Study Claims PFCs Compromise Vaccine Effectiveness

A recent study has reportedly raised concerns about whether exposure to
perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) compromises vaccine effectiveness in
children. Philippe Grandjean, et al., “Serum Vaccine Antibody Concentrations
in Children Exposed to Perfluorinated Compounds,” Journal of the American
Medical Association, January 2012. Approved for use in some food contact
applications such as microwavable paper, PFCs “have emerged as important
food contaminants,” according to the study’s authors, who gathered data from
587 participants in a prospective birth cohort study based in the Faroe Islands.

According to a January 24, 2012, Harvard School of Public Health press
release, “The results showed that PFC exposure was associated with lower
antibody responses to immunizations and an increased risk of antibody levels
in children lower than those needed to provide long-term protection.” In
particular, the authors noted that “a two-fold greater concentration of three
major PFCs was associated with a 49% lower level of serum antibodies in
children at age 7 years.”

“We were surprised by the steep negative associations, which suggest that
PFCs may be more toxic to the immune system than current dioxin exposures,”
said lead author Philippe Grandjean. “Routine childhood immunizations are
a mainstay of modern disease prevention. The negative impact on childhood
vaccinations from PFCs should be viewed as a potential threat to public
health.”