Author J.B. Handley has put forward a controversial theory on his Substack, arguing that vaccines trigger autism through the body’s response to aluminum adjuvants used in several childhood vaccines.
Handley cites a series of scientific findings from prominent researchers, primarily outside the U.S., that suggest aluminum in vaccines can travel to the brain, causing inflammation and triggering immune responses linked to autism.
Despite repeated calls for investigation, federal health agencies have largely ignored these findings.
Handley, a leading voice in the autism community and author of How to End the Autism Epidemic, argues that a growing body of evidence ties vaccines, particularly those containing aluminum adjuvants, to the onset of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
He draws heavily on the Vaccine Papers website to back his claims, highlighting studies that connect aluminum exposure to heightened levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), a cytokine linked to autism.
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Handley’s argument centers around the 2018 research by Dr. Christopher Exley, which revealed high levels of aluminum in the brains of individuals with autism. This discovery, Handley claims, provides critical data missing from the debate over vaccines and autism.
The discussion extends to how immune activation, either in utero or after birth, could alter brain development, contributing to autism.
Handley points to research on the hepatitis B vaccine in rats as biological evidence linking vaccines to immune activation and autism.
Despite ongoing research, Handley criticizes U.S. health authorities for their reluctance to reevaluate vaccine safety. He calls for urgent attention to the biological evidence suggesting that vaccines, particularly those with aluminum adjuvants, pose risks that have been underestimated.