Many of us are used to hear some far out claims from anti-vaccine folks?
And most of us understand that none of them are true.
There is no antifreeze in vaccines.
And while many vaccines may contain aluminum, formaldehyde, albumin, gelatin, antibiotics, polysorbate 80, and yeast proteins, these are not toxic or dangerous.
Why are those ingredients in a vaccine?
They might be used as an adjuvant, inactivating ingredient, preservative, stabilizer, or as a growth medium.
Does the flu shot contain a vaginal spermicide?
The latest scare story from anti-vaccine folks is that flu shots contain a vaginal spermicide.
Now why would a vaginal spermicide be needed in a vaccine?
It wouldn’t.
Anti-vaccine folks who have exposed are spreading this misinformation have confused octoxynol-9, a vaginal spermicide, with octoxynol-10, an ingredient in vaccines.
Aren’t they the same thing?
While both are a type of Triton X-100 nonionic surfactant, as you likely suspect, they are different. And that’s where the confusion sets in.
“Nonionic surfactant mixtures varying in the number of repeating ethoxy (oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) groups. They are used as detergents, emulsifiers, wetting agents, defoaming agents, etc. Octoxynol-9, the compound with 9 repeating ethoxy groups, is a spermatocide.”
PubChem on Triton X-100
In contrast to octoxynol-9, the compound octoxynol-10 has 10 repeating ethoxy groups.
Octoxynol-10 in Flu Vaccines
Octoxynol-10, which is also known as octylphenol ethoxylate, is a surfactant that is used in some flu vaccines in a 1% concentration to help further inactivate and then “split” the inactivated influenza virus that will ultimately be used in the vaccines.
“The majority of marketed seasonal influenza vaccines are prepared using viruses that are chemically inactivated and treated with a surfactant. Treating with surfactants has important consequences: it produces ‘split viruses’ by solubilizing viral membranes, stabilizes free membrane proteins and ensures a low level of reactogenicity while retaining high vaccine potency.”
Lee et all on Quantitative determination of the surfactant-induced split ratio of influenza virus by fluorescence spectroscopy.
A “low level of reactogenicity” means less side effects. That’s good.
Octoxynol-10 also acts as a stabilizer.
Like many other non-active ingredients, it is mostly filtered out from the final vaccine product.
How much is left?
Only residual amounts.
In Fluzone, it is reported to be at a maximum amount of ≤250 mcg per dose.
Do you know the dose of octoxynol-9 that was used in vaginal spermicides? At least 50mg (one applicator full), inserted vaginally before sex. Keep in mind that since they don’t protect against STD’s, they are typically used in combination with other forms of birth control.
What to Know About Octoxynol-10 in Flu Vaccines
Octoxynol-10 is an important ingredient of flu vaccines and is mostly filtered out of the final vaccine.
More About Octoxynol-10 in Flu Vaccines
- Study – Influenza virus inactivation for studies of antigenicity and phenotypic neuraminidase inhibitor resistance profiling.
- Study – A TritonX-100-split virion influenza vaccine is safe and fulfills the committee for proprietary medicinal products (CPMP) recommendations for the European Community for Immunogenicity, in Children, Adults and the Elderly.
- Study – Comparison of new triton X-100- and tween-ether-treated split-treated vaccines in children.
- Study – Quantitative determination of the surfactant-induced split ratio of influenza virus by fluorescence spectroscopy.
- Study – Influenza Vaccine Manufacturing: Effect of Inactivation, Splitting and Site of Manufacturing. Comparison of Influenza Vaccine Production Processes.
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Last Updated on October 18, 2017