Immune adjuvant controversy

Flu vaccines containing an immune adjuvant - a substance that is supposed to enhance the effectiveness of the vaccine - are controversial.

And the way doctors and government health authorities treat such vaccine adjuvants actually tells us that, despite all their assurances that vaccines are safe, they do carry possible dangers.

Usually, pregnant women and young children are advised to take H1N1 vaccines that do not contain adjuvants such as squalene. This suggests there could be possible risks associated with the immune adjuvant, even if the medical authorities would not admit it.

In Germany, where the government has bought 50 million doses of tehe H1N! vcaccine and offered it free to the population, the controversy was made worse by a discriminatory policy whereby two versions of the vaccine was made available.

On 18 October, it was reported that German government officials, the German military, police and members of pandemic crisis committees, will receive Celvapan, an adjuvant-free vaccine manufactured by Baxte. Meanwhile, the the general public will only be offered the GlaxoSmithKline Pandemrix shot, which contains squalene as an immune adjuvant, as well as the mercury-based preservative, thimerosal (which has been linked to autism even though the medical profession and goverrnment health officials around the world deny this).

This led to a public outcry and a few days later, German Chancellor Angela Merkek had to do damage control by declaring that she would take the vaccine meant for ordinary citizens. The government spokesman rejected accusations of a "two-tier medical system," and explained that all three vaccines approved by the European Union - Pandemrix, Celvapan, and Focetria - were equally good and "there isn't a 'better' or a 'worse' one."

But the damage was already done. Germans, who are normally open to seasonal flu vaccinations with about 24 percent of the population regularly receiving flu shots, have largely rejected the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. Polls now show that only 13 percent of Germans would take the vaccine.

With versus without immune adjuvant

Gulf War Syndrome A major concern over squalene stems from the Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), which refers to tens of thousands of US troops who fought in the 1991 Gulf War developing a wide range of medically unexplained symptoms: -- chronic fatigue -- loss of muscle control -- headaches and dizziness -- loss of balance -- memory problems -- muscle and joint pain -- indigestion -- skin problems -- shortness of breath -- insulin resistance. The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments have now recognised the following symptoms as being potentially connected to the Gulf War: -- Brain cancer deaths -- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) -- multiple sclerosis -- fibromyalgia.

Why do some vaccines come with an immune adjuvant while others do not?

Well, the adjuvant is said to increase the body's immune response, making the vaccine more effective or potent. Moreover, vaccines that contain the immune adjuvant do not need to cotain so much of the flu virus, and so more vaccines can be manufactured and they can be produced within a shorter time frame, to meet the large worldwide demand.

The boost in immune response is the main cause for concern. Some scientists believe this will cause the body to over-react, resulting in auto-immune disorders where the body's immune system starts to attack healthy cells.

Squalene

A study published in the American Journal of Pathology (2000) showed that rats injected with a single dose of the adjuvant squalene developed “chronic, immune-mediated joint-specific inflammation” - a condition commonly known as rheumatoid arthritis!

Squalene has also been linked to the Gulf War Syndrome (see box story), where thousands of US troops who served during the 1991 Gulf War developed a wide range of symptoms, which were later traced to experimental drugs and vaccines given to them, including squalene used in an anthrax vaccine.

Click here to learn more about the dangers of squalene as an immune adjuvant.

In the United Kingdom, more than half of Britons being offered vaccination against H1N1 flu are turning it down. Pulse, a trade newspaper for doctors, polled 107 doctors and found many saying there was widespread resistance from patients and on average only 46 per cent of those offered the vaccination agreed to have it.

Doctors reported particular difficulties in persuading pregnant women to be vaccinated against the virus, Said Dr Chris Udenze, a family doctor based in Nottingham, central England: “In all the pregnant women we've offered it to, I think only about one in 20 has agreed."

Aluminium

Another potentially harmful adjuvant used in vaccines is aluminium, a toxic metal associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Hugh Fudenberg, MD, an immunogeneticist and biologist, studied individuals who received flu shots over a 10-year period between 1970 and 1980. He found that those who had five consecutive flu shots during the period had 10 times higher risks of developing Alzheimer's Disease, compared to those who had fewer than two flu shots.

More controversy

The controversy over the use of immune adjuvants does not end here, however.

The prevalent view is that adjuvants make the vaccine more effective. But Baxter, the pharmaceutical company which produces a flu vaccine without adjuvants, disputes this view and says that adjuvants DO NOT enhance the efficacy of a flu vaccine.

Meanwhile, there are also people who argue that vaccines with an immune adjuvant are actually "safer" than those without adjuvants, because vaccines without adjuvants contain more of the actual virus.

And so the immune adjuvant debate continues with both types of vaccines - those with and without vaccine adjuvants - claimed to be potentially harmful. That sums up the situation quite well. Yes, both types are potentially harmful.