Afluria Quadrivalent
This is a quadrivalent flu vaccine
For a more detailed explanation of some of the ingredients, see this article: https://www.wired.com/2014/11/whats-inside-flu-shot/
Ingredients:
Active ingredients:
Inactivated influenza (flu) virus from 4 serotypes:
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H1N1
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H3N2
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Victoria lineage
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Yamagata lineage
Afluria is approved to be given as both a normal shot (6 months+) and through a needle-free jet injector (ages 18-65).
Inactive ingredients:
Salts: help maintain the stability and pH of the vaccine
Preservatives: prevent bacterial growth and contamination
*Thimerosal is only in multi-dose vials of flu vaccines, which means that one vial of vaccine contains multiple doses. As a result, the container would be reused, so it needs a preservative to prevent contamination between the different uses from the same vial.
Antibiotics: used to prevent contamination during manufacturing
Carbohydrates: normally used as stabilizers in vaccines
Other:
Relevant Terms
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Antibiotics: substances that kill bacteria or prevent them from dividing. Antibiotics are used in some vaccines to prevent contamination during the manufacturing process
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Carbohydrates: another word for sugar
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pH: a measure of how acidic or basic a solution is. The scale ranges from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very basic). A pH of 7 is neutral.
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Quadrivalent: Protects against four different versions of the pathogen (in this case, influenza virus)
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Serotype: a group of strains within a species that share a particular type of surface structure.
Sources
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Package insert: https://www.fda.gov/media/117022/download
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General:
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Serotype: https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/reportspubs/salmonella-atlas/serotyping-importance.html
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Antibiotics:
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Sodium chloride: https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/sodium-salt-and-you
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Sugar:
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Ovalbumin:
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Hydrocortisone: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/hydrocortisone-topical-application-route/description/drg-20073814
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Thimerosal:
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https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/thimerosal/index.html
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https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-ingredients/thimerosal
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https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-biologics/thimerosal-and-vaccines
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https://www.epa.gov/fish-tech/epa-fda-fish-advice-technical-information
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Sodium phosphate:
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Potassium phosphate:
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Potassium chloride:
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Sodium taurodeoxycholate: