(Reuters) -U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering asking a key government vaccine advisory panel to examine vaccines that contain aluminum ingredients, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Aluminum-containing adjuvants are ingredients that have been used in vaccines since the 1930s, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An adjuvant, used in some vaccines, helps create a stronger immune response in people receiving the shot.
Aluminum salts are used in the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine such as Pfizer’sPrevnar, HPV vaccines such as Merck’s Gardasil and hepatitis B vaccines.
In all cases, adjuvant-containing vaccines are tested for safety and effectiveness in clinical trials before they are licensed for use in the U.S. and once approved, the vaccines are monitored by the CDC and the FDA, according to the CDC.
The discussions on reviewing such vaccines could evolve, Bloomberg reported, citing a source who was not authorized to speak publicly on the deliberations.
Kennedy earlier in June fired all 17 members of a CDC panel of vaccine experts, drawing protest from many vaccine scientists.
The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
(Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas)
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