Dr. Yehuda Shoenfeld is an Israeli clincian who has been extensively studying the human immune system for more than thirty years. Some say he is at the pinnacle of his profession, and that he is at the core of its foundation. He's written 25 textbooks on the subject — some of which are key to the backbone of clincial practice. Dr. Shoenfeld has even been referred to as the "Godfather of Autoimmunology." Autoimmunology is the study of the immune system when it is has turned against itself, resulting in a myriad of conditions including ulcertive colitis, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes.

Lately, Dr. Shoenfeld has been shaking up the world of immunology with evidence that suggests that vaccines may indeed be playing a role in the onset of autoimmune disease. Specifically, some of the star ingredients found in vaccines — like aluminum, a toxic metal— are likely at the helm of the worldwide increase in autoimmune disorders. Evidence supporting this theory has been mounting over the last 15 years, but a noticeably stark increase in research has occured in the last five years. For example, recent study, authored by Dr. Shoenfeld and his colleagues, was published by the journal Pharmacological Research in 2015. In their report, the researchers identified four groups of people who will be most at risk of developing an autoimmune disease following vaccination.

The paper's authors note that while vaccines may help to prevent illnesses that can cause autoimmunity, "On the other hand, many reports that describe post-vaccination autoimmunity strongly suggest that vaccines can indeed trigger autoimmunity." The researchers state that "Almost all types of vaccines have been reported to be associated with the onset of ASIA [autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants]." The autoimmune diseases that may develop after vaccination include arthritis, lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE) diabetes mellitus, thrombocytopenia, vasculitis, dermatomyosiositis, Guillain-Barre syndrome and demyelinating disorders. Demyelinating disorders include conditions like multiple sclerosis. Demyelination refers to degradation of the myelin sheath — an insulating material that covers nerves — and results in impaired function of said nerves.