The injectable swine flu vaccine is produced by three different manufacturers for distribution within the United States. CSL Limited, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited, and Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. are approved by the FDA to produce the H1N1 vaccine for injection. The CSL swine flu vaccine is approved for adults, age 18 and over. The Novartis swine flu vaccine is approved for children age four and over, and adults. Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. is the only company licensed to produce swine flu vaccine for children under the age of four years down to six months of age.
Additional Ingredients in CSL Limited H1N1 Vaccine
The CSL Limited H1N1 vaccine contains various ingredients in addition to the inactive virus. Sodium chloride, monobasic sodium phosphate, dibasic sodium phosphate, monobasic potassium phosphate, potassium chloride, and calcium chloride are all listed as being present in the swine flu vaccine produced by CSL Limited.
- Sodium chloride is another name for salt
- Monobasic sodium phosphate is an emulsifier, or a substance used to mix one liquid into another.
- Monobasic potassium phosphate is also an emulsifier.
- Potassium chloride is another emulsifier.
- Calcium chloride is a food additive that is used to firm up soft foods, such as cheeses.
Additional Ingredients in Novartis Swine Flu Vaccine
In addition to the inactivated swine flu virus, the Novartis formulation also contains the following ingredients: ovalbumin, polymyxin, neomycin, betapropiolactone, and nonylphenol ethoxylate.
- Ovalbumin is an egg protein, present due to the fact that the virus is grown inside chicken eggs.
- Polymyxin is an antibiotic.
- Neomycin is an antibiotic.
- Betapropiolactone is classified as a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
- Nonylphenol ethoxylate is an adjuvant, which is a substance used to improve the efficiency of the vaccine, which reduces the amount of vaccine necessary per dose.
Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. Swine Flu Vaccine Ingredients
A single dose of the injectable swine flu vaccine produced by Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. include: gelatin, formaldehyde, polyethylene glycol p-isooctylphenyl ether, and sucrose.
- Gelatin is used to stabilize the formulation.
- Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical used to kill the virus during preparation.
- Polyethylene glycol p-isooctylphenyl ether is a chemical used to break up the virus so that it cannot recombine and infect after being injected.
- Sucrose is another name for sugar.
Thimerosal in the Swine Flu Vaccine
All manufacturers of the swine flu vaccine include thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, in multi-dose injectable formulations of the H1N1 vaccine. In addition, the single-dose formulation produced by Novartis contains trace amounts of thimerosal.
References:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine (CSL Limited)
Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine (Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited)
Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine (Sanofi Pasteur, Inc.)
Victoria Nicks - Victoria Nicks has a Master's Degree in IT, and extensive hands-on experience with various types of hardware and software.
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