An anti-vaccine organization published an article claiming a two-month-old died 34 hours after being vaccinated due to toxic levels of aluminum in his blood. There is no evidence that the death is related to vaccines.
The widespread nature of this myth and its potential to cause general vaccine hesitancy elevates its risk. Prebunking messaging may explain that aluminum is not inherently toxic; it’s a naturally occurring element in the air, water, and earth around us. Debunking messaging may emphasize that certain vaccines contain aluminum as an adjuvant (an ingredient that boosts immune response). The amount of aluminum in vaccines is a tiny fraction of the amount required to be toxic to an infant, and it’s up to health officials to determine the cause of death.
