(2).
These are common are and harmless.
They help maintain the pH balance by assuring a substance does not become too
alkaline or acidic (3). This reduces the chances the vaccines will have an
unwanted reaction and make sure the vaccine works properly (1). Phosphate
buffers also keep fragments of active ingredients suspended in the solution so
they do not settle. A product called Hank’s Salts, which contains salts based
on potassium phosphate and sodium phosphate are used (3).
Resources:
- Herlihy, S. M., & Hagood, E. A. (2015). Your baby's best shot: Why vaccines are safe and save lives. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
- Fisher Scientific. (n.d.). Aqua Solutions PHOSPHATE BUFFER SOLUTION 1LTR. Retrieved May 5, 2020, from https://www.fishersci.com/shop/products/phosphate-buffer-solution-1ltr/nc9133416
- University of Oxford. (2019, August 30). Vaccine ingredients. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vk/vaccine-ingredients
