Oil-based Adjuvants

Especially significant is the recent use of oil-in-water emulsions as vaccine adjuvants. Although the oil-based adjuvants could be considered “biological”, they also contain chemicals. Their use is increasing and highly risky so we’ve given them their own sub-section. The squalene-based ASO3 adjuvant was used in the Pandemrix H1N1 influenza vaccine injected into Canadians during the so-called ‘pandemic’ of 2009/10. Cervarix™ HPV vaccine contains the oil adjuvant, MPL together with another adjuvant, aluminum hydroxide. And Fluad® influenza vaccine for seniors contains MF59C.1 which consists of squalene, polysorbate 80, sorbitan trioleate, sodium citrate, citric acid and water.