Did you know there are no pork products in the flu vaccination?

January 22, 2018

Are you refusing your flu vaccination due to personal or religious beliefs associated with pork? If so please be informed that there are no porcine products contained within the adult flu vaccination.

Gelatine is derived from pigs and is used in some live vaccines as a stabiliser to protect live viruses against the effects of temperature. As the adult flu vaccination is not live, it does not contain gelatine and it also makes it impossible to catch flu from having the vaccine.

Members of Muslim or Jewish religious communities may be concerned about using vaccines that contain gelatine from pigs (porcine gelatine). According to Jewish laws, there is no problem with gelatine or any other animal substance if it is used in a product that does not go into the mouth.

Some Muslim leaders have also ruled that the use of gelatine in vaccines does not break religious dietary laws, because it is highly purified and it is also injected rather than ingested (eaten). This issue was addressed by a Public Health England statement issued in October 2013.

More information can also be found in the NHS leaflet ‘Vaccines and porcine gelatine’ .

If you are still yet to receive your flu vaccination, please contact Occupational Health on ext 3306 or contact your local flu vaccinator to arrange vaccination. The hospital at night team can also be contacted for vaccination.