The difference between the unadjuvanted and adjuvant vaccine

What is the difference between the unadjuvanted and adjuvant vaccine? Should I be worried about squalene adjuvant and the link to autoimmune diseases such as MS and Parkinson’s?

Adjuvants have been used for about 50 to 60 years in different vaccine preparations to increase the immune response. There are different types of adjuvants, and they are well tolerated and don’t have the side effects that people are concerned about.

The squalene oil that is used as an adjuvant in the H1N1 vaccine is a mixture of oils and vitamin E. The benefit is that it holds the antigen in one place, so that the immune system is better able to develop antibodies and immunity to it. This particular adjuvant has been used in other vaccines for a number of years and it’s being used in Europe for most of the H1N1 vaccines. So literally, it is being used in millions and millions of immunizations and there’s nothing to suggest that it’s associated with MS or Parkinson’s disease.

The unadjuvanted vaccine is being used in pregnant woman because this adjuvant hasn’t been tested in that group. But I can’t think of a reason why pregnant women would be different than other people immunologically, at least in this case. You have to balance any theoretical risk with the risk of coming down with disease, and now it is quite clear there’s a significant risk for pregnant women in the last half of their pregnancy to come down with a very serious influenza. So, the threat of the disease far outweighs any theoretical risks of the vaccine. And now most jurisdictions are recommending that pregnant women in the last 20 weeks of their pregnancy be offered the adjuvant vaccine if the unadjuvanted is not available.

Back to main H1N1 Q&A