Are you worried that there might be fetal bovine serum in your child’s vaccines?
Fetal Bovine Serum in Vaccines
Are you wondering why they even put fetal bovine serum in vaccines?
Instead, the FDA explains why fetal bovine serum might be in some vaccines:
“In the manufacture of viral vaccines, the virus may be grown in cells. These cells need a source of nutrition, which in some instances may be provided by fetal bovine serum.”Common Ingredients in U.S. Licensed Vaccines
So fetal bovine serum is used as a growth media to provide nutrients to viruses.
What about bovine serum albumin?
Bovine serum albumin actually comes from fetal bovine serum. It is one of the major components and is very similar to human serum albumin.
“Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a major component of fetal bovine serum (FBS), which is commonly used as a culture medium during vaccine production. Because BSA can cause allergic reactions in humans the World Health Organization (WHO) has set a guidance of 50 ng or less residual BSA per vaccine dose.”Loughney et al on Residual bovine serum albumin (BSA) quantitation in vaccines using automated Capillary Western technology.
And they are eventually removed from vaccines through multiple processing and purification steps. Any that remains is only in residual trace amounts.
So even though you don’t have to be concerned about it, there likely isn’t even any fetal bovine serum or albumin left in any of the shots that your kids get!
That’s also why fetal bovine albumin is unlikely to cause or trigger vaccine allergies.
There is also no risk that using these materials from cows could cause mad-cow disease.
More on Fetal Bovine Serum
- Are There Hidden Ingredients in Vaccines?
- What’s in Vaccines
- Should You Use a Vaccine Ingredient Calculator?
- Which Vaccines Are Vegan
- Can You Really Get a Flu Shot If You Are Allergic to Eggs?
- FDA – Common Ingredients in U.S. Licensed Vaccines
Vaccines and Mad-Cow Disease
- FDA – Bovine Derived Materials Used in Vaccine Manufacturing Questions and Answers
- FDA – Vaccines and Variant CJD (vCJD) Questions and Answers
- Facts About Childhood Vaccine Ingredients
- Potential Allergens in Vaccines per 0.5 mL dose
- Study – Residual bovine serum albumin (BSA) quantitation in vaccines using automated Capillary Western technology.
- Study – Recent developments in the detection of bovine serum albumin