In order to debate the evidence, you need to put in some time and effort, Lindalou.
Making sweeping generalizations about the "lack of evidence"
without even trying to look for it is bad form.
The studies haven't been done.
Addressing parents' concerns: do vaccines contain harmful preservatives, adjuvants, additives, or residuals?
Pediatrics. 2003 Dec;112(6 Pt 1):1394-7.
Vaccines often contain preservatives, adjuvants, additives, or manufacturing residuals in addition to pathogen-specific immunogens. Some parents, alerted by stories in the news media or information contained on the World Wide Web, are concerned that some of the substances contained in vaccines might harm their children. We reviewed data on thimerosal, aluminum, gelatin, human serum albumin, formaldehyde, antibiotics, egg proteins, and yeast proteins. Both gelatin and egg proteins are contained in vaccines in quantities sufficient to induce rare instances of severe, immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions. However, quantities of mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, human serum albumin, antibiotics, and yeast proteins in vaccines have not been found to be harmful in humans or experimental animals.
Aluminum salts are the only adjuvants currently licensed for use in the United States (Table 3). Aluminum salts include aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, and potassium aluminum sulfate (alum). Aluminum-containing vaccines are prepared by adsorption of antigens onto aluminum hydroxide or aluminum phosphate gels or by precipitation of antigens in a solution of alum.
Aluminum-containing vaccines are not the only source of aluminum exposure for infants. Because aluminum is 1 of the most abundant elements in the earth’s crust and is present in air, food, and water, all infants are exposed to aluminum in the environment. For example, breast milk contains approximately 40 g of aluminum per liter, and infant formulas contain an average of approximately 225 g of aluminum per liter.
Adverse reactions including subcutaneous nodules, contact hypersensitivity, and granulomatous inflammation have been observed rarely.
Additives are used to stabilize vaccines from adverse conditions such as freeze-drying or heat. In addition, additives are added to vaccines to prevent immunogens from adhering to the side of the vial. The types of stabilizers used in vaccines include sugars (eg, sucrose, lactose), amino acids (eg, glycine, monosodium salt of glutamic acid), and proteins (eg, gelatin or human serum albumin).
Three issues surround the use of protein additives in vaccines: 1) the observation that immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions are a rare consequence of receiving gelatin-containing vaccines, 2) the theoretical concern that human serum albumin might contain infectious agents, and 3) the theoretical concern that bovine-derived materials used in vaccines might contain the agent associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("mad-cow" disease).
Although the incidence of anaphylaxis to gelatin is currently very low (approximately 1 case per 2 million doses), gelatin is the most common identifiable cause of immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions to gelatin-containing vaccines.
However, the FDA requires that human serum albumin be derived from blood of screened donors and be manufactured in a manner that would eliminate the risk of transmission of all known viruses. The result is that no viral diseases have ever been associated with the use of human serum albumin.
Vaccines contain several reagents that are derived from cows (eg, gelatin, glycerol, enzymes, serum, amino acids). This raised the question of whether children who were inoculated with vaccines were at risk for vCJD. Newspapers reported this possibility in the late 1990s,66 and some parents were concerned about bovine-derived products contained in vaccines. However, several epidemiologic observations and features of the manufacturing process should reassure parents that vaccines could not cause vCJD.
First, prions are detected in the brain, spinal cord, and retina of cows with BSE and not in blood or other organs.55 Therefore, serum (present in media that support the growth of microorganisms or cells used to make vaccines) is not likely to contain prions. Consistent with these observations, no cases of CJD have been transmitted by blood or blood products, and a history of blood transfusion does not increase the risk for CJD.67-69
Second, prions are not detected in connective tissue of cows with BSE.55 Therefore, gelatin (made by boiling the hooves and skin of pigs or cows) is unlikely to contain prions.
Third, epidemiologic evidence does not support vaccines as a cause of vCJD in England.
Residual quantities of reagents that are used to make vaccines are clearly defined and well regulated by the FDA. Inactivating agents (eg, formaldehyde), antibiotics, and cellular residuals (eg, egg and yeast proteins) may be contained in the final product.
Residual quantities of reagents that are used to make vaccines are clearly defined and well regulated by the FDA. Inactivating agents (eg, formaldehyde), antibiotics, and cellular residuals (eg, egg and yeast proteins) may be contained in the final product.
Inactivating agents separate a pathogen’s immunogenicity from its virulence by eliminating the harmful effects of bacterial toxins or ablating the capacity of infectious viruses to replicate. Examples of inactivating agents include formaldehyde, which is used to inactivate influenza virus, poliovirus, and diphtheria and tetanus toxins; -propiolactone, which is used to inactivate rabies virus; and glutaraldehyde, which is used to inactivate toxins contained in acellular pertussis vaccines. Formaldehyde deserves special consideration.
Concerns about the safety of formaldehyde have centered on the observation that high concentrations of formaldehyde can damage DNA and cause cancerous changes in cells in vitro.71,72
Although formaldehyde is diluted during the manufacturing process, residual quantities of formaldehyde may be found in several current vaccines (Table 5).
Fortunately, formaldehyde does not seem to be a cause of cancer in humans,73 and animals that are exposed to large quantities of formaldehyde (a single dose of 25 mg/kg or chronic exposure at doses of 80-100 mg/kg/day) do not develop malignancies.74,75
The quantity of formaldehyde contained in individual vaccines does not exceed 0.1 mg (Table 5). This quantity of formaldehyde is considered to be safe for 2 reasons.
irst, formaldehyde is an essential intermediate in human metabolism and is required for the synthesis of thymidine, purines, and amino acids.76 Therefore, all humans have detectable quantities of formaldehyde in their circulation (approximately 2.5 g of formaldehyde/mL of blood).77
Assuming an average weight of a 2-month-old of 5 kg and an average blood volume of 85 mL/kg, the total quantity of formaldehyde found naturally in an infant’s circulation would be approximately 1.1 mg”a value at least 10-fold greater than that contained in any individual vaccine. Second, quantities of formaldehyde at least 600-fold greater than that contained in vaccines have been given safely to animals.74,75
Betcha didn't know you produce formaldehyde, huh, Lindalou?
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