Adjuvants and preservatives are two different things.
Adjuvant:
An adjuvant is a substance that is added to the vaccine to increase the body's immune response to the vaccine.
“According to current federal plans, only unadjuvanted vaccines will be used in the United States during the 2009 flu season. This includes all of the 2009 H1N1 and seasonal influenza vaccines that will be available for children and adults in both the injectable and nasal spray formulations. None of these influenza vaccines will contain adjuvants. 2009 H1N1 vaccines with adjuvants are being studied to determine if they are safe and effective. Experts will review these data when they are available. There is no plan at this time to recommend a 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine with an adjuvant.” (CDC)
More information on adjuvants can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/adjuvants.html
More information on adjuvants and the H1N1 vaccine can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_safety_qa.htm
Preservative:
A preservative is something used to prevent contamination in multi-dose vials that are used to administer vaccines. Thimerosal is a very effective preservative that contains a small amount of mercury. Influenza vaccines in multidose vials contain 12.5 to 25 micrograms of mercury per influenza vaccine dose. It is used in some of the influenza vaccines (those in multi-dose vials).
If you are concerned about preservatives such as thimerosal, preservative-free inactivated (Flu Shot) H1N1 vaccines are available. The live attenuated vaccine (LAIV or FluMist) does not contain a preservative.
“The 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines that FDA is licensing (approving) will be manufactured in several formulations. Some will come in multi-dose vials and will contain thimerosal as a preservative. Multi-dose vials of seasonal influenza vaccine also contain thimerosal to prevent potential contamination after the vial is opened.” (CDC)
More information on Thimerosal (preservative) can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/thimerosal/index.html
More information on Thimerosal (preservative) and the H1N1 vaccine can be found here:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_safety_qa.htm
Sunday, November 15, 2009
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1 comments:
Also worth noting that about significantly more vaccine is required for a non-adjuvanted H1N1 vaccination.
Thus there are both economic and supply time implications in the adjuvant / non-adjuvant decision.
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