There is a lot of controversy over vaccinations, and it’s not uncommon for a patient who has a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition to ask me what I think about vaccines. I’m personally not a big fan of vaccines, and this is not a topic that I have written about in the past, other than a blog post I wrote on the flu shot a few years ago. And it probably isn’t going to be a topic that I write a great deal about in the future. However, for those who are interested in learning about the risks of vaccinations, I encourage you to register for the upcoming Truth About Vaccines documentary that is taking place from 4/12/17 to 4/18/17. It’s from the same creators of the Truth About Cancer documentary series, and you can click here [1] to register for this free event.
Will they be talking at all about autoimmune thyroid conditions such as Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis? I’m honestly not sure, but I have done some research in this area, and there aren’t too many studies which have looked into the relationship between vaccines and thyroid autoimmunity. Apparently cases of Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis following hepatitis B vaccine have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), although one study I came across didn’t see an increased risk of Graves’ Disease or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis following receipt of hepatitis B vaccine (1) [2]. But the problem is that there are very few studies involving vaccines and thyroid autoimmunity, and as sad as it is to say, you can’t trust many of the studies out there dismissing vaccines as being harmful, and the reason for this is because many of them involve a conflict of interest.
For example, there has been a lot of controversy over whether vaccines can cause autism. In June 2014, a meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies showed that vaccines are not associated with autism, and that the components of vaccines at the time (i.e. thimerosol) or multiple vaccines are not associated with the development of autism (2) [3]. But according to investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson [4] there was a conflict of interest, as the study was created from a firm that lists major vaccine makers among its clients. I don’t know if vaccines cause autism, but it’s scary when you look at some of the ingredients included in vaccines.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the following are some of the common substances found in vaccines (3) [5]:
- Aluminum
- Antibiotics
- Egg protein
- Formaldehyde
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Thimerosal (a mercury-containing preservative)
Keep in mind that the CDC is in favor of vaccines, and they claim that the amount of these chemical additives found in vaccines are very small. While this may be true, this doesn’t mean that they are safe. For example, the amount of mercury used in mercury amalgams is very small as well, but there definitely is a correlation between thyroid autoimmunity and mercury (4) [5] (5) [6]. And while the current research doesn’t show a direct correlation between aluminum and autoimmune thyroid conditions, aluminum is a known environmental toxin that can stimulate the immune system, and has been linked to neurotoxicity (6) [7] as well as Alzheimer’s disease (7) [8]. Formaldehyde is also a harmful chemical, and many people reading this are aware of the problems associated with Monosodium glutamate (MSG).
If you are interested in learning more about vaccines, then I highly recommend for you to attend the Truth About Vaccines documentary. Here are some of the questions that will be answered:
- Do vaccines confer immunity?
- Are there natural options to vaccination?
- What questions should you ask before you vaccinate?
- Were vaccines responsible for the declines in polio, pertussis, smallpox, etc?
- What about the flu shot and the HPV vaccine?
- Why do outbreaks occur in mostly vaccinated populations?
- Why are some states considering implementing forced vaccine legislation?
- What are possible adverse vaccine reactions?
- Are vaccines linked to cancer?
- Can vaccines cause permanent damage?
- What are all of your options?
Click Here [1] to register for The Truth About Vaccines documentary. Also, please feel free to share your thoughts about vaccines in the comments section below.