With the flu vaccine season upon us, one of health care consumers’ top vaccine concerns is “What’s in it?”

The problem is that a complete listing of the various ingredients in vaccines is not possible to acquire.  Here’s why:

First, manufacturers are not required to report certain ingredients if they exist below a certain legally-defined threshold.  For example, Thimerisol, an ingredient in multi-dose vaccines, which contains the cumulative neuro-toxin mercury,  requires no reporting if below that legally defined threshold.

Second, due to poor checks and balances in manufacturing, vaccines may have many contaminants that were not intended for inclusion when manufactured. For example some industry insiders continue to report bacterial contamination in vaccines cleared for distribution.

Third, some vaccine manufacturers change their product contents prior to release.

That said, it is possible to know some of what they contain.  All the various brands of the 2015-2016  trivalent flu vaccines contain:

1. An Influenza A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus
2. An Influenza A/Switzerland/9715293/2013 (H3N2)-like virus
3. An Influenza B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus. (This is a B/Yamagata lineage virus)
4. If it is quadrivalent, it also contains an Influenza B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus).

Here are the current (2015-2016 flu vaccine season) products, the other known substances used in their manufacture and ingredients listed by vaccine brand name and ingredient list:

Influenza (Afluria)  
Beta-propiolactone, thimerosol (mercury containing compound, multi-dose vials only), monobasic sodium phosphate, dibasic sodium phosphate, monobasic potassium phosphate, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium taurodeoxycholate, neomycin sulfate, polymyxin B, egg protein, sucrose.

Influenza (Agriflu) 
Egg proteins, formaldehyde, polysorbate 80, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, neomycin sulfate, kanamycin, barium.

Influenza (Fluarix) Trivalent and Quadrivalent 
Octoxynol-10 (Triton X-
Į-tocopheryl hydrogen succinate, polysorbate 80 (Tween 80), hydrocortisone, gentamicin sulfate, ovalbumin, formaldehyde, sodium deoxycholate, sucrose, phosphate buffer.

Influenza (Flublok) 
Monobasic sodium phosphate, dibasic sodium phosphate, polysorbate 20, baculovirus and host cell proteins, baculovirus and cellular DNA, Triton X-100, lipids, vitamins, amino acids, mineral salts.

Influenza (Flucelvax) 
Madin Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell protein, MDCK cell DNA, SRO\VRUEDWHFHW\OWULPHWKO\DPPRQLXPEURPLGHȕ-propiolactone, phosphate buffer.

Influenza (Flulaval) Trivalent and Quadrivalent 
Thimerosal  (mercury containing compound, multi-dose vials only), formaldehyde, sodium deoxycholate, egg proteins, phosphate buffer.

Influenza (FluMist) Quadrivalent 
ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed porcine gelatin, arginine, sucrose, dibasic potassium phosphate, monobasic potassium phosphate, gentamicin sulfate, egg protein.

Influenza (Fluvirin)
Nonylphenol ethoxylate, thimerosal (mercury containing compound,multidose vial– only in refilled syringe), polymyxin, neomycin, beta-propiolactone, egg proteins, phosphate buffer.

Influenza (Fluzone: Standard (Trivalent and Quadrivalent), High-Dose, & Intradermal) 
Formaldehyde, octylphenol ethoxylate (Triton X-100), gelatin (standard trivalent formulation only), thimerosal (mercury containing compound,multi-dose vial only) , egg protein, phosphate buffers, sucrose.

In case you wonder why some of these substances are used, check the following list of ingredients and their uses:
 
Egg albumin Type of protein found in egg that the vaccine is grown in.
 
Octyphenol ethoxylate Surfactant used to bring two different compounds together. Commonly used in cleaning agents and textile manufacturing.

Arginine A common protein found in the body.  Phosphate Buffers (disodium, monosodium, potassium, sodium dihydrogenphosphate) 
Formed from phosphorus (naturally found in diet and body)and used to maintain pH levels.

Beta-propeiolactone Used as a disinfectant to maintain sterility. Considered a carcinogen.
 
Polyethelyne Glycol A synthetic resin used as a solvent.

Calcium Chloride A simple mineral salt used to help control temperature.
 
Polymyxin B Antibiotic used to prevent bacterial growth.

Egg protein Self-explanatory.
 
Polyoxyethylene9-10 nonylphenol Surfactant used to blend compounds.

Formaldehyde Common precursor to make resins in the textile industry. Used to inactivate live viruses. Considered a carcinogen.
 
Polysorbate 80 or Polysorbate 20 Surfactant and emulsifier used to bring compounds together.

Gelatin Gelling agent. Commonly found in animal byproducts like the hoofs of horses.
 
Potassium chloride Salt normally found in the body.

Gentamicin Antibiotic used to prevent bacterial growth.
 
Sodium chloride Salt compound normally found in the body.

Hydrocortisone A steroid commonly used to treat skin irritation.
 
Sodium deoxycholate Bile acid used as an emulsifier to bring compounds together.

Latex Found in the top of the vaccine where the needle punctures. It's a rubber.
 
Sucrose Sugar.

Monosodium Glutamate MSG - a compound people are advised to stay away from in packaged food. Used to help stabilize the vaccine when it's exposed to light, heat, acidity, or humidity.
 
Thimersol (Mercury) Toxic metal used to prevent contamination in multi-dose vials.

Neomycin Antibiotic used to prevent bacterial growth.
 
Tocopheryl hydrogen succinate A form of vitamin E used to prevent oxidation.

Octoxynol-10 Used as an emulsifier/surfactant/detergent.
  
To update your information or check for yourself, these two resources are useful:

Regarding which ingredients are in any particular vaccine, go to:  http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html
To connect to online vaccine package inserts, go  here: http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/cc-flu.htm

For an example of what you can find there, here is the information on Fluarix Quadrivalent: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM220624.pdf

Further, you may wonder whether you or a family member should get the vaccine in the first place.  Unfortunately, asking this question of some health practitioners can place them in a difficult legal situation if their advice is different than that of an M.D.  They even place themselves in legal jeaprody if they answer,
"What would you do?"

Some health practitioners therefore find quoting  others with different opinions to be helpful.  For example, here’s what Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center says:

"If vaccines are safe and effective for everyone, then those, who choose to get vaccinated should have nothing to fear from those  who choose not to get vaccinated.

 If vaccines are not safe and effective for everyone, then it is unethical to require anyone to get vaccinated without their voluntary, informed consent.” 

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Pamela Levin is an R.N., & a Teaching & Supervising Transactional Analyst with 500+ post-graduate hours in clinical nutrition, herbology and applied kinesiology. In private practice offering health improvement services 45 years, she is an award winning author and nutritional journalist. She is the mother of 2 and grandmother of 2

Pamela Levin, R.N., T.S.T.A.
October 26, 2015

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