What are the actual ingredients in the H1N1 flu shot?

[Kathleen in VA]

I would like to know all the ingredients used in the manufacture of the H1N1 flu shot. When I do a google search for "H1N1 flu shot ingredients" I get a mishmosh of stuff that leads me to sites with only a discussion of mercury as well as sites that I believe may be alarmist (not sure if that is the proper adjective - they just seem to have a reactionary flavor to them). I really just want a list of ingredients similar to what you'd find on a cereal box or other food product. Anyone know of such a list?

[hornblower]

You need to go to the FDA website as it's the FDA who approves them.

 

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Post-MarketActivities/LotReleases/ucm181956.htm

 

You'll see a box 'approved vaccines'.

 

Click on each of those & then go to the package insert file (which is usually a pdf). The one I just looked at had a section called "11. Description" & that listed all the ingredients.

 

hth

[Kathleen in VA]

You need to go to the FDA website as it's the FDA who approves them.

 

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Post-MarketActivities/LotReleases/ucm181956.htm

 

You'll see a box 'approved vaccines'.

 

Click on each of those & then go to the package insert file (which is usually a pdf). The one I just looked at had a section called "11. Description" & that listed all the ingredients.

 

hth

 

Thanks for this - I've been reading over the inserts. I also have googled some of the ingredients and, not having a sufficient medical/scientific vocabulary, I am finding it difficult to actually understand what these chemicals are and what their origins are.

 

Again, I have found what I would call "reactionary" articles to the flu vaccine regarding what these chemicals actually are and from where they originate but don't feel confident that I'm getting the truth. Can anyone direct me to a website that lists the ingredients and tells in layman's terms the possible dangers associated with them and from what source they are derived?

 

An example of the difficulty I'm having is that one cite states that aborted fetal tissue was used in the manufacture of the vaccine. That's pretty heavy duty if it is human fetal tissue, but not such a big deal if it is some other animal tissue. The mention of aborted fetal tissue, imo, seems like an effort to cause outrage and alarm. I think it's kind of important to make a distinction if it is not human.

[hornblower]

As far as your concern regarding fetal cell lines:

 

http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/5519911600.html

 

excerpt:

 

 

MURFREESBORO, Tenn., Sept. 21 /Christian Newswire/ -- Children of God for Life announced today that four new H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines approved late last week by the FDA do not use aborted fetal cell lines. The four vaccines are made by Sanofi Pasteur, Novartis, CSL and Medimmune and all are using chick eggs.

 

"We are pleased that the pharmaceutical companies have chosen these cell lines for this year's H1N1 vaccines," stated Executive Director Debi Vinnedge. "There are enough concerns about public health and safety without compounding the problems with moral issues."

[Kathleen in VA]

Thanks, Hornblower:). I still find it kind of odd that even this article doesn't make a distinction. Is it just assumed when someone mentions aborted fetal tissue or fetal cell lines that they are necessarily referring to humans? When I was in college I had to dissect a fetal pig for biology class. To me, fetal cells or fetal tissue doesn't necessarily mean human fetal tissue or cells. Seems reasonable to me that anyone using these terms would want to make the distinction, especially if they were referring to non-human tissue or cells.

[Perry]

Thanks for this - I've been reading over the inserts. I also have googled some of the ingredients and, not having a sufficient medical/scientific vocabulary, I am finding it difficult to actually understand what these chemicals are and what their origins are.

 

Again, I have found what I would call "reactionary" articles to the flu vaccine regarding what these chemicals actually are and from where they originate but don't feel confident that I'm getting the truth. Can anyone direct me to a website that lists the ingredients and tells in layman's terms the possible dangers associated with them and from what source they are derived?

 

An example of the difficulty I'm having is that one cite states that aborted fetal tissue was used in the manufacture of the vaccine. That's pretty heavy duty if it is human fetal tissue, but not such a big deal if it is some other animal tissue. The mention of aborted fetal tissue, imo, seems like an effort to cause outrage and alarm. I think it's kind of important to make a distinction if it is not human.

 

None of the current H1N1 vaccines use fetal cell lines or human embryonic tissue. They are grown in the fluid of chick embryos (eggs).

 

From CSL Limited package insert:

 

Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine, for intramuscular injection, is a sterile, clear, colorless to slightly opalescent suspension with some sediment that resuspends upon shaking to form a homogeneous suspension. Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine is prepared from influenza virus propagated in the allantoic fluid of embryonated chicken eggs. Following harvest, the virus is purified in a sucrose density gradient using a continuous flow zonal centrifuge. The purified virus is inactivated with beta-propiolactone, and the virus particles are disrupted using sodium taurodeoxycholate to produce a “split virion”. The disrupted virus is further purified and suspended in a phosphate buffered isotonic solution.

 

Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine is formulated to contain 15 mcg HA per 0.5 mL dose of influenza A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)v-like virus. These are the actual viral particles that are in the vaccine. They are the main component, and are what causes the immune system to make antibodies.

 

The single-dose formulation is preservative-free; thimerosal, a mercury derivative, is not used in the manufacturing process for this formulation. The multi-dose formulation contains thimerosal, added as a preservative; each 0.5 mL dose contains 24.5 mcg of mercury.

Thimerosal is a preservative, and helps prevent the growth of biological contaminants. It isn't necessary in the single dose vaccine because once it's opened, it's all used up. In the multidose vial, once it's opened, there is the possibility of contamination.

 

A single 0.5 mL dose of Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine contains sodium chloride (4.1 mg), monobasic sodium phosphate (80 mcg), dibasic sodium phosphate (300 mcg), monobasic potassium phosphate (20 mcg), potassium chloride (20 mcg), and calcium chloride (1.5 mcg).

 

These are all salts and buffers that are needed to keep the pH and chemical environment suitable. I'm not a chemist, maybe someone else can elaborate.

The following aren't added to the vaccine; they may be present in trace amounts because they're needed for growing up the virus in the chicken eggs.

 

From the manufacturing process, each dose may also contain residual amounts of sodium taurodeoxycholate (≤ 10 ppm) (a detergent used to purify the viurs), ovalbumin (egg protein)(≤ 1 mcg), neomycin sulfate (≤ 0.2 picograms [pg]), polymyxin B (≤ 0.03 pg) (neomycin and polymyxin are antibiotics and are used in the propogation of virus, so the eggs don't become contaminated with bacteria and infected), and beta-propiolactone (don't know exactly what it is but it's used to inactivate the virus) (< 25 nanograms).

 

Edited October 13, 2009 by Perry

[Kathleen in VA]

Thanks, Perry - that was very helpful.

[yslek]

You need to go to the FDA website as it's the FDA who approves them.

 

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Post-MarketActivities/LotReleases/ucm181956.htm

 

You'll see a box 'approved vaccines'.

 

Click on each of those & then go to the package insert file (which is usually a pdf). The one I just looked at had a section called "11. Description" & that listed all the ingredients.

 

hth

 

Thank you so much for sharing this site! I also looked up all of the seasonal flu vax inserts.

 

I've been agonizing over whether to get the flu shot or not, as the one time I had the flu was in my last pregnancy. It led to a really bad case of opportunistic pneumonia, which led to the premature birth of L (7 wks. early.) It is NOT an experience I'd like to repeat, but I've never done the flu shot either. All of the flu vax inserts on the FDA site list their vaccines as "Pregnancy Category C". I typically avoid anything in this category (felt guilty enough using a Category B drug for nausea...), so my decision isn't made any easier. Ugh. At least now I know which shots are mercury-free (and that none of them conain aluminum :thumbup1:) should I decide to go ahead and get the shot.