The chemicals utilized in the manufacturing of the vaccines include suspending fluids, preservatives, stabilizers, and adjuvants or enhancers. These chemicals are added to vaccines to inactivate a virus or bacteria, to stabilize it, help preserve the vaccine and prevent it from losing its potency over time. Antibiotics are added to vaccines to prevent the growth of germs in vaccine cultures. Aluminum gels or salts help the vaccine stimulate production of antibodies to fight off disease. Formaldehyde is used to inactivate the bacterial products for toxoid vaccines and kill any unwanted viruses or bacteria that might be found in the cultures used to produce vaccines.
Monosoduim glutamate is used as a stabilizer in vaccines.
Stabilizers help the vaccine remain unchanged even in the presence of forces that would normally alter the vaccine s condition. Thimerosal, a preservative, keeps the vaccine from spoiling. The FDA reported that the chemicals occur in such small amounts that there is a significant safety margin incorporated in the exposure to these chemicals. At the beginning of the 20th century, infectious diseases were widely prevalent in the United States and exacted an enormous toll on the population. Few effective treatment and preventive measures existed for those diseases.