Aluminum vaccine adjuvant |
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Vaxjo ID |
37 |
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Vaccine Adjuvant Name |
Aluminum vaccine adjuvant |
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Adjuvant VO ID |
VO_0000884
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Description |
Aluminum compounds are the only adjuvants used widely with routine human vaccines and are the most common adjuvants in veterinary vaccines. Though there has been a search for alternate adjuvants, aluminum adjuvants will continue to be used for many years due to their good track record of safety, low cost and adjuvanticity with a variety of antigens. These adjuvants are often referred to as alum (Gupta, 1998). |
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Stage of Development |
Licensed |
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Host Species for Licensed Use |
2 |
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Components |
Aluminum compounds such as aluminum phosphate (AlPO4), and aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3) (Gupta, 1998). |
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Preparation |
There are two commonly used methods to prepare vaccines and toxoids with aluminum compounds- in situ precipitation of aluminum compounds in the presence of antigen, and adsorption of antigen onto preformed aluminum gel (Gupta, 1998). |
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Dosage |
A small amount of aluminum adjuvant may be required for complete adsorption of the antigen, but low doses may not provide an optimal adjuvant effect. There appears to be a need for excess free adjuvant for optimal adjuvanticity. The usual dose of aluminum used for human vaccines is around 0.5 mg. The upper allowable limit of aluminum adjuvants for injection in humans is 1.25 mg as per WHO regulations (Gupta, 1998). The Chapter 21 of the US Code of Federal Regulations [610.15(a)] limits the amount of aluminum in human vaccines to 0.85 mg/dose. The amount of an aluminum adjuvant in vaccines currently licensed in the US ranges from 0.125-0.85 mg/dose (Baylor et al., 2002). |
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Function |
Aluminum adjuvants function in a more rapid development of high titered and long-lasting antibody responses after primary immunization. The adjuvanticity of aluminum adjuvants for human vaccines, particularly tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, was established in the 1930's (Gupta, 1998).
The mechanisms of action of alum include: depot formation facilitating continuous antigen release; particulate structure formation promoting antigen phagocytosis by APC's such as DC, macrophages, and B cells; and increased MHC class II expression and antigen presentation (Dubensky and Reed, 2010). |
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Safety |
Aluminum adjuvants have long record or safety and have been used in the immunizations of children and infants safely. However, there can be adverse events in the form of local reactions such as erythema, subcutaneous nodules, contact hypersensitivity and granulomatous inflammation (Gupta, 1998). |
| Related Vaccine(s) |
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| References |
Baylor et al., 2002: Baylor NW, Egan W, Richman P. Aluminum salts in vaccines--US perspective. Vaccine. 2002; 20 Suppl 3; S18-23. [PubMed: 12184360].
Dubensky and Reed, 2010: Dubensky TW Jr, Reed SG. Adjuvants for cancer vaccines. Seminars in immunology. 2010; 22(3); 155-161. [PubMed: 20488726].
Gupta, 1998: Gupta RK. Aluminum compounds as vaccine adjuvants. Advanced drug delivery reviews. 1998; 32(3); 155-172. [PubMed: 10837642].
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