Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2014 to Question 214322, what alternative vaccines are available that do not contain porcine gelatine for people who observe religions that restrict the consumption of pork products.

A number of vaccines contain porcine gelatine, which is used to stabilise live viral vaccines and is contained in many pharmaceutical products. The vaccines used in the national immunisation programme which contain porcine gelatine are Fluenz®, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) VaxPro® and Zostavax®.

Fluenz® is used to immunise children against flu. It is a live attenuated vaccine which is administered by means of a nasal spray. There is no equivalent appropriate alternative which offers the same degree of protection, nor is there any other live attenuated vaccine available in Europe.

MMR VaxPro® is used to immunise against MMR. There is an alternative vaccine, Priorix®, which does not contain porcine gelatine and offers equivalent protection.

Zostavax® is used to immunise adults against shingles. There is no alternative vaccine licensed for use in the United Kingdom.

Public Health England (PHE) has gained broad acceptance from faith groups for the use of porcine gelatine in non-oral medicines and more information can be found at PHE’s website:

www.gov.uk/government/news/vaccines-and-gelatine-phe-response