Vaccine components and constituents: responding to consumer concerns.
Vaccination remains a vital strategy in the prevention of infectious disease. Commercial vaccine formulations contain a range of additives or manufacturing residuals, which may contribute to patient concerns about vaccine safety. Primary health care professionals are well placed to address patient concerns about vaccine safety. We describe the key constituents present in vaccines, discuss issues related to safety and acceptability of these constituents, and provide a table highlighting constituents of commercially available vaccines in Australia.
Eldred
Barbara E
BE
Education and Information Unit, Mater Pharmacy Services, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Dean
Angela J
AJ
McGuire
Treasure M
TM
Nash
Allan L
AL
D000535:Aluminum; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D002460:Cell Line; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety; D013849:Thimerosal; D014611:Vaccination / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000592:standards; D014944:World Health Organization
D014612:Vaccines; D005557:Formaldehyde; D013849:Thimerosal; D000535:Aluminum