How adjuvants make modern vaccines work

Broadcast from KSQD, Santa Cruz on 12-04-2025:

• Dr. Dawn opens with an experimental vaccine that prevents severe allergic reactions by targeting IgE antibodies. The vaccine could eventually replace current monoclonal antibody treatments like omalizumab that require injections every two weeks.
• She explains how adjuvants work in vaccines as additives that irritate the immune system enough to notice the vaccine target. Aluminum hydroxide is s common adjuvant. Modern vaccines use small pathogen fragments rather than whole organisms, requiring adjuvants to trigger adequate immune response. Dr. Dawn expresses concern about the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reviewing aluminum adjuvants this week. A Danish study of over one million children finding no connection between aluminum with autism and ADHA contradicts RFK,Jr's public claims.She worries that removing aluminum could devastate vaccine effectiveness and children's health, noting that whenever vaccination rates drop, diseases like measles return to native circulation.
• She recounts pertussis vaccine history—when Japan stopped vaccination due to rare adverse reactions (approximately one death per million doses), they lost about 5,000 children to whooping cough in the first year. The newer acellular vaccine using pathogen fragments plus adjuvants is safer but only lasts 4-5 years versus lifetime immunity from the older whole-cell version, necessitating "cocooning" strategies where everyone contacting newborns must be recently vaccinated.
• Dr. Dawn describes a vaccine to prevent fentanyl from reaching the brain now starting clinical trials in the Netherlands. It pairs a fentanyl-like molecule with a carrier protein large enough to trigger antibody production. Once primed, the immune system attacks any fentanyl entering the blood, preventing highs and overdoses—potentially helping people in addiction recovery and those accidentally exposed through contaminated drugs.
• She reports the first documented death from alpha-gal syndrome. Alpha-gal is a meat allergy triggered by Lone Star tick bites; the tick essentially vaccinates humans against the alpha-galactosidase protein found on beef and pork. Cases have increased since 2010 as climate change expands the tick's range northward, yet a 2023 survey found 42% of doctors had never heard of the condition.
• Dr. Dawn highlights research from Edith Cowan University showing that blood drawn after exercise suppresses cancer cell growth when added to tumor cultures. In breast cancer survivors, plasma from high-intensity interval training or weight lifting caused cancer cells to stop growing or die; blood drawn before exercise had no effect. The key mechanism involves myokines, particularly IL-6, released by contracting muscles. A Stanford study found colon cancer survivors who exercised were 37% less likely to experience recurrence.
• A caller asks about pig-to-human heart transplants and mask recommendations. Dr. Dawn clarifies that newer xenotransplant pigs have more genes edited to reduce rejection compared to the 2022 case. For masking, she recommends context-dependent use—especially in public restrooms where toilet flushing aerosolizes COVID-containing particles, transportation hubs, and hospitals, noting that COVID vaccination prevents death but not infection or long COVID.
• She advises the same caller about spacing vaccines because adjuvant loads stack. Most vaccines can be combined safely, but she recommends against pairing COVID and Shingrix vaccines due to their heavy adjuvant content—wait at least ten days between them. She suggests inducing a sweat the night of vaccination through hot baths, saunas, or exercise to reduce adjuvant-related discomfort without diminishing antibody response.
• Dr. Dawn discusses seasonal affective disorder. She recommends 5,000 units of vitamin D3 and morning light exposure.
• She suggests that sun avoidance advice may have gone too far. A UK study of 3.36 million people found 12-15% lower mortality with greater UV exposure even accounting for skin cancer risk. A Swedish study following 30,000 women for 20 years found sun-seekers had half the mortality risk. Benefits may involve nitric oxide production lowering blood pressure, with each 1,000 km from the equator correlating with 5 mmHg higher blood pressure. Lack of bright outdoor light also contributes to childhood myopia, with rates exceeding 80% in some Asian cities.
• Dr. Dawn concludes with Danish microbiologists at Copenhagen's Alchemist restaurant reviving an old Bulgarian practice of fermenting milk with live red wood ants. The resulting yogurt, cheese, and ice cream contain far more beneficial microbes than commercial products, with a complex lemony acidity. Only live ants work, and wild ants may carry parasites dangerous to humans.