Believe it or not, some people don’t want to get a COVID-19 vaccine because of their ingredients.
Or, more likely, what they think are ingredients of the COVID-19 vaccines.
COVID-19 Vaccine Ingredients
Of course, there are no ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccines that should scare anyone away from getting vaccinated and protected, unless they had a severe allergy to one of those ingredients.
And surprisingly, most COVID-19 vaccines have very few ingredients.
So what are those ingredients?
“None of the vaccines contain eggs, gelatin, latex, or preservatives.”
Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States
It depends on the vaccine…
But as you will see, COVID-19 vaccines do indeed contain few ingredients and mostly consist of the active ingredient plus a buffer (helps resist changes in pH), stabilizer, and salts, which act as ionic compounds to adjust tonicity (a measure of the effective osmotic pressure gradient) and maintain osmolarity (a measure of solute concentration).
These extra, inactive ingredients, keep the components in the vaccine from separating, settling, and help maintain their potency during transport and storage.
Pfizer-BioNTech (mRNA) Vaccine Ingredients
In addition to the nucleoside-modified mRNA encoding the viral spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, the active ingredient, the Pfizer COVID-19 contains some inactive ingredients, including:
- 2[(polyethylene glycol (PEG))-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide – lipids to protect the mRNA
- 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine – lipids to protect the mRNA
- cholesterol – lipids to protect the mRNA
- (4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoate) – lipids to protect the mRNA
- sodium chloride – salt that acts as an ionic compound
- monobasic potassium phosphate – buffer
- potassium chloride – buffer
- dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate – ionic compound
- sucrose – sugar that acts as a stabilizer and cryoprotectant
Of these ingredients, PEG is the one that is presumed to be causing the small, extra risk of anaphylaxis in some people.
Moderna (mRNA) Vaccine Ingredients
Like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine contains a nucleoside-modified mRNA encoding the viral spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 as an active ingredient, and several inactive ingredients:
- PEG2000-DMG: 1,2-dimyristoyl-rac-glycerol, methoxypolyethylene glycol – lipids to protect the mRNA
- 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine – lipids to protect the mRNA
- cholesterol – lipids to protect the mRNA
- SM-102: heptadecan-9-yl 8-((2-hydroxyethyl) (6-oxo-6-(undecyloxy) hexyl) amino) octanoate – lipids to protect the mRNA
- tromethamine – part of the buffer solution
- tromethamine hydrochloride – part of the buffer solution
- acetic acid – buffer
- sodium acetate – ionic compound
- sucrose – sugar that acts as a stabilizer
Also like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine contains PEG.
Janssen (viral vector) Vaccine Ingredients
The active ingredient in the Janssen vaccine is a recombinant, replication-incompetent Ad26 vector, encoding a stabilized variant of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein. The inactive ingredients in this vaccine include:
- polysorbate 80 – non-ionic surfactant
- 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin – enhances solubility
- citric acid monohydrate – buffer
- trisodium citrate dihydrate – buffer
- sodium chloride – ionic compound
- ethanol – stabilizer
So no PEG, and while cross-reactive hypersensitivity between PEG and polysorbates can occur, you may be able to get a vaccine with one if you are allergic to the other.
The Janssen vaccine is produced using PER.C cells.
AstraZeneca (viral vector) Vaccine Ingredients
Not yet approved in the United States, the AstraZeneca vaccine contains a chimpanzee adenovirus encoding the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (ChAdOx1-S) as an active ingredient, and several inactive ingredients:
- L-Histidine – buffer
- L-Histidine hydrochloride monohydrate – buffer
- magnesium chloride hexahydrate – stabilizer
- polysorbate 80 (E 433) – non-ionic surfactant
- ethanol – stabilizer
- sucrose – stabilizer
- sodium chloride – ionic compound
- disodium edetate (dihydrate) – EDTA, a stabilizer
Again, no PEG, but like many vaccines, the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine contains polysorbate 80.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is produced using HEK-293 cells.
Novavax Vaccine Ingredients
Not yet approved in the United States, the Novavax vaccine contains a recombinant full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein with Matrix-M1 adjuvant as active ingredients, and several inactive ingredients:
- polysorbate 80 – non-ionic surfactant
- ? will get more details as this vaccine gets closer to being approved
The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is produced using insect cells.
Are You Allergic to Any of the COVID-19 Vaccine Ingredients
Of course, the most important reason to know the ingredients of the COVID-19 vaccines is so you can be alerted if you might have a severe allergy to any of these components?
Are you allergic to sodium chloride (salt), sucrose (sugar), cholesterol, or acetic acid (vinegar is up to 8% acetic acid)?
Probably not.
What if you have had a reaction to a previous non-COVID-19 vaccine and you aren’t sure to which ingredient you are allergic?
“People with a reaction to a vaccine or injectable therapy that contains multiple components, one of which is a vaccine component, but in whom it is unknown which component elicited the immediate allergic reaction, have a precaution to vaccination.”
Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States
Does the vaccine or drug to which you had a reaction have any ingredients in common with the COVID-19 vaccine that you plan to get? If so, but you know actually know if you are allergic to that ingredient or another in the original vaccine to which you had the reaction, then you would want to discuss the risks and benefits of getting vaccinated with your provider. And the risks of not getting vaccinated – remaining at risk to get COVID-19.
“People with a contraindication to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (including due to a known PEG allergy): Consideration may be given to vaccination with Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. People who have received one mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose but for whom the second dose is contraindicated should wait at least 28 days after the mRNA vaccine dose to receive Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.”
Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States
Of the ingredients in these vaccines, the one that might lead to a severe allergic reaction, although that still occurs rarely, is PEG.
What about polysorbate 80?
“As a change from previous versions of the guidance, known polysorbate allergy is no longer a contraindication to mRNA vaccination; however, known polysorbate allergy is a contraindication to Janssen COVID-19 vaccine and thus, a precaution to mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.”
Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States
Many vaccines contain polysorbate 80 and they don’t have any extra risk of severe allergic reactions.
And if you aren’t sure if it is safe for you to get a COVID-19 vaccine because of your past history of severe allergic reactions, then you can always see an allergist for further help.
What to Know About COVID-19 Vaccine Ingredients
What’s missing from the COVID-19 vaccines?
No microchips.
No thimerosal.
No antibiotics.
No formaldehyde.
COVID-19 vaccines don’t even contain aluminum, not that it would be a problem if they did…
Are you ready to get vaccinated and protected?
More on COVID-19 Vaccine Ingredients
- Which COVID-19 Vaccine Should You Get?
- Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) Project Consultations
- Did the New Orleans Archdiocese Ban or Warn Catholics to Avoid a ‘Morally Compromised’ Johnson & Johnson Vaccine?
- Where Are the COVID-19 Package Inserts?
- The Truth About COVID-19 Vaccines
- I’m Not Anti-Vaccine, I Just Don’t Believe in the COVID-19 Vaccine
- COVID-19 Vaccination Questions and Answers
- Are COVID-19 Vaccines Halal?
- Vaccine Ingredients
- Are There Hidden Ingredients in Vaccines?
- CDC – Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States
- Excipients in Vaccines per 0.5 mL dose
- CDC – Vaccine Excipient Summary
- “What’s In A Vaccine?”
- COVID-19 vaccines
- Fact check: COVID-19 vaccines do not contain the ingredients listed in these posts
- Vaccine ingredients are not equal to injecting disinfectants for COVID-19
- Lipid nanoparticles in COVID-19 vaccines: The new mercury to antivaxxers
- Are those “inactive” ingredients in my medicine really inactive?
- Development of stable liquid formulations for adenovirus-based vaccines
- IAC – Ask the Experts about COVID-19 Vaccines
Given all the novelty drugs listed here are emergency approved only and FDA trials don’t complete until 2023 then where are the control volunteers recognised?
SM 102 ..is toxic. H310 fatal in contact with skin.
SM-102 is a toxic substance, ya sure I’ll put that in me….
Believe it or not, people continue to willingly allow SM 102 and PEG 2000 to be injected into them! SM 102 according to ALL SAFETY DATA SHEETS clearly states: “THIS PRODUCT IS FOR RESEARCH USE – NOT FOR HUMAN OR VETINARY, DIAGNOSTIC OR THERAPUTIC USE”
Polyethylene glycol [PEG] 2000 dimyristoyl glycerol [DMG] has also been proven to cause immediate hypersensitivity and anaphylactic reactions.
I can provide all the relevant references to the all the research results if required.
Most people already have full or partial immunity to Covid-19 due to Memory T cells and antibodies. We don’t NEED an experimental injection to protect ourselves, just past exposure and a handful of vitamins and herbal medicines serve us just fine. Look at Israel, where most of the people getting sick with Covid in 2021 are those who have had the shots. Same is true in the U.S. but the information is more hidden and data manipulated (for example, in the U.S., you are not considered ‘vaccinated’ until 2 weeks after your second dose, and there has been some talk with some manufactuers of admitting that the shots have an ‘expiration date’ after which time you are no longer considered vaccinated. The risks simply outweigh the potential rewards. And with the reported vaccine injuries up nearly 10,000% this year, it gives one pause. I think they need to work out the bugs on this technology before it can be considered ‘safe’ or ‘effective.’
I absolutely agree with you Segfisch.
91 Scientific Studies have taken place which prove Naturally Acquired Immunity provides better protection than the Covid-19 Vaccines.
We should not force COVID vaccines on anyone when the evidence shows that naturally acquired immunity is equal to or more robust and superior to existing vaccines. Instead, we should respect the right of the bodily integrity of individuals to decide for themselves.