Booster May Extend Vaccine Supplies; Some Have Safety Concerns

While drug makers prepare a swine flu vaccine in anticipation of a possible outbreak this fall, one of the issues yet to be resolved is whether the shots will contain an adjuvant.

“It’s something that allows the immune system to respond with higher levels of effectiveness,” said Dr. David Fedson, formerly a professor of medicine at the University of Virginia and former medical director for the pharmaceutical company Aventis Pasteur.

Adjuvants can include various forms of aluminum and are typically used with other vaccines in the United States, including vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). In a flu vaccine, the adjuvant would be a water-oil mixture.

By using them in various vaccines, doctors hope to reduce the amount of the vaccine itself that is needed.

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