4 Common Ingredients in Vaccines

by Kevin Smith Author

When creating vaccines for distribution, it’s important to keep the vaccine safe when it is produced, stored, transported, and administered. To accomplish this, certain ingredients are added to the vaccine during these stages. These ingredients make up a very small portion of the vaccine but are enough to keep it safe for those being administered the vaccine. Here are some of the ingredients included in a vaccine from a low-cost vaccine clinic in Gainesville, GA.

Suspending Fluid

Oftentimes, chemicals are added to the bacteria in order to kill or weaken the germs that will produce symptoms in human cells. To keep the chemicals in the vaccine and the vaccine safe during production, storage, and usage, a suspending fluid will usually be added to the vaccine. These fluids might include sterile water, saline, or other fluids that will help keep the chemicals safe inside the vaccine.

Preservatives and Stabilizers

When a vaccine is stored, the content and potency created during production need to remain unchanged. This is what makes the vaccine effective when it’s administered to a patient. The content and potency of a vaccine are kept the same by adding preservatives and stabilizers. There are three common stabilizers that might be added to a vaccine to keep it effective. Formaldehyde kills or inactivates any unwanted germs that might be produced within the bacteria. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) protects the vaccine from certain elements it might be exposed to while stored, including heat, light, humidity, and acidity. Gelatin is another stabilizer used to protect a vaccine from heat during storage.

Adjuvants or Enhancements

In addition to ingredients being included to stabilize the vaccine, others will be added to enhance the effectiveness of the vaccine. The most common ingredient used to increase the effectiveness of a vaccine is aluminum. This comes in the form of gels or salts. By adding a small amount of aluminum to the vaccine, the body is able to build stronger immunity to the germs within the vaccine.

Antibiotics and Egg Protein

When a vaccine is produced to provide recognition for the immune system, it needs to be a weakened version. A commonly-addressed concern is the potential growth of the germs that cause symptoms of the virus. Antibiotics are often included in the vaccine after production to prevent any growth of these negative germs during the storage of the vaccine. It’s also important for people receiving a vaccine to understand that egg protein is included in flu or yellow fever vaccines. This is because chicken eggs are used in production.

When producing and storing vaccines that protect against certain diseases, some ingredients will be added to keep it safe. This might be to keep chemicals that weaken the vaccine in it, stabilize the production, enhance its effectiveness, or prevent the growth of negative germs. These are four common ingredients included in vaccines at a low-cost vaccine clinic in Gainesville, GA.