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Vaccines are made with ingredients that make them safe and effective to protect your child from disease.
Each vaccine contains a small amount of the disease germ (virus/bacteria) or parts of the germ. Examples are the measles virus, pertussis (whooping cough) bacteria, and tetanus toxoid. The germs are either dead or weakened, and the toxoids can not cause disease. Vaccines help your child’s immune system build protection against disease.
Other ingredients in vaccines help keep them stable and prevent infection of multi-dose vials, and some vaccines have ingredients to boost the immune response to the vaccine.
In B.C., thimerosal has not been used in any routine childhood vaccine since 2001, except for the flu vaccine. Thimerosal is a mercury-containing preservative present in small amounts in the flu vaccine to prevent bacterial and fungal growth. If a person received a vaccine contaminated with bacteria or fungi, he/she could get sick.
A large number of studies have shown no link between the use of vaccines containing thimerosal and harm to children. These studies are posted on the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies website at www.iom.edu/Reports.aspx?activity={43C096A7-F094-43D0-985A-B6BF561A7C5D}.
To keep vaccines safe and effective, they contain ingredients such as aluminum salts, antibiotics, and formaldehyde. These ingredients have not been linked to disease or illness. Below are some of the ingredients in vaccines.
Antibiotics- Antibiotics are used in some vaccines to prevent bacterial contamination when the vaccine is being made.
Aluminum salts - Aluminum salts have been used in vaccines for many years. They improve the body’s immune response to the vaccine, giving us better protection from disease.
Children are naturally exposed to aluminum in the environment. Aluminum is found in the air, food and water. It is even in breast milk and infant formula. The amount of aluminum in a vaccine is similar to that in the infant formula a baby may drink in a day.
Formaldehyde- Some vaccines are made from live germs or toxins, which need to be killed or made inactive so they do not cause disease. Formaldehyde is used to do this, and then it is removed. Any tiny amount left in the vaccine cannot cause harm.
Other ingredients - Sugars, amino acids, salts, and proteins, such as albumin and gelatin, help keep vaccines stable and safe when they are being made, shipped and stored.
Vaccines do not contain human or animal cells. The viruses needed to make some vaccines can only be grown in human or animal cells. After the virus has been grown, it is separated from the cells and used to make the vaccine. So while human or animal cells may be used in the earlier stages of making the vaccine, no cells are present in the final product or vaccine.
Both the flu vaccine and MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine contain egg protein. Egg protein is present in these vaccines because the viruses used to make them are grown in eggs (flu vaccine) or in cells taken from eggs (MMR vaccine). The amount of egg protein in the MMR vaccine is not harmful for children with egg allergies. A child with a life-threatening egg allergy should not get the influenza vaccine or flu shot because it contains a larger amount of egg protein.
A life-threatening allergic reaction after getting a shot is rare – only one in a million chance. If this happens, it is most likely to occur within minutes after the shot is given. This is why you are asked to stay at the clinic or doctor’s office for 15 minutes after the shot. The doctor or nurse is prepared to treat this reaction.
Immunize BC: www.immunizebc.ca
Public Health Agency of Canada: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/im/index-eng.php
Canadian Coalition for Immunization Awareness & Promotion: http://immunize.ca/en/default.aspx
More HealthLink BC Files on childhood immunization:
#50a Your Baby's Immune System and Vaccines
#50b The Benefits of Vaccinating Your Child
#50c Childhood Vaccines are Safe
#50e A Better Immunization Experience for your Child
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For more HealthLink BC File topics, visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca/healthfiles/index.stm or your local public health unit. Click on www.HealthLinkBC.ca or call 8-1-1 for non-emergency health information and services in B.C. For deaf and hearing-impaired assistance, call 7-1-1 in B.C. Translation services are available in more than 130 languages on request. |
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