To produce vaccines, pharmaceutical companies use different culture media. These allow cells, bacteria and yeasts to multiply in large numbers. The main culture media are bovine proteins, chick embryo cells, hen embryonated eggs, human diploid cells and yeast. From footsteps some proteins may be present in the final product.

These substances are used to prevent bacterial growth in the vaccine. The main ones preservatives are the following :

• Formaldehyde (Used to inactivate the microbes of some vaccines during and after their production. Purification almost completely eliminates them from the final product.)
• Phenol
• 2-phenoxyethanol
• Thimerosal (Used only in multidose vials of influenza vaccine.)
• Antibiotics: neomycin and polymyxin B

Stabilizers help maintain the quality of the vaccine during storage. Vaccines contain the main stabilizers following:

• Bovine albumin or bovine serum
• Human albumin
• Gelatin
• Glycine
• Lactose
• Sorbitol
• sucrose or saccharose
• Polysorbates 20 or 80 (They ensure the homogeneity of the product.)

After thimerosal, which has almost completely disappeared from vaccines,aluminum has become the new workhorse of anti-vaccine lobby groups^1,2.

This adjuvant also worries Robert W. Sears, pediatrician practicing in California and author of the book The Vaccine Book, published in October 2007³. According to him, no one has done any research to verify whether it is safe to expose babies to the vaccination as practiced. Until it is proved that the amount ofaluminum injected is safe, he finds it safer to give only one vaccine containing aluminum per monthly visit.

In his book, the D^r Sears specifies, however, that the elimination ofaluminum vaccines would be much more complex and difficult to achieve than that of thimerosal. Indeed, the latter is a preservative, while thealuminum is an adjuvant, that is, it increases the effectiveness of vaccines. Reformulating vaccines would require large-scale clinical trials. For pharmaceutical companies to agree to embark on this project, explains D^r Sears, they should have evidence on the toxicity of aluminum⁴. Find out more about the D position^r Sears on vaccination, read our interview The nuanced position of an American pediatrician.

You can consult online a list (not exhaustive) by addendum vaccines distributed in Canada. Quebec Immunization Protocol, Chapter 1, page 14:

www.rrsss17.gouv.qc.ca

La composition of each vaccine used in Quebec is also mentioned in the Quebec Immunization Protocol (chapters 7 to 15):

http://206.167.52.1/fr

Quebec Immunization Protocol – Chapter 18 – Frequently Asked Questions. 14. Why do vaccines contain formaldehyde, aluminum, mercury, or other chemicals? Is it not toxic to the body?

publications.msss.gouv.qc.ca

To consult a (non-exhaustive) list of vaccines containing aluminum salts, consult online the Quebec Immunization Protocol, chapter 1: General principles of immunology and immunization (page 14):

www.rrsss17.gouv.qc.ca

English

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has posted a exhaustive list of vaccine ingredients used in this country.

By ingredient: www.cdc.gov

By vaccine: www.cdc.gov

Note: hypertext links leading to other sites are not continuously updated. It’s possible a link become not found. Please use the search tools to find the desired information.

Bibliography

Humanitarian Association for Information and Mobilization for Animal Survival (AHIMSA). Vaccines and aluminum [Accessed January 13, 20089 www.ass-ahimsa.net

Association Liberté Information Santé (France) [Consulted on January 13, 2009] www.alis-france.com

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (United States). Ingredients of Vaccines – Fact Sheet [Accessed January 13, 2009] www.cdc.gov

Canadian Coalition for Immunization Awareness and Promotion (CCSPV). Do vaccines contain dangerous additives? [Accessed January 13, 2008] www.immunize.cpha.ca

European forum on Vaccine Vigilance. [Accessed January 13, 2009] http://users.telenet.be

Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services. Quebec Immunization Protocol – Chapter 18 – Frequently Asked Questions. 14. Why do vaccines contain formaldehyde, aluminum, mercury or other chemicals? Is it not toxic to the body? [PDF document consulted on January 13, 2009]. publications.msss.gouv.qc.ca

Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services. Quebec Immunization Protocol, Chapter 1: General Principles of Immunology and Immunization. [PDF document consulted on January 13, 2009] www.rrsss17.gouv.qc.ca

Ministry of Health and Social Services. Quebec Immunization Protocol, updated April 2008. [Accessed January 13, 2009] http://206.167.52.1/fr/

National Library of Medicine (Ed). PubMed, NCBI. [Accessed January 13, 2009]. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pilette J. Aluminum and vaccines (updated September 15, 2008) www.alis-france.com [PDF document accessed January 13, 2009]

Sears RW. The Vaccine Book – Making the Right Decision for Your Child, Little Brown and Company, United States, 2007.

Télé-Québec A little pill, a little granule – To get your child vaccinated or not? Broadcast of October 16, 2008. [Accessed January 13, 2009] www.telequebec.tv

Vaccination Risk Awareness Network (Canada) [Accessed January 13, 2009] www.vran.org

Notes

1. Pilette J. Aluminum and vaccines (updated September 15, 2008) www.alis-france.com [PDF document accessed January 13, 2009]

2. Humanitarian Association for Information and Mobilization for Animal Survival (AHIMSA). Vaccines and aluminum [Accessed January 13, 2008] www.ass-ahimsa.net

3. Sears RW. The Vaccine Book – Making the Right Decision for Your Child, Little Brown and Company, United States, 2007.

4. Sears RW. The Vaccine Book – Making the Right Decision for Your Child, Little Brown and Company, USA, 2007, pages 193-206.