Last Updated on November 25, 2023 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
A social media post claims that the flu shot has various ingredients, such as detergent, aborted human cell cultures, monkey kidney cells, antifreeze, etc., among others. We fact-checked and found this claim to be Mostly False.
The Claim
An Instagram post lists 27 ingredients used in the Flu vaccine. The list includes mercury, anti-freeze, detergent, chloride, aluminum, acetone, aborted baby lung culture, monkey kidney cells, fetal cow serum, etc.
THIP Media has already debunked few claim stating flu vaccines have formaldehyde and polysorbate 80 and aluminium and mercury in the vaccine are toxic for human health.
Fact Check
Does the viral post display an accurate flu shot ingredient list?
No. The viral post doesn’t display an accurate list of the flu vaccines. The image provides no source for the information and doesn’t even mention which flu vaccine is being targeted here.
There are various types of flu vaccines. All of them have different production processes and have different components present in them.
Several ingredients mentioned in the viral post, such as acetone, monkey kidneys, fetal cow serum, aborted fetal cells, and antifreeze, are not typically found in flu vaccines. While some were used in vaccine research and development, certain other ingredients mentioned in the list might be present in the flu vaccine but they are present in safe and minimal quantities validated for human use.
Aluminum adjuvants are used in some flu vaccines to help boost the immune response. Aluminum adjuvants have been used in vaccines for decades and have been found to be safe.
While the post doesn’t explicitly say the listed ingredients are dangerous, it clearly indicates this. However, vaccination is the most effective way to prevent infection and severe outcomes caused by influenza viruses.
Additionally, human fetal tissue is not used in the production of any flu vaccine. In the case of cell-based flu vaccines, the flu viruses used in the cell-based vaccines are grown in cultured cells of mammalian origin instead of in hen’s eggs. However, these do not use human fetal tissue.
Monkey kidney cells were used in the production of some early flu vaccines, but they are no longer used in any flu vaccine currently available.
Flucelvax, one of the influenza vaccines, is produced by cultivating influenza viruses in a cell culture, namely Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. The origin of these cells dates back to 1958 when they were isolated from the kidney of a cocker spaniel. In the vaccine manufacturing process, the viruses are cultivated, inactivated, and subsequently purified to isolate the antigens.
In conclusion, it is important to get your flu vaccine every year to help protect yourself and others from influenza. The flu vaccine is safe and effective, and it is the best way to prevent the flu.
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