Can PFAS from nonstick cookware and clothing reduce how well vaccines work?

What's actually in it

PFAS are found in nonstick pans, stain-resistant furniture and carpets, water-resistant clothing and outdoor gear, microwave popcorn bags, and some food packaging. They build up in blood over years because the body has no efficient way to remove them. Almost everyone in the US has measurable PFAS in their blood.

The immune system relies on B cells to produce antibodies after vaccination. PFAS accumulate in lymph tissue and interfere with B cell activation and antibody production. This means that people with higher PFAS body burdens may produce fewer antibodies in response to vaccines.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Res measured serum PFAS levels in fully vaccinated adults and compared them to their COVID-19 antibody titers. Adults with higher PFAS blood concentrations had lower COVID-19 antibody levels than those with lower PFAS levels, even after controlling for vaccine type, time since vaccination, and other factors.

The relationship was dose-dependent: the more PFAS in the blood, the lower the antibody level. This is consistent with earlier studies showing PFAS reduce antibody responses to influenza, tetanus, and childhood vaccines.

This doesn't mean vaccination doesn't work for people with high PFAS exposure. Vaccines still provide meaningful protection. But the margin of protection may be reduced. The effect compounds: each new vaccine given over a lifetime may produce a slightly weaker response in someone with high PFAS exposure.

Reducing PFAS exposure is currently the only way to lower your body burden over time. Switching away from nonstick cookware, stain-treated textiles, and PFAS-containing food packaging removes the main ongoing sources.