Formaldehyde

[Nirvana]

I was thinking of making seperate threads about the various vaccine ingredients and the available literature on them. I am going to start with formaldehyde.

This is a list of vaccines that contain formaldehyde. I don't think this is the entire one but for starters I will put this up here
http://www.formaldehyde.org/healthSafety/vaccines.html

This is an entry from the blog operated by the Formaldehyde council

http://formaldehydefacts.blogspot.com/2008/10/truth-about-formaldehyde-and-vaccines.html


Today, more than a dozen vaccines are made every year that rely on formaldehyde as a delivery medium (http://www.formaldehyde.org/healthSafety/vaccines.html). Because these vaccines don't need to be refrigerated, they've become critical component in fighting disease in the developing world, as well as coming into wide use in the U.S. armed forces.

But even that track record of success isn't enough to satisfy a knot of activists who are now claiming that formaldehyde in vaccines is causing harm. Yesterday at Science-Based Medicine (http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/), Dr. David Gorski (http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?page_id=224) chronicled his long fight with the anti-vaccine activist community (http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=256) and the lies they are spreading that pose a real risk to public health and welfare (http://www.pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/archives2/019029.php).

Then I also found this blog which seems to convey that the Formaldehyde in vaccines argument is flaky and incorrect

http://www.medkb.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/alternative/39900/Here-comes-Frauenpower

The Toxin Gambit Part 1: Formaldehyde
We will be conducting a multiple-part series describing some of the vaccine constituents that many consider 'toxins' or just have what the actual chemical is, just plain wrong. The first part of our series will be dedicated to information regarding formaldehyde, what it is, why it is in vaccines and any health implications. So thank you to Valo for your suggestion.

For the purpose of this series, it is important to understand the metric scale, not so much the actual measurements but their relationship to one another. For example, if a microgram (mcg) is a grain of sand, then a milligram (mg) is a slice of American cheese, so a gram (g) is an average 5.5 year-old boy and a kilogram (kg) would be 7 H2 Hummers. Again, these aren't actual weights, volumes or measurements, but rather, their differences on a visual scale.

Formaldehyde is a naturally-occurring chemical that can also be synthesised. The chemical formula is CH2O and is also known as methanal (not to be confused with methanol), formal and methyl aldehyde. It is also not to be confused with formalin, which is an aqueous solution of formaldehyde. Numerous isomers of formaldehyde exist but they are not formaldehyde. It is used in the manufacture of resins that are then used for the production of pressed wood products, paper,
textile fibres, adhesives and plastics (EPA 2009 and WHO 2006). Of course, those involved with the manufacturing of products with formaldehyde may sustain occupational exposure and subsequent pathologies (EPA, 2009 and WHO, 2006).
Formaldehyde is also a by-product of tobacco smoke and combustion reactions from stoves, kerosene space heaters and automobiles (EPA 2009).

Naturally occurring sources of formaldehyde are found in plants, fruits,
vegetables, animals (including humans) and seafood (Mason et al. 2004 and Inchem 1989). Table 14 of the Environmental Health Programme on Chemical Safety:
Formaldehyde, and Table 95.2, Chapter 95: Formaldehyde, lists some
commonly-consumed foods and their formaldehyde concentrations. (Clary and Sullivan 2001 and Inchem 1989). In a study of Shiitake mushrooms, investigators reported formaldehyde concentrations of 100-300 mg/kg; this wide variation is a result of a combination of analysis techniques, naturally-occurring formaldehyde and also possible contamination with exogenous formaldehyde (Mason et al. 2004).

Formaldehyde is a normal, essential human metabolite with a biological half-life of about 1.5 minutes (Clary and Sullivan 2001). It is endogenously produced and is involved with methylation reactions for and biosynthesis of some proteins and nucleic acids. It is also rapidly metabolised to formate and excreted in urine or to carbon dioxide and exhaled (WHO, 2006 and Clary and Sullivan 2001). Some common routes of exposure for exogenous formaldehyde include dermal, from occupational handling, inhalation, from occupational exposure and environment, oral via dietary intake and of course, intramuscularly or subcutaneously from
vaccines. (Franks 2005, Clary and Sullivan 2001 and Inchem 1989).

Human normal blood concentrations of formaldehyde are 2.74 +/- 0.14 mg/L (Franks 2005). The average adult male (86 kg) in the U.S. has a blood volume of 5.8 litres; the average adult female (74 kg) has a blood volume of 5.0 litres and an average 2 month old infant (5 kg), 0.43 litres. So this translates to 15.1-16.7 mg of normal formaldehyde range in an adult male, 13.0-14.4 mg in an adult female and 1.1-1.2 mg in a 2 month-old infant which works out to be 0.22-0.24 mg/kg (CHOP 2008 and Franks 2005). Using the visual scale provided earlier for the infant, that would be a little more than 1 slice of American cheese/35 H2 Hummers.

Toxic levels of formaldehyde can induce a variety of illness from localised
skin/respiratory tract irritation to cancer (Bosetti et al. 2008, Sundstrom et al. 2001 and Pandley et al. 2000). Inhalation of 1.0-2.0 parts per million or ppm (ppm=mg/kg) is considered mildly irritating, while 3.0 ppm causes moderate eye irritation although there is variation of sensitivity in individuals (Sundstrom et al. 2001 and Inchem 1989). Chronic inhalation studies on rats and mice have resulted in nasal cavity squamous cell carcinomas, when exposed to levels above 6-15 ppm (Bosetti et al. 2008 and Clary and Sullivan 2001).
Formaldehyde toxicity resulting in death occurs in humans at a volume of about 60-90ml (Pandey 2000). The CDC conducted a survey of 'travel trailers' used for displaced people from hurricanes Katrina and Rita and found levels ranging from 0.003-0.59 ppm with an average of 0.077 ppm (CDC 2008). Thus far, only symptoms of local irritation have been reported (CDC 2008). A 2005 study of single-family homes in 3 cities detected an average of 0.17 ppm and 0.016-0.025 ppm in travel trailers (Weisel et al. 2005).

Formaldehyde in vaccines is left over from the production process, where it serves a couple of different functions, depending upon the type of antigens used. Essentially, it is used for killing cells and/or inactivating toxins. For example, the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine is a toxoid vaccine. The toxins produced by the bacteria are what causes illness in humans and what we need antibodies against. The addition of formaldehyde internally cross-links the toxin and also cross-links it to other toxins, effectively detoxifying to eliminate pathogenicity. Viral vaccines such as influenza and hepatitis A vaccines utilise formaldehyde to inactivate viral activity, allowing the recipient to produce antibodies to the antigens without pathogenicity (Aunins et al. 2000).

The actual amount in vaccines is minuscule, even when considering an infant that receives the full CDC schedule. If you look at this table, it contains a list of vaccines and their final formaldehyde content. Not included in this table is Pentacel which contains 0.005mg of formaldehyde. If all vaccines are given as per the CDC recommendation and separately, the most a 2 month old infant would receive is 0.1204 mg of formaldehyde or 120.4 mcg. Going back to what normal formaldehyde levels for a 5kg, 2-month old infant are 1.1-1.2 mg or 0.22-0.24mg/kg so the total formaldehyde exposure from vaccines would raise that to 1.22-1.32 mg or raises the baseline level by less than 1 grain of sand/35 Hummers. Put another way, the amount contained within a vaccine is more than 50
times less than what is in a pear.

Given what is known about human formaldehyde metabolism, excretion and toxic levels, along with what is actually in vaccines, we hope that this gives some perspective about the safety of the amount of formaldehyde that an infant would receive via vaccines. There is simply no valid argument, beyond the scope of fear-mongering that formaldehyde exposure from vaccines is implicated in any health problems, whatsoever.

References:
Aunins JG, Lee AL, Volkin DB. Vaccine Production. In: Bronzino JD, ed. The
Biomedical Engineering Handbook 2nd ed. Vol. 2. New York, NY: Springer
Publishing; 2000.
http://books.google.com/books?id=T2UIoAxcFdIC&pg=PT175&lpg=PT175&dq=&source=bl&o
ts=J4Skfly-bt&sig=InDm5MbbsfSOztSu5WoeSGAYh7A&hl=en&ei=s938SciZD4TCM6Gi8csE&sa=X
&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8 (http://books.google.com/books?id=T2UIoAxcFdIC&pg=PT175&lpg=PT175&dq=&source=bl&ots=J4Skfly-bt&sig=InDm5MbbsfSOztSu5WoeSGAYh7A&hl=en&ei=s938SciZD4TCM6Gi8csE&sa=X<BR>&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8).
Accessed May 10, 2009:105-8—105-9.

Bosetti C, McLaughlin JK, Tarone RE, Pira E, La Vecchia C. Formaldehyde and
cancer risk: a quantitative review of cohort studies through 2006 . Annals of
Oncology. 2008; 19:29-43.
http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/19/1/29.pdf (http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/19/1/29.pdf). Accessed May 10, 2009.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Vaccine Education Center Web
site. http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=75809 (http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=75809). Accessed
May 10, 2009.

Clary JJ and Sullivan, Jr. JB. Formaldehyde. In: Sullivan, Jr. JB and Krieger
GR, eds. Clinical Environmental and Toxic Exposures. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA:
Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins; 2001.
http://books.google.com/books?id=PyUSgdZUGr4C&pg=PA1008&lpg=PA1008&dq=formaldehy
de+human+normal+metabolite&source=bl&ots=IJTP64uYmW&sig=jttT7L4_AseC6hm3eVXzUP56
hQI&hl=en&ei=Gmv7SfTkJ46UMrvr3dQE&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#PPP1,M1 (http://books.google.com/books?id=PyUSgdZUGr4C&pg=PA1008&lpg=PA1008&dq=formaldehyde+human+normal+metabolite&source=bl&ots=IJTP64uYmW&sig=jttT7L4_AseC6hm3eVXzUP56<BR>hQI&hl=en&ei=Gmv7SfTkJ46UMrvr3dQE&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#PPP1,M1).
Accessed May 10, 2009:1007-1008 and 1010.

Indoor Air Quality. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Web site.
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formalde.html (http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formalde.html). Accessed May 10, 2009.

Franks SJ. A mathematical model for the absorption and metabolism of
formaldehyde vapour by humans [abstract]. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.
2004; 206(3):309-320.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WXH-4F7B42G-2&_user=1
0&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVers
ion=0&_userid=10&md5=7617394a3010f1b021e3164141aefec1 (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WXH-4F7B42G-2&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVers<BR>ion=0&_userid=10&md5=7617394a3010f1b021e3164141aefec1).
Accessed May 10, 2009.

Environmental Health Criteria 89: Formaldehyde. International Programme on
Chemical Safety (INCHEM) Web site.
http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc89.htm#SubSectionNumber:5.1.4 (http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc89.htm#SubSectionNumber:5.1.4).
Accessed May 10, 2009.

Mason DJ, Sykes MD, Panton SW, Rippon EH. Determination of naturally-occurring
formaldehyde in raw and cooked Shiitake mushrooms by spectrophotometry and
liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry [abstract]. Food Additives and
Contaminants. 2004; Nov;21(11):1071-1082.
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content%7Edb=all?content=10.1080/02652030400013326 (http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content%7Edb=all?content=10.1080/02652030400013326).
Accessed May 10, 2009.

Pandey CK, Agarwal A, Baronia A, Singh N. Toxicity of ingested formalin and its
management [Abstract]. Human & Experimental Toxicology. 2000;Jun,19(6);360-366.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10962510?ordinalpos=&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEnt
rez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.SmartSearch&log$=citationsensor (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10962510?ordinalpos=&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.SmartSearch&log$=citationsensor).
Accessed May 10, 2009. PMID: 10962510.

CDC Final Report on Formaldehyde Levels in FEMA-Supplied Travel Trailers, Park
Models, and Mobile Homes Web site
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehhe/trailerstudy/pdfs/FEMAFinalReport.pdf (http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehhe/trailerstudy/pdfs/FEMAFinalReport.pdf). July 2,
2008. Accessed May 10, 2009.

Weisel CP et al. Relationships of indoor, outdoor, and personal air (RIOPA).
Part I. Collection methods and descriptive analyses [abstract]. Research Report
(Health Effects Institute). 2005;Nov(130 Pt 1):1-107; discussion 109-127.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Cmd=ShowLinkOut&Db=pubmed&TermToSearch=
16454009&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pub
med_RVCitation (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Cmd=ShowLinkOut&Db=pubmed&TermToSearch=16454009&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pub<BR>med_RVCitation).
Accessed May 10, 2009. PMID: 16454009.

IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. World Health
Organization (WHO). Volume 88 Formaldehyde, 2-Butoxyethanol and
1-tert-Butxypropan-2-ol. 2006. Web site.
http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol88/volume88.pdf (http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol88/volume88.pdf). Accessed May 10,
2009

[Nirvana]

Then I found this

http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v12/n8/abs/nm1456.html


A potential molecular mechanism for hypersensitivity caused by formalin-inactivated vaccines

Heat, oxidation and exposure to aldehydes create reactive carbonyl groups on proteins, targeting antigens to scavenger receptors. Formaldehyde is widely used in making vaccines, but has been associated with atypical enhanced disease during subsequent infection with paramyxoviruses. We show that carbonyl groups on formaldehyde-treated vaccine antigens boost T helper type 2 (TH2) responses and enhance respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in mice, an effect partially reversible by chemical reduction of carbonyl groups.
http://www.nature.com/images/spacer.gif


http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/516045_5


Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is nearly ubiquitous, being present in polymerized plastics, metalworking fluids, wood composites, insulation, medicaments, fabrics, cosmetics, detergents, and vaccines. Formaldehyde is the eighth most common allergen and had an 8.4% rate of reactivity in 4,909 patients who were patch-tested. In vaccines, formaldehyde is used as an inactivating agent that can eliminate the harmful effects of bacterial toxins and destroy the capacity of infectious viruses to replicate.[6] (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:newshowcontent('active','references');) The concerns over formaldehyde in vaccines center on its potential carcinogenicity in vitro.[6] (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:newshowcontent('active','references');) The quantity of formaldehyde in individual vaccines does not exceed 0.1 mg per dose. Animals exposed to chronic formaldehyde at doses of 80 to 100 mg per day developed no malignancies over a 2-year period.[31] (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:newshowcontent('active','references');)
Formaldehyde in vaccines has been reported to exacerbate hand eczema, as described in a single case report.[32] (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:newshowcontent('active','references');) However, no other cases of formaldehyde-induced cutaneous reactions from vaccine administration have been reported in the literature


http://www.faqs.org/abstracts/Health/A-potential-molecular-mechanism-for-hypersensitivity-caused-by-formalin-inactivated-vaccines.html
Studies were conducted to highlight the importance of carbonyl groups in formaldehyde-treated vaccines and to explain the adverse effects of formaldehyde vaccines in measles and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. The data from the studies show that the induction of carbonyl groups on vaccine antigens by formalin treatment might profoundly affect immunogenicity, changing the balance between protective and deleterious immune responses

[Nirvana]

Trying to attach a PDF.

This is a PDF file which discusses hypersensitivity reactions to the various components of vaccines like thimerosal, formaldehyde, neomycin.

[Nirvana]

This looks rather interesting to me because now I seem to understand why do they choose formaldehyde in some vaccines.

Here in this article they are discussing infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) which affects chickens.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1533761



Satisfactory protection can be achieved by immunization with live or inactivated vaccines. Classical live vaccines achieve lifelong and broad protection but possess residual pathogenicity and a proportional risk of reversion to virulence. Inactivated vaccines, although costly, are used successfully (Box, 1989 (http://www.forums.beyondvaccination.com/#B3)). In order to obtain an inactivated immunologic or vaccine composition, the pathogen is harvested and subjected to clarification by chemical treatment and inactivation using different inactivants, for example formaldehyde, β-propiolactone, ethylenimine, binary ethylenimine or thimerosal.

Most inactivated viral vaccines are prepared by the reaction of viruses with formaldehyde (Brown, 1995 (http://www.forums.beyondvaccination.com/#B4)). Formalin reacts with many chemical groupings of proteins that lead to the phenomenon of “membrane effect” in which the reaction “closes” the outer protein shell of the virus before the nucleic acid of the infectious genome is destroyed. Even after prolonged incubation of the inactivated antigen infectious nucleic acid can emerge and lead to a replication of the virulent virus. This can cause a sub-clinical infection or even lead to disease. The membrane effect alters the surface proteins of the virus and modifies and reduces the antigenicity of the antigen (Bahnemann, 1990 (http://www.forums.beyondvaccination.com/#B1)). Binary ethylenimine (BEI), member of a group of alkylating substances “aziridines” reacts very little with proteins and therefore does not alter the antigenic components of the virus. BEI has an inactivation reaction that is more specific for the nucleic acid and produces antigenically superior vaccine (Bahnemann, 1990 (http://www.forums.beyondvaccination.com/#B1)). BEI preserves the conformation and accessibility of epitopes to a much greater extent than formalin and β-propiolactone (Blackburn and Besselaar, 1991 (http://www.forums.beyondvaccination.com/#B2); Kyvsgaard et al., 1997 (http://www.forums.beyondvaccination.com/#B12)).

In the present study IBDV was inactivated with formaldehyde and BEI and their comparative immune responses were ascertained in broiler chicks.

[Nirvana]

Something tells me there's a key point here in this Q&A but I am not getting it. Maybe someone else can 'see' it

http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/immuno/1996-September/008505.html

From a medline abstract
> >>
> >> Enhancement of protective immune responses to Venezuelan equine
> >> encephalitis (VEE) virus with microencapsulated vaccine.
> >>
> >> Arthors: Greenway TE; Eldridge JH; Ludwig G; Sta
> >> as JK; Smith JF; Gilley RM; Michalek
> >>
> >> Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294,
> >> USA.
> >>
> >> Formaldehyde is used as a fixative in a vaccine and enhances the
> >> antibody response to the vaccine. Other fixatives are also indicated
> >> as increasing the responsiveness to the vaccine.
> >>
> >> With that in mind is it possible for formaldehyde and other reactive
> >> chemicals to bind with other substances in the air and cause a immune
> >> response to those substances?
> >>
> >> Would there be any significant difference in the effect of substances
> >> inhaled and absorbed into the blood stream and those given by
> >> vaccination?
> >>
> >>
> >> Betty Bridges, RN
> >
>> Im sorry but i thought formaldehyde / paraformaldehyde / formalin and
> their derivatives cross-linked proteins during primary and secondary
> fixation of tissues and as a consequence the protein antigenic
> determinants were lost/destroyed thus reducing the immune response to
> these determinants.
>> However keeping in mind that the aldehydes have reactive groups for ANY
> proteins (even those linked to sugars and lipids) I do believe that these
> would react with proteins in the atmosphere (although i don't know why
> under a laminar flow hood these would be there) and hence induce an
> immune response (as long as there was the required "hapten-carrier
> effect" present to induce the response ie. there was a LOT of cross
> linking happening).
>> vaccination is a direct injection into the body, ususally making its way
> into the peripheral lymphatic system in direct contact with the immune
> system, this way there is an immediate response to the same foreign body
> by this system. Inhalation of an aerosol has a delayed effect (unless its
> some kind of vasopressin or similar) on the immune system as the
> substance has to be processed through a longer pathway by the APC's of
> the immune system thus I suggest that inhalation gives a delayed response
> and would require a much higher dose than with injection/vaccination.
>> Regards,
> Damien Rothstein BSc. Uni. Melb.(Australia)

[Nirvana]

Dr. Jack Thrasher is a toxicologist and seems to have done research on the effects of various chemicals including formaldehyde on the immune system.

http://www.drthrasher.org/research.htm

This link contains his research papers.

Google scholar link

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?start=0&q=jack+thrasher+formaldehyde&hl=en

[cartersmom]

Thanks for posting all this. Great stuff :)

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

The thing is that people concentrate on Formaldehyde, when it's not JUST the formaldehyde, but what it does during the vaccine manufacture process which is the important thing. Yes, there are residues in the vaccine, but this is one of the key things to understand:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/college.asp?P=8063



The study published this month in Nature Medicine, shows how formalin, used in the manufacture of over half of all vaccines, can alter the vaccine's effect on the immune system.

The Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council funded research shows that formalin causes chemical damage to vaccine proteins and creates reactive chemical groups called carbonyls. The immune system reacts strongly when it spots this damage.

In many cases, deliberately adding carbonyls to a vaccine can improve the body's immune response, such as with hepatitis A vaccines. However, in others, the presence of carbonyls can mean that the immune system overreacts once infection occurs and attacks the body in a damaging way.

In the 1960s, carbonyls in experimental vaccines for a virus known as RSV, which causes wheezy colds in children, triggered a powerful immune response that caused severe side effects leading to hospitalisation and several deaths.

...The studies suggest that avoiding formalin in the manufacture of vaccines may in some cases reduce the frequency of side effects...

[Nirvana]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17917067?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=4&log$=relatedreviews&logdbfrom=pubmed

Understanding respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine-enhanced disease.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants and children worldwide. In addition, RSV causes serious disease in elderly and immune compromised individuals. RSV infection of children previously immunized with a formalin-inactivated (FI)-RSV vaccine is associated with enhanced disease and pulmonary eosinophilia that is believed to be due to an exaggerated memory Th2 response. As a consequence, there is currently no licensed RSV vaccine and detailed studies directed towards prevention of vaccine-associated disease are a critical first step in the development of a safe and effective vaccine. The BALB/c mouse model of RSV infection faithfully mimics the human respiratory disease. Mice previously immunized with either FI-RSV or a recombinant vaccinia virus (vv) that expresses the attachment (G) glycoprotein exhibit extensive lung inflammation and injury, pulmonary eosinophilia, and enhanced disease following challenge RSV infection. CD4 T cells secreting Th2 cytokines are necessary for this response because their depletion eliminates eosinophilia. Intriguing recent studies have demonstrated that RSV-specific CD8 T cells can inhibit Th2-mediated pulmonary eosinophilia in vvG-primed mice by as yet unknown mechanisms. Information gained from the animal models will provide important information and novel approaches for the rational design of a safe and efficacious RSV vaccine.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

So as you see, it's not quite as simple as the formaldehyde itself, but has a lot to do with the way formaldehyde acts on the proteins involved, and what happens as a spin off of that... :D. .

[Nirvana]

So if formaldehyde can cause this in the RSV vaccine, there's a very good chance that it can be happening in other vaccines or something else having similar effect on vaccines.

When you don't know what to look for, how do you go around looking for it? ;)

Way too many unknowns when it comes to vaccines.

[ema-adama]

So as you see, it's not quite as simple as the formaldehyde itself, but has a lot to do with the way formaldehyde acts on the proteins involved, and what happens as a spin off of that... :D. .

Is this what was happening with Salk and his IPV? You mentioned elsewhere that he used a straight line method to inactivating the virus and it actually just made the virus more virulent?

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

No, what happened was culture tissue clumping, where it forms tiny balls, which the formaldehyde doesn't penetrate. Salk assumed that a longer soak in formaldehyde would allow it to reach the middle of the clumps, but he was wrong. Once the IPV was bottled, these clumps dissolve over about three weeks, releasing virus that hasn't been inactivated. That was the problem with the IPV. We dont' know if another problem was what the English found, since that wasn't known or testable. WE do know that the vaccine tested dead immediately after bottling, but after 3 weeks, once the clumps dissolved, the vaccine had plenty of live virus in it.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Please note, I'm NOT saying formaldehyde is NOT a problem. I believe it is a problem.

ONE... of many.

There is no known safe amount of formaldehyde, and the NS OSH has pretty strict rulings on it...