Last Updated on May 19, 2022 by Team THIP
Quick Take
A video on social media enlists the ingredients present in a vaccine and indirectly claims that the vaccines contain toxic substances that harm you. We fact-checked and found this claim to be misleading, making the claim False.
The Claim
A social media post is sharing a video with the caption, “Dr. Seth Gerlach talks about what’s in a vaccine?” The narrator enlists various ingredients printed from a list of CDC that are used in vaccines and their harmful effects.
Fact Check
What is the procedure of a vaccine development?
The CDC states that there are six stages of vaccine development, namely, Exploratory stage, Pre-clinical stage, Clinical development, Regulatory review and approval, Manufacturing and Quality control.”
According to the WHO, “Each vaccine under development must first undergo screenings and evaluations to determine which antigen should be used to invoke an immune response. This preclinical phase is done without testing on humans. An experimental vaccine is first tested in animals to evaluate its safety and potential to prevent disease. If the vaccine triggers an immune response, it is then tested in human clinical trials in three phases.”
After a vaccine goes through all the stages, the vaccines are approved by an authority. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) is responsible for regulating vaccines in the United States.
How a vaccine gets approved in India?
In India, the final authority of granting approval for a vaccine or any other drug is with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). It works under the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, India.
CDSCO envisages uniform implementation of the provisions of the Act & Rules made for ensuring the safety, rights and well-being of the patients by regulating the drugs and cosmetics. It ensures safety, efficacy and quality of the medical product manufactured, imported and distributed in the country. Therefore, any drug or vaccine would not be roll out to the public until it is ensured that it is safe for use.
Like at any other place, any indegenous drug or vaccine goes through several phases, including clinical trials. In India, clinical trials and approval of new drugs including vaccines are governed by the New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules mentioned in the Gazette of India since March.19.
Do vaccines contain toxic substances that harm you?
No. While there are substances used in the production of the shots that are toxic to humans, the levels of those ingredients in the final products are minute. Most of these ingredients are already present in the everyday products that we use.
For example, as mentioned in the video, there is an ingredient namely formaldehyde. According to experts, ‘Formaldehyde is essential in human metabolism and is required for the synthesis of DNA and amino acids (the building blocks of protein). Therefore, all humans have detectable quantities of natural formaldehyde in their circulation’. Furthermore, it is diluted during the manufacturing process, and the residual quantities contained in vaccines are not sufficient to cause cancer.
Similarly, according to the CDC, ‘Aluminium’ is added as an adjuvant to vaccine to help the body build stronger immunity against the germs in the vaccine. It is one of the most common metals found in nature and is present in air, food, and water.
According to the WHO, “Every vaccine must go through extensive and rigorous testing to ensure it is safe before it can be introduced in a country’s vaccine programme. Each vaccine component serves a specific purpose, and each ingredient is tested in the manufacturing process. All ingredients are tested for safety.”
Likewise, every ingredient of a vaccine is added due to its positive role. Some substances can only harm you if consumed in large quantities and the safety of a vaccine is ensured at every step of the development process. Any non-significant harm that a vaccine does outweighs the benefits it provide. Therefore, one must get vaccinated for any disease for which the vaccine is available and advisable in order to prevent the disease from occuring.
Disclaimer: Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at [email protected]. You can futher read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.
