Gillian Merron: It is the manufacturer's responsibility to provide this information to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) as part of licensing requirements.
For the licensed Glaxo Smith Kline vaccine named Pandemrix, the excipient list as listed at EMEA website is as follows:
After mixing, 1 dose (0.5 ml) contains:
Split influenza virus, inactivated, containing antigen1 equivalent to:
3.75 micrograms2
A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)v-like strain (X-179A)
1 propagated in eggs
2 haemagglutinin
AS03 adjuvant composed of squalene (10.69 milligrams), DL-a-tocopherol (11.86 milligrams) and polysorbate 80 (4.86 milligrams)
The suspension and emulsion, once mixed, form a multidose vaccine in a vial. The vaccine contains 5 micrograms thiomersal.
Suspension vial:
Polysorbate 80
Octoxynol 10
Thiomersal
Sodium chloride (NaCI)
Disodium hydrogen phosphate (Na2HP04)
Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2P04)
Potassium chloride (KCI)
Magnesium chloride (MgC12)
Water for injections
Emulsion vial:
Sodium chloride (NaC1)
Disodium hydrogen phosphate (Na2HP04)
Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2P04)
Potassium chloride (KCI)
Water for injections
Whole virion influenza vaccine, inactivated containing antigen of pandemic strain1:
A/California/07/2009 (H1N1)v 7.5 micrograms2 per 0.5 ml dose
1 propagated in Vero cells (continuous cell line of mammalian origin)
2 expressed in micrograms haemagglutinin.
This is a muitidose container.
Trometamol
Sodium chloride
Water for injections
Polysorbate 80
The supply of Tamifiu has been kept under review since the pandemic was declared and only very limited amounts have been available in the supply chain to fulfil private prescriptions. Bulk purchases by the United Kingdom and other Governments globally have meant that, to date, stocks available for supply against private prescriptions have been very limited. However, this situation is being kept under review and we are in regular touch with the manufacturer.