Summary: Adjuvants are agents added to vaccines to heighten the immune system response to the primary antigen. The video below presents an excellent lecture by one of the world’s leading experts in autoimmunology. He explains how adjuvants can trigger autoimmune reactions that manifest, months or years later, as autoimmune diseases. His exposition, richly illustrated by published case studies, is valuable for all clinicians regardless of specialty. Practically any tissue in the body, including the brain and vascular system, can be a target for autoimmune attack.

Autoimmunity seems to be the medical issue of our time as environmental and other factors promote a loss of immune tolerance to chemicals, toxic and benign, and to self. The resulting chronic inflammation underlies many conditions beyond the strictly defined autoimmune diseases such as MS, SLE and rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmune inflammation can play a major role in cardiovascular disease, depression, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, migraine, loss of normal apoptosis (leading to malignancy), etc.

Professor Shoenfeld Yehuda, MD, FRCP is head of the Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases of Sheba Medical Center (affiliated with Tel-Aviv University), the incumbent of the Laura Schwarz-Kipp Chair for Research of Autoimmune Diseases at Tel-Aviv University, editor-in-chief of the journal Autoimmunity Reviews, and co-editor of the Journal of Autoimmunity. While celebrating vaccination as one of the greatest gifts of medicine in modern times, he explains the mechanism by which adjuvants can trigger autoimmunity. Also in this fascinating lecture he discusses some of the environmental, genetic, endocrine and immune factors that create a susceptibility to autoimmunity in general.

-

I hope that readers who are less familiar with the science and evidence-based approach of functional medicine are able to appreciate the significance of this paper that was recently published in the journal Vaccine. The authors state: “The magnitude of the immune response to vaccinations can be influenced by genetic variability.” This could, if attention is paid, bring more urgently needed research to bear on the critical principle at the heart of the benefits and risks of vaccination: individuals respond to vaccines differently. The investigators demonstrated that differences in the genes that code for cytokines (‘messenger molecules’ for the immune system) were clearly associated with variations in the immune response to childhood vaccination, with some children not gaining any immunity at all. The authors conclude: “These data suggest that genetic variations in cytokine genes can influence vaccine-induced immune responses in infants, which in turn may influence vaccine efficacy.” We need a sound vaccination policy that establishes a standard of care using cost-effective evaluations to determine for each person their capacity to benefit from a vaccine, along with any predisposition for autoimmune reactions that could manifest at a later date.

-

The best defense against the flu or any other opportunistic infection is a healthy immune system. Ever wonder why flu season occurs when there is less direct sunlight? There is much evidence that optimizing Vitamin D levels is one of the best things you can do:

• Vitamin D and Influenza in the Virology Journal
• Canada examines Vit D for swine flu protection
• Role of Vitamin D in preventing infections
• Vitamin D for treatment and prevention
• Epidemic influenza and Vitamin D

Additionally, I have been very impressed with this chemotyped essential oil formula from France for its immune enhancing and antiviral properties. For the first time in twenty years I was able to travel to and from the monastery in Sikkim without getting a respiratory infection. If you have experience with this formula please feel free to comment.

-