soy, and other foods that naturally contain formaldehyde, since they have higher amounts than what are found in vaccines.

      The monograph you copied and pasted from in your second comment deals with inhaled formaldehyde, in high concentrations, over extended periods of time (e.g., workers exposed to gaseous formaldehyde for ~8 hours a day, every day). I already noted that this is significantly higher than the amounts we're exposed to either in everyday life (through breathing/eating) or vaccinations. That document shows that there is potential connection to cancer at high doses, but the evidence is uncertain and mainly points to nasal cancers.

      As for the metals used to make formaldehyde, they aren't in the formaldehyde that is produced. Therefore, you aren't getting those metals in your vaccines, either. And, as I pointed out above, it does get excreted through the very same mechanisms that deal with naturally occurring formaldehyde, since the formaldehyde in vaccines is structurally the same as the formaldehyde in, say, a carrot.

      Also, those EPA/OSH numbers you cite in your third comment are, again, for inhaled formaldehyde. Gaseous formaldehyde seems to be significantly more reactive and dangerous than aqueous formaldehyde.

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    10. How can processing of METALS be the same kind of "formaldehyde" that is found in the body that is caused from oxidation of methanol that is naturally sourced from one's diet after consuming fresh fruits, vegetables, and fermented drinks? It clearly is not

      Man made formaldehyde is a known carcinogenic substance... to both humans and experimental animals...

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    11. @Dahl Face

      Because the metals are just used as a catalyst. In formaldehyde production, methanol (CH3OH) is vaporized and passed over the catalyst, which helps speed up the reaction of splitting the molecules into CH2O (formaldehyde) and H2 (hydrogen), both gases. The hydrogen is burned for energy and the formaldehyde is condense and purified.

      Here's a good, basic description of the process.

      As to formaldehyde, it is a carcinogen regardless of whether it is naturally occurring or man-made; what matters is the amount. But, as I described in my post, man-made and natural formaldehyde are the same. They have the same chemical structure (CH2O). If they didn't, then they wouldn't be formaldehyde.

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  6. Chris I would if vaccines were worth that much but they don't work

    Any benefit does not outweigh the risk

    Better not to fix something that isn't broken

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    1. Tip, I'm really blown away by your knowledge of vaccines. Did you get your diploma from "Google University"? Jenny McCarthy said that is where she received her degree from, and you two seem to have similar beliefs. Maybe I should look into that as well...seems to give hidden information that doesn't correspond with approved scientific research that is out there today.

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    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    3. Saying that vaccines "don't work" has got to be the greatest insult to those of us with eyes, ears, reason and logic and it proves that you are way off the map when it comes to being able to reasonably converse about the value of vaccines. You are mind bogglingly statistic phobic- no matter how much scientifically proven data is thrown at you, it will always slide right off.

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  7. Tip, what evidence do you have that vaccines don't work? Please tell us exactly how much more dangerous the DTaP vaccine is compared to diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Present your evidence by posting the title, journal and date of the PubMed indexed papers.

    And if you don't, we will know you are just parroting without understanding some random website.

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    1. Chris,

      Look up the decline in disease rates for America and most any European country for the last century. Disease decline in both are nearly identical despite the fact that mass immunizations did not take place in most of Europe. I think that in itself suggests declining disease rate has far more to do with other factors (namely standard of living & hygiene) than vaccines.
      But don't trust me, do the research yourself. And while you're at in, consider researching the rates of diptheria in the US over the last 8 years, and tell me why it is worth vaccinating our children for a disease that has been eradicated in this nation. Because like it or not, vaccines DO contain toxins (and i'm not just talking about formaldehyde, there's also aluminum, ammonia equivalents, anti-freeze equivalents, mercury and so on) that can cause irreversible damage to our children's health.
      So maybe stop your "parroting" and post your own evidence that vaccines are in fact the reason these diseases have been nearly eradicated (Or save your self the time and energy of searching because there is none).

      Delete
    2. What makes you think I have not? Interesting that you came to this after several months, and will not answer the question I posted. It would help if you had evidence that your list of "toxins" were worse than the toxins created by those bacterial infections, like tetanospasmin.

      The reason that there is very little diphtheria in the USA is because we vaccinate. This is what happens when that vaccination is interrupted:
      Diphtheria in the former Soviet Union: reemergence of a pandemic disease.

      Have you ever heard of the CDC Pink Book, it has an appendix with some interesting data, Appendix G. I created these tables a few years ago, so they may need to be updated. But they do show a difference between fifty years with more vaccination (especially the school requirements, and getting federal money to provide vaccines after the 1990 measles epidemic):

      This is for pertussis:
      Year___Cases__Deaths__Year___Cases__Deaths
      2000____7867____ 12___1950__120718__1118
      2001____7580____ 17___1951___68687___951
      2002____9771____ 18___1952___45030___402
      2003___11647____ 11___1953___37129___270
      2004___25827____ 27___1954___60886___373
      2005___25616____ 39___1955___62786___467
      2006___15632____ 16___1956___31732___266
      Total_103940____140_________426968__3847

      Now for tetanus:
      Year__Cases__Deaths__Year___Cases___Deaths
      2000_____35____ 5____1950____486____336
      2001_____37____ 5____1951____506____394
      2002_____25____ 5____1952____484____360
      2003_____20____ 4____1953____506____337
      2004_____34____ NA___1954____524____332
      2005_____27____ NA___1955____462____265
      2006_____41____ NA___1956____468____246
      Total___219____19 or more___3436___2270

      What does that tell you?

      Now, you need to answer this question: The following is a table from a large census file showing the incidence of measles in the USA from 1912 until the late 1990s. Now please tell me why the rate of measles incidence dropped 90% between 1960 and 1970. Do not mention any other decade, any other country, and do not mention deaths. Go for it:
      From http://www.census.gov/prod/99pubs/99statab/sec31.pdf
      Year.... Rate per 100000 of measles
      1912 . . . 310.0
      1920 . . . 480.5
      1925 . . . 194.3
      1930 . . . 340.8
      1935 . . . 584.6
      1940 . . . 220.7
      1945 . . . 110.2
      1950 . . . 210.1
      1955 . . . 337.9
      1960 . . . 245.4
      1965 . . . 135.1
      1970 . . . . 23.2
      1975 . . . . 11.3
      1980 . . . . . 5.9
      1985 . . . . . 1.2
      1990 . . . . .11.2
      1991 . . . . . .3.8
      1992 . . . . . .0.9
      1993 . . . . . .0.1
      1994 . . . . . .0.4
      1995 . . . . . .0.1
      1996 . . . . . .0.2
      1997 . . . . . . 0.1

      Delete
    3. You have lost sight of the overall picture of the huge decline of disease before the introduction of vaccines. Measles deaths have declined 98% from 1901 to 1963 before the first measles vaccine was introduced in the USA. The statistical decline you point out could of been contributed to a continued pattern of better nutrition, better personal hygiene, better living conditions or a number of other environmental factors. To cherry pick a specific time as you did and to throw away all the data before your narrow time window is at best poor analysis and at worst a deliberate attempt to fool and disseminate lies.
      source: vital statistics of the United States 1963, Vol. II-Mortality, Part A, pp. 1-18, 1-19, 1-21

      Statistics on measles mortality never take into account the vitamins and minerals necessary to support the immune system. It is well documented that vitamin A prevents measles and the impoverished nations still develop disease on a larger scale because of nutritional deficiencies

      Polio is a ubiquitous relatively benign enterovirus and outbreaks are still prevalent in India because they are one of four countries that still uses DDT which has been shown in the 1960's to enhance multiplication and release of the polio virus encouraging the epidemics. India is the largest consumer and producer of DDT. There are other environmental factors involved as well.

      Polio was never eradicated. It is still around. The Polio vaccine was a well orchestrated propaganda campaign so that it could pave the way for hundreds of other deadly and damaging vaccines and create a sick care system with epidemics of chronic and acute illness which profits the medical, pharmaceutical industries and and the governments.

      - The WHO's definition of Polio in 1954 was "signs and symptoms of nonparalytic poliomyelitis with the addition of partial or complete paralysis of one or more muscle groups, detected on two examinations at least 24 hours apart".
      - No lab confirmation or residual paralysis (longer than 24 hours) was required (Humphries et al., 2013)

      1955 Polio diagnostic criteria was changed and non-paralytic Polio was renamed
      - "Residual paralysis was determined 10 to 20 days after onset of illness and again 60 days after onset".
      - 2/3 of the cases of paralysis was resolved within 2-3 weeks.
      - This eliminated 35% of what was diagnosed as Polio (Humphries et al., 2013)
      - Between 1955 and 1965 the CDC renamed non-paralytic polio as aseptic or viral meningitis and erased 55% of what was originally diagnosed as polio.
      - to ensure that cases would not be diagnosed as Polio the CDC ordered all cases diagnosed as Polio to be sent to them so that they would have the final say so if it was or was not Polio. In other words they wanted to make sure that they erased as much Polio statistical as possible in order to fool the public into thinking the vaccine has done its job.

      With a stroke of a pen the government and medical community erased 90% of polio cases
      (Hansen, 2013) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVTbXdh_JBA

      Delete
    4. Jon,

      I don't have time to address your whole comment right now, but your comments regarding measles mortality are based on a common misunderstanding about mortality vs. morbidity. Everyone who supports vaccination will acknowledge that deaths from measles were declining prior to the vaccine. However, measles incidence did not decline until the vaccine was introduced. The advancements in nutrition and medical support could only take us to a baseline mortality risk of 1 in about 1,000-3,000. The only way to prevent deaths beyond what nutrition and medical support can provide is to prevent the disease altogether, and that can only be accomplished via vaccines.

      Here's a post that goes into that in a bit more detail: Pre-vaccine Declines in Measles Mortality.

      Also, vitamin A supplementation will only help if you are already deficient. That's a big problem in developing nations, but not as much in a country like the U.S. Vitamin A supplementation will not prevent infection, and in the U.S., it will not provide any real benefits beyond what you get from a balanced diet. You will still be at a 1 in 1-3,000 risk of death. You will still have a 1 in 1,000 risk of encephalitis. You will still be at risk for developing pneumonia, and so on. Worse, you will still be a vector to transmit the disease to others who may be unable to fight the infection.

      Delete
  8. @Chris

    My suspicion is that Tip subscribes to the belief that germs do not cause disease. At any rate, the onus is on Tip to back up the claim that vaccines don't work, as you pointed out. I won't hold my breath.

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  9. Excellent! Shared on my Facebook page

    http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=432297883462439&id=236107336440146

    ReplyDelete
  10. Harpocrates may want to go and read the Material Safety Data Sheet for Formaldehyde! You should be shitting every color of the rainbow just thinking about unnaturally introducing formaldehyde into your bloodstream by vaccination.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Large doses of H2O will kill you faster than formaldehyde.

      Delete
  11. @rplende

    Two things: first, vaccines are not injected into the bloodstream. They are injected either just under the skin (subcutaneously) or into the muscle (intramuscularly) or are taken orally. Second, MSDSes are for industrial amounts of the substances. The intent of an MSDS is to provide those people who work with large amounts of a substance the necessary information to handle it safely.

    You may also want to go back and read my post again. Note how we are exposed to formaldehyde. By your logic, you should be "shitting every color of the rainbow just thinking about" each breath you take and all the foods that you eat. Just the simple process of being alive should terrify you, if you're that scared of formaldehyde. But it doesn't, because your body is quite capable of managing the amounts in the air, your food and, yes, in vaccines.

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    1. I partly agree. Although this statement from the article:

      "That's all of the vaccines on the recommended schedule for 0-6 years that contain formaldehyde. If a child got all of those doses all at once (which they never would), they would get a total of 1,824μg, or 1.824mg, of formaldehyde. A 3.2kg (~7lb) newborn with an average blood volume of 83.3mL/kg would naturally have, at any given time, about 575-862μg of formaldehyde circulating in their blood."

      Is a misrepresentation. 575-862ug of formaldehyde does not free-float on its own in the blood. Formaldehyde in the human body is controlled at all times. Free formaldehyde will bind to proteins and macrophages have a site on their out membrane specifically for formaldehyde modified protein - this is due to the fact that formaldehyde plays such a central role on the body, but is also a danger to the body. You certainly do not want formaldehyde free floating through the body, which is why our immune system has developed specific defenses to it.

      Delete
    2. My point in my above comment is that formaldehyde may reach our blood from food - although your own source refutes the idea that it reaches our blood from breathing; but that does not change the well established fact that it is a poison when left free floating in our blood stream. Formaldehyde is well controlled within our cells, not half hazardly floating around in our bodies.

      Delete
    3. I've done some additional research and ingestion of formaldehyde does not reach our blood. Formaldehyde is metabolized into formate in the gastrointestinal tract. So in fact, neither of your assertions appear to be true according to the research. Neither formaldehyde in food, or in the air reaches your blood stream.

      Delete
  12. Perhaps I missed it - where's the source info on the amounts of formaldehyde produced by the body?

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  13. @Unknown

    There are links in the text under "how are we exposed". Of note, from the linked text about 2-3μg/g of blood:

    "The endogenous concentration in the blood of humans, monkeys, and rats is about 2 to 3 μg/g, and the concentration does not increase after inhalation of formaldehyde from exogenous sources (Heck et al. 1985, Casanova et al. 1988, Heck and Casanova et al. 2004)."

    Also pay attention to the food-based sources, as we metabolize certain foods, producing formaldehyde along the way. The links under "Role in Metabolism" also provide further information regarding how our bodies produce and use formaldehyde.

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  14. "Thankfully, the EPA has looked at that and extrapolated from animal experiments what a safe level of formaldehyde exposure should be."

    You have got to be sh!tting me! I didn't realize that the EPA was this stupid. Animals have a completely different tolerance to formaldehyde than humans, since animal peroxisomes can convert formaldehyde into formic acid, while human peroxisomes cannot. Animals are protected from formaldehyde poisoning through a mechanism that humans do not possess, so that animal poisoning from formaldehyde is actually from intolerance to formic acid. Human tolerance to formaldehyde is considerably lower than that of any other animal.

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    1. Upon further research, I have realized that the EPAs claims are perfectly valid, due to the fact that ingested formaldehyde is converted to formate in that gastrointestinal tract before reaching the blood stream. However, it is an entirely different story for formaldehyde that does reach the blood stream in other ways (ie. vaccination). The human body is not capable of converting formaldehyde into formic acid within the blood stream; but for other animals, this is exactly what happens. Therefore, conclusions based on the ingestion of formaldehyde do not apply to the injection of formaldehyde. Furthermore, there is a way that formaldehyde does reach the blood stream via ingestion: the ingestion of methanol. Methanol is absorbed into the blood stream and converted to formaldehyde. It so turns out that any animals can tolerate significantly higher levels of methanol than humans can, due to their ability to convert formaldehyde to formic acid in the blood.

      Delete
    2. "However, it is an entirely different story for formaldehyde that does reach the blood stream in other ways (ie. vaccination)."

      So are you saying that formaldehyde from some vaccines is injected into the bloodstream? If not, are you claiming that the formaldehyde in some vaccines somehow avoids the fate of formaldehyde from other sources and survives intact, then gets transported from the injection site to the bloodstream?

      "The human body is not capable of converting formaldehyde into formic acid within the blood stream; but for other animals, this is exactly what happens."

      Do you have a citation for this?

      "Furthermore, there is a way that formaldehyde does reach the blood stream via ingestion: the ingestion of methanol. Methanol is absorbed into the blood stream and converted to formaldehyde. It so turns out that any animals can tolerate significantly higher levels of methanol than humans can, due to their ability to convert formaldehyde to formic acid in the blood."

      Okay...and this has what to do with the formaldehyde in some vaccines?

      Delete
    3. "So are you saying that formaldehyde from some vaccines is injected into the bloodstream?"

      It is my understanding that the voluminous injection of a substance into the muscle would be filtered into the lymphatic system (ie draining lymph nodes) and thus into the bloodstream. The only reason it's injected into muscle is to introduce the vaccine to the proper APC's and to regulate it's absorption into the blood stream. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1118997/

      Delete
  15. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  16. Hi Todd,

    Came across your post and was wondering if you would address the other ingredients in vaccines that have parents concerned? Or, can you direct me to information regarding them? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  17. @morgan,

    The only other post I've done so far on vaccine ingredients is MSG: http://www.harpocratesspeaks.com/2012/10/demystifying-vaccine-ingredients-msg.html. I do intend to do other posts, but I need to find the time to do a good job of it (these posts require a lot of research).

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  18. Thanks, this post was very well researched. It surprises me, though, in light of all the controversy surrounding vaccines, that the CDC or some other entity doesn't provide all the data, facts and research to quiet the questions and fears. Seems like it wouldn't be that hard to do, because surely the vaccine companies and the government have all that info in order to even approve the vaccines. Right?

    ReplyDelete
  19. CDC, FDA, etc. do likely have the information, and they have some pages up addressing the issues, but the presentation is aimed more at the average person who isn't interested in all of the minutiae of research involved. (see, for example, here: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/additives.htm). And, quite, frankly, because the ingredients are safe, there hasn't really been a need to present a post similar to mine for every single ingredient, at least, not until anti-vaccine activists started raising a stink about them. And that makes sense: you don't see a cry for studies like this for the ingredients in any other drugs. It's only the primary active ingredient that people are really interested in. Focusing on vaccine excipients is simply a scare tactic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "You don't see a cry for studies like this for the ingredients in any other drugs"
      That is probably because you don't see any other drug being so aggressively marketed to 99.999% of the population. Vaccines should be thoroughly questioned and investigated, if next to every person on the planet is supposed to be receiving them. And when the evidence and investigations prove them to be safe and effective, more people will take them. I myself appreciate the studies, and don't feel it's a scare tactic to be better informed.

      Delete
  20. To vaccinate or not?
    http://www.vaccinationinformationnetwork.com/to-vaccinate-or-not/

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  21. Never trust any of the needle nuts in white coats. Vaccination is an organised criminal enterprise dressed up as disease prevention by means of junk science. It was a failure and a fraud right from the beginning and still is, over 200 years later.

    http://www.vaccinationinformationnetwork.com/do-vaccines-save-lives-what-infectious-disease-mortality-graphs-show/

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    Replies
    1. Those silly mortality charts are a ruse by those who deny the advancements of medical care over the past century. Like the fact that Scarlet Fever is a strep infection that is not treated with antibiotics. Strep infections are still with us, and antibiotics still work for them.

      Here is a bright idea; prevent the disease so you don't have to work so hard to keep someone alive when they have measles pneumonia or are paralyzed from polio or tetanus or who cannot breathe due to diphtheria.

      Now, Mr./Ms. Capricorn, answer this question about USA census data from the 20th century: what caused the rate of measles incidence in the USA to plummet 90% between 1960 and 1970. Do not mention mortality rates (deaths), any other country (England and Wales are not American states), any other decade nor any other disease:

      From http://www.census.gov/prod/99pubs/99statab/sec31.pdf
      Year.... Rate per 100000 of measles
      1912 . . . 310.0
      1920 . . . 480.5
      1925 . . . 194.3
      1930 . . . 340.8
      1935 . . . 584.6
      1940 . . . 220.7
      1945 . . . 110.2
      1950 . . . 210.1
      1955 . . . 337.9
      1960 . . . 245.4
      1965 . . . 135.1
      1970 . . . . 23.2
      1975 . . . . 11.3
      1980 . . . . . 5.9
      1985 . . . . . 1.2
      1990 . . . . .11.2
      1991 . . . . . .3.8
      1992 . . . . . .0.9
      1993 . . . . . .0.1
      1994 . . . . . .0.4
      1995 . . . . . .0.1
      1996 . . . . . .0.2
      1997 . . . . . . 0.1

      Delete
    2. By the term "needle nuts in white coats" do you mean, doctors, pediatricians, rheumatologists, nurses, trained health care professionals, WHO workers and humanitarian relief workers?

      Delete
  22. "Many of them have long, scary or hard to pronounce chemical names, like polyethylene glycol."

    Are you able to address the ingredient polyethylene glycol. I have found little if any information about the testing of this chemical. The only test I found that has been performed was on mice, in which in utero exposure to the chemical caused reproductive harm to mouse pups.

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    Replies
    1. Polyethylene glycol (not to be confused with ethylene glycol, antifreeze), or PEG is generally thought to be more or less biochemically inert in the body, it doesn't seem to interfere with any metabolic processes. I have experience using PEG in pharmaceutical drug preparations, as a vehicle for large molecules, in animal pharmacology studies. It's used as an OTC laxative called miralax, where it "sucks" water into the gut for...well you get it.

      However, there are other ingredients in vaccines that should be of concern to us. I find the above article to be a slight white-washing of formaldehyde toxicology. As is often this case in these discussions, you must be careful to understand the differences between routes of administration or exposure. Our body has different ways of processing (immunologically, metabolically) molecules that reach us via mucosa (gut, nose, etc) than when they are injected into the body.

      Delete
    2. Brian,

      I do not think I am white-washing formaldehyde toxicology. Certainly, route of administration is important to take into account. I was, however, unable to find anything suggesting that the body handles formaldehyde significantly differently based on route of exposure (injected vs. ingested vs. inhaled). Nor was I able to find any information showing that the amount of formaldehyde that is in vaccines poses any risk. If you know of anything like that, please forward it to me so I can clarify my post, if needed.

      Delete
    3. I'm not a biochemist or toxicologist so can't immediately point you to specific pharmacokinetic data (although now my interest is piqued), but it wouldn't surprise me that most of the toxicology data used inhalation, oral or dermal routes of administration as that's our primary route of exposure, environmentally.

      However, because a compound appears somewhere in our complex biochemistry doesn't necessarily mean it's okay systemically. You did a nice review and I'd bet exposure to vaccine formaldehyde means nothing in the long run, but there remain some unknowns, and I think it's a responsible practice to state that when discussing these things.

      Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, exposure initiates an immune response and can engender sensitization to future exposure. To draw the conclusion that multiple doses i.m. in an infant is akin to eating an apple is not overwhelmingly justified (the conclusion reached by the reporter citing your review, I know, not your fault). I'm not sure extrapolating the bioavailability of environmental formaldehyde to injected is completely an apples to apples comparison, but maybe.

      I'm always leery when, in science, we say: "we can now wash our hands of this and move on." Some things are worth keeping an eye on.

      Thanks for the review, I'd love for you to do the same for aluminium.

      Delete
    4. Brian,

      Yes, most of the toxicology info was looking at oral, inhaled and dermal exposure. But there was a good amount of PK/PD info on what happens once it's past those barriers, which I think would be applicable to injected exposure. I did try to keep that in mind as I wrote the post and tried to keep my treatment somewhat nuanced (e.g., noting that it is a carcinogen, but also trying to emphasize how dose plays an important role).

      I do intend to look at aluminum at some point. It's just a daunting task. Lots of reading and research required. I've done a similar post on MSG, since some people have raised questions about that.

      Delete
    5. Over and over again we find the majority of people who contract a disease were vaccinated against it.Perhaps this article would be a start:
      "Children Worldwide Are Contracting the Very Diseases They Are Being Vaccinated Against"
      http://preventdisease.com/news/13/020113_Children-Worldwide-Are-Contracting-The-Very-Diseases-They-Are-Being-Vaccinating-Against.shtml

      Others:

      http://worldtruth.tv/flu-epidemic-strikes-millions-of-americans-already-vaccinated-against-the-flu/

      Delete
    6. Got a link to some actual research, or are you just going to link to anti-vaccine web sites?

      Delete
  23. @Ryan and Jordan Ranocchini

    I haven't looked too much into polyethylene glycol (PEG) too in depth, yet. What I can say is that it is an emulsifier, or stabilizer, used in a wide range of medical products, food, etc. In foods, it keeps all the various ingredients from separating out. In medicines, it stabilizes the formulation, keeping it from breaking down and becoming ineffective. As far as I've been able to find, PEG is not in the final form of any vaccine, except perhaps in trace amounts. In fact, the only reference I've been able to find after some brief searching is that it is used in the production of one brand of inactivated flu vaccine, in which it is used to inactivate the virus. Given that it's not commonly found, I don't think you have much to worry about.

    What study were you looking at? Was it "Biodistribution and toxicity of pegylated single wall carbon nanotubes in pregnant mice." (PMID 23742083)? The authors note that only at larger doses were there occasional teratogenic effects. Also note that what we find in mice may give us an idea of something to look at in humans, but there is rarely a guarantee that the mouse findings will hold up in humans. So, again, probably nothing to worry about.

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  24. this article is great, thanks for the research

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  25. I am so happy I found your site. Talk about a breath of fresh air considering the constant anti vax posts on facebook circulating every day. As a new mom who struggled with the decision to vaccinate my daughter I thank you for providing informative, scientific, researched information on the subject. I feel better equipped for the non-avoidant anti-vaxxing conversations that I have every. single. time. I meet up with moms my age. Thank you thank you thank you!

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  26. Sarah,

    Thanks for your comment, and glad you like the site.

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  27. New Zealand has a lower flu rate and vaccination rate than the US. Why is this?

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  28. @Janet Jones

    What data are you looking at? What are you comparing? Some factors that may contribute to a difference are seasonal variation (we're on the tail end of peak flu activity in the U.S. right now, while N.Z. still has some time to go before flu season starts). Differences in community activity could contribute, as could the matching of the vaccines. The vaccines in use in the U.S. during a given season are likely to be quite different from those used in N.Z. There may also be differences in reporting in the two countries, as well as how many people seek out medical attention for their illness.

    I would like to know what your sources are, though, so I can compare the rates of both illnesses and vaccination for myself.

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  29. @JanetJones

    It may all boil down to population density, vaccine matching, surveillance system being used to look for cases, etc. Too many variables to discuss in one comment on an otherwise very informative blog.

    I encourage you to play at-home epidemiologist and make a table. Put two headers on the table, one for the US and one for New Zealand. Then compare the populations of the two countries, the population densities (persons per square kilometer should do), the weather patterns (which is colder in the winter?), the surveillance systems used for finding and counting cases, the access and uptake of vaccines, the heterogeneity of their populations, and any other confounders or effect modifiers of what you're observing.

    Report your results to us when you can.

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  30. Aaron Holmgren & Todd W., I have very much enjoyed your lively (and referenced/educated!) debate over the Formaldehyde in Vaccines issue. It is deeply refreshing to see the issue approached logically & with reasoning from both sides that extends beyond the trite statements & cliches often issued in place of hard data by proponents of both sides of the argument. I do hope you'll both continue this discussion over all the other various ingredients in vaccines - I'm looking forward to the debate & data on aluminum! :)

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  31. This is the best discussion I have seen on vaccine ingredients. How refreshing!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting, Kari. I hope the information is useful.

      Delete
  32. You never replied to this. do they inject into muscle does that drain through lymph nodes into the blood stream?.

    "So are you saying that formaldehyde from some vaccines is injected into the blood stream?"

    It is my understanding that the voluminous injection of a substance into the muscle would be filtered into the lymphatic system (ie draining lymph nodes) and thus into the bloodstream. The only reason it's injected into muscle is to introduce the vaccine to the proper APC's and to regulate it's absorption into the blood stream. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1118997/

    ReplyDelete
  33. You didn't reply to this was he right?


    "So are you saying that formaldehyde from some vaccines is injected into the bloodstream?"

    It is my understanding that the voluminous injection of a substance into the muscle would be filtered into the lymphatic system (ie draining lymph nodes) and thus into the bloodstream. The only reason it's injected into muscle is to introduce the vaccine to the proper APC's and to regulate it's absorption into the blood stream. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1118997/


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    1. I haven't had an opportunity to check his claims. However, he did not answer my question. For instance, assuming that his statement re: lymphatic system is correct, injection into the muscle, then filtration into the lymphatic system, then entering the bloodstream has quite a number of steps and cell interactions between injection and bloodstream. So that is not equivalent. Second, the link provided says nothing about the lymphatic system nor the bloodstream. It does discuss the difference in types of cells present in muscle tissue vs. fatty tissues. Either way, the comment does nothing to address the question that he was purportedly responding to.

      Delete
    2. injecting any of this stuff into muscle seems unphysiological to me. Talk about clogging the lymphatic system with Aluminum.
      Aluminum is a coagulator or flocculant. Aluminum has a plus three electrical charge. All positive cations are “coagulators”, they cause particles with mass to come together, agglomerate, sediment, “sludge”. Aluminum has 84 times the capacity to cause agglomeration (sludging) as does Sodium (Na+), and element with a singular positive charge.

      We use aluminum in water treatment plants, to cause “sludging”, agglomeration, and flocculation so that impurities in water sediment to the bottom of the water. We use aluminum in anti-antiperspirants since they cause “sludging” and blockage of the perspiration ducts in the arm pits. This same sludging is achieved in human tissue and blood flow from vaccinations with aluminum. The ischemic tissue attracts macrophages that attempt to “clean up” the damaged tissue as well as the sedimented aluminum. This causes an inflammatory response (or not). The aluminum cannot readily be removed from the tissue since the large positive charge (from Aluminum) derails the negative electrostatic carrying capacity of the blood where the aluminum has accumulated. The blood vessels, muscle, and fascia in the tissue area will be damaged from the on-going ischemia and the inability to remove aluminum from the area (an electrical charge problem). The macrophages and white blood cells will be called to this area to “clean up.” It is the act of the immune system chronically coming to this tissue area that perpetuate the problem and creates greater disease and the possibility for induction of an autoimmune response, or immunological tolerance through anergy or deletion.

      Delete
  34. Wow you need approval to comment SAD

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    Replies
    1. You can thank commercial spammers for that. I had to turn on moderation for older posts because I was getting a lot of comments from spammers that were a) not on-topic and b) were linking to commercial products that have nothing to do with my posts. I had added a note about this in my commenting instructions when I made the change.

      Delete
  35. This is a great article! I'm about to give birth this December and I'm struggling whether or not to allow vaccination to my baby. My friend just gave birth few weeks ago and has denied vaccination, with the use of your article I'm trying to convince her to do vaccination rather than regret later on when it's too late. But unfortunately seems they are fully decided to skip vaccination :-( She has sent me videos and articles with people who have not undergone any vaccination but lived a healthy life. She even questioned me how come if vaccinations are truly effective, why are there more people suffering from illnesses when there are vaccines intended for it?

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    1. Irene,

      Thanks for your comment. I have another post that you might find interesting, and that might answer your friend's question. It's titled, "If Vaccines Work...". It goes through some of the numbers and explains both why it matters if other people around you vaccinate and why there are some vaccinated people who still get sick.

      Delete
  36. Can you please list the safety studies showing formaldehyde, injected via vaccination, into infants' immature immune systems is safe? Can you cite any studies showing the cumulative effects of chronic exposure from the environment + foods/water ingestion and acute exposure via vaccination? As you are aware, immune systems of a variety of people function in a generalized manner, but can you safely assume that my exposure to formaldehyde, with no apparent reaction, will be the same for my infant daughter? After multiple vaccinations?

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    Replies
    1. Can you post the citation that shows you can safetly remove the formaldehyde your child produces for normal cell metabolism?

      Then provide the PubMed indexed studies by reputable qualified researchers that actually getting pertussis, mumps, varicella and measles would be perfectly safe for your baby. Those diseases were chosen because they are actively circulating in the USA.

      Then please explain how your question is not a Nirvana Fallacy.

      Delete
    2. Be sure to find out if your infant can deal with measles better than the MMR vaccine. Today's news has details on a death from measles in our state.

      Do the same for pertussis, because it tends to kill babies.

      Delete
  37. Comparing apples to vaccines.... hmmm... How about injecting yourself some apples?

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