The following is mentioned on Boots website regarding the Flu Jab it provides: “The vaccination is cultured in fertilised hen’s eggs or animal cell cultures during production. Some vegetarians may be opposed to this. If you have concerns about this for religious reasons please seek the appropriate religious advice for guidance.” What is your advice in relation to this?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
Answer
If the vaccination is cultured in fertilised hen’s eggs, this is lawful as long as there are no unlawful ingredients in the vaccination or the culturing process.
If the vaccination is cultured in animal cell cultures, this will only be permissible if the cells are taken from a Halal animal that is slaughtered according to Islamic requirements and there are no unlawful ingredients in the vaccination or the culturing process. If the source of the cells is unknown or known to be otherwise, the vaccination will not be permissible.
Therefore, if it is known with certainty that the Flu Jab is from the first category (fertilised in hen’s eggs) and it does not contain any unlawful ingredients, it will be lawful.
قال الله تعالى: حرمت عليكم الميتة والدم ولحم الخنزير وما أهل به لغير الله، الآية. وعن عبد الله بن عكيم قال: أتانا كتاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن لا تنتفعوا من الميتة بإهاب ولا عصب، رواه الترمذي (١٧٢٩) وأبو داود (٤١٢٨) والنسائي (٤١٢٩) وابن ماجه (٣٦١٣). وقال عليه الصلاة والسلام: لا تنتفعوا من الميتة بشيء، رواه محمد في الأصل (٣/٢٠). وقال في الأصل (٥/٣٩٦، طبعة قطر): قلت: أرأيت رجلا ذبح شاة وترك التسمية متعمدا ما القول فيه؟ قال: لا خير في أكلها، وهذه ميتة، انتهى۔
What are cell-based flu vaccines? Cell-based refers to how the flu vaccine is made. Most inactivated influenza vaccines are produced by growing influenza viruses in eggs. The influenza viruses used in the cell-based vaccine are grown in cultured cells of mammalian origin instead of in hens’ eggs. In place of fertilized chicken eggs, the cell-based vaccine manufacturing process uses animal cells (Madin-Darby Canine Kidney, or MDCK) in liquid culture as a host for the growing influenza virus. (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/cell-based.htm)
Cell-based flu vaccine production does not require chicken eggs because the vaccine viruses used to make vaccine are grown in animal cells. Cell culture technology has the potential for a faster start-up of the flu vaccine manufacturing process. The process of creating cell-based flu vaccines involves several steps. First, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends cell-grown CVVs for distribution to manufacturers. Next, manufacturers inoculate the CVVs into cultured mammalian cells (instead of into eggs) and allow them to replicate for a few days. Then, the virus-containing fluid is collected from the cells and the virus antigen is purified. (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/how-fluvaccine-made.htm)
Allah knows best
Yusuf Shabbir
11 Rabīʿ al-Thānī 1440 / 18 December 2018
Approved by: Mufti Shabbir Ahmed and Mufti Muhammad Tahir