VEC Vaccine Notes

By Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Listen to “VEC Vaccine Notes,” a video and podcast series presented by the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Each episode offers vaccine information in a convenient f

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· Education

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FAQs about VEC Vaccine Notes:

How many episodes does VEC Vaccine Notes have?

The podcast currently has 37 episodes available.

VEC Vaccine Notes episodes:

September 23, 2026Stabilizers: Gelatin and Polysorbate 80 & Vaccines - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Find out how gelatin and polysorbate 80 protect vaccines during manufacturing, storage and transport. Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center, also addresses common safety and cultural concerns related to these two vaccine ingredients, including severe allergic reactions, unfounded claims regarding polysorbate 80 and fertility, and religious guidelines surrounding porcine-derived gelatin. The discussion also includes a comparison of the amounts found in vaccines to exposures encountered in everyday foods and products and clarifies the health effects, safety and practical takeaways for considering both ingredients.
Listen to the episode to find out:
How gelatin is made
The variety of products that contain gelatin and polysorbate 80
Which vaccine contains gelatin made from cows instead of pigs
Three reasons religions that do not allow consumption of pig products still support use of vaccines that contain gelatin made from pigs
The importance of the chemical structure of polysorbate 80
What micelles are
Four types of evidence against the idea that polysorbate 80 causes fertility issues
Check out the video version on YouTube.
To learn more about gelatin, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-gelatin.
To learn more about polysorbate 80, please visit https://bit.ly/polysorbate-80.
Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes.
To learn more about vaccine ingredients, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-vax-ingredients.
For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu/.
Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.
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15min
September 16, 2026Adjuvants: Aluminum & Vaccines - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
What is aluminum, and why is it used in some vaccines? Find out in this episode of VEC Vaccine Notes. Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center, explains how aluminum adjuvants boost immune responses, where aluminum exists in our environment, and how quantities from vaccines compare to daily dietary exposure. This episode also covers how the body processes aluminum, why exposure has decreased over time due to combination vaccines, and what scientific evidence reveals about the safety of aluminum in vaccines.
Check out the video version on YouTube.
Listen to the episode to find out:
Why we can’t avoid exposure to aluminum
How much aluminum infants are estimated to consume in the first 6 months of life
Why even though less than 1% of dietary aluminum reaches our bloodstream, what we eat still accounts for the majority of aluminum in our bodies
How aluminum is processed and where it is stored in our bodies
Which vaccines contain aluminum (and why live viral vaccines do not have aluminum)
Two reasons aluminum exposure from infant vaccines has decreased over time
When aluminum does cause health concerns
About different studies evaluating the safety of aluminum in vaccines
To learn more about aluminum, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-aluminum.
To learn more about vaccine ingredients, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-vax-ingredients.
Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes.
For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu.
Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.
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25min
September 09, 2026Types of Vaccine Ingredients - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Find out what ingredients are in vaccines, whether they’re safe, and how they are measured in this episode of VEC Vaccine Notes. Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center, breaks down the different types of ingredients in vaccines and why they are used. Guided by Paracelsus’ quote, "the dose makes the poison," this episode covers how relative quantities in vaccines (typically from nanograms to milligrams) compare with ingredient exposures in the context of daily life.
Watch the episode to find out:
Why avoiding any exposure to a particular vaccine ingredient can be difficult
How to consider vaccine risks in the context of other exposures to vaccine ingredients
How a raisin can help with estimating quantities
The difference between weight-based quantities (like milligrams) and ratio-based quantities (like parts per million)
The different types of antigens used in vaccines
The three ways adjuvants can make vaccines work better and the five types currently used in the US
The different roles of stabilizers and preservatives
How manufacturing byproducts are like sand after a day at the beach
Check out the video version on YouTube.
To learn more about the different types of ingredients in vaccines and why they’re present, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-vax-ingredients.
Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes.
For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu.
Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.
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21min
August 13, 2026Season 4 trailer - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Get ready for Season 4 of VEC Vaccine Notes! Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, provides a sneak peek into the new season. While Seasons 1 through 3 covered more than 30 vaccine-preventable diseases, Season 4 turns the focus toward addressing common vaccine safety concerns. Season 4 will dive into the science behind vaccine ingredients, exploring why they are present and taking a closer look at specific components like aluminum, fetal cells, and thimerosal.
The first episode about “types of vaccine ingredients” will drop on Sept. 9.
Check out the video version of this episode.
Get ready for the new season by subscribing to our YouTube channel or following the series where you listen to podcasts. That way, you’ll be sure to get episodes as soon as they become available:
VEC YouTube channel
VEC Podbean channel
Catch up on previous seasons:
"VEC Vaccine Notes" webpage
"Vaccine Ingredients" web section
Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes.

For more information or for general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu.

Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.
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4min
June 17, 2026Yellow Fever - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about yellow fever and the vaccine. She explains the history of the yellow fever vaccine, how globalization and climate change impact the spread of yellow fever virus, and what steps travelers can take to protect themselves against mosquito bites. She also addresses common questions and the relative risks and benefits of the disease and vaccine.
Watch the episode to find out:
Who won the Nobel Prize for development of the yellow fever vaccine
Two areas of concern related to yellow fever disease control
Estimated global number of infections and deaths caused by yellow fever each year
The two main health issues caused by yellow fever
The known, potentially fatal vaccine reaction and why the vaccine is still used despite this
To learn more about yellow fever and the vaccines to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-yf.
Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes.
For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu.
Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.
...more
10min
June 10, 2026Typhoid - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about typhoid and the vaccines. She shares the story of Mary Mallon, who was infamously known as "Typhoid Mary," to illustrate how people can be carriers of the disease, not having symptoms but still spreading typhoid. Moser offers tips on how travelers to high-risk areas can protect themselves from this disease, and she addresses common questions and discusses the relative risks and benefits of the disease and vaccines.
Watch the episode to find out:
How today’s phrase “Typhoid Mary” came to be and what it means.
How many people are estimated to have been affected by Mary Mallon’s carrier status and why.
The distinct progression of fever caused by a typhoid infection.
Why we say, “Boil it, peel it, or forget it.”
The differences between typhoid and typhus.
To learn more about typhoid and the vaccines to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-typhoid.
Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes.
For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu.
Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.
...more
10min
June 03, 2026Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and the vaccine that protects against it. She explains that the JEV vaccine is considered a travel vaccine, but it’s not recommended for all travelers to the Far East. She discusses the many considerations for making a vaccine recommendation. She also addresses common questions and discusses the relative risks and benefits of the disease and vaccine.
Watch the episode to find out:
Which Americans are most often affected by JEV
The rates of death and permanent harm when someone is infected with JEV
What aspects of a trip are considered when deciding who should get the JEV vaccine
JEV vaccine recommendations for adopted children who started the vaccine before moving to the U.S.
To learn more about JEV disease and the vaccine to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-jev.
Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes.
For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu.
Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.
...more
10min
May 27, 2026 Hepatitis A - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about hepatitis A and the vaccine. She explains what makes the hepatitis A virus so hardy and why everyone is at risk for infection. She addresses common questions about the opioid epidemic’s connection to outbreaks, travel precautions, and the differences between hepatitis A and B. She also discusses the relative risks and benefits of the disease and vaccine.

Watch the episode to find out:
• Why virtually anyone can get hepatitis A
• Links between spread of hepatitis A and the opioid epidemic
• Two reasons children are recommended to get this vaccine
• Why it's more difficult to know when children have hepatitis A
• Details about a concerning outbreak of hepatitis A in Virginia in 2021-2022
• The difference between hepatitis as a symptom versus infection with a type of hepatitis virus
• Differences between hepatitis A and hepatitis B
• Information about why hepatitis A vaccine recommendations changed over time
To learn more about hepatitis A and the vaccines to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-hepa.
Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes.
For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu.
Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.
...more
20min
May 20, 2026Cholera - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about cholera and the vaccine. She explains why vaccination is not routinely recommend and what can be done to reduce the risk of cholera. She also addresses common questions and discusses the relative risks and benefits of the disease and vaccine.
Watch the episode to find out:
How cholera contributed to our understanding of germ theory
Steps travelers can take to protect themselves against cholera
Why it is difficult to know how many cases of cholera occur annually
The role of wars, natural disasters, and climate change in the rates of cholera
To learn more about cholera disease and the vaccine to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-cholera.
Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes.
For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu.
Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.
...more
10min
May 13, 2026Dengue - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about dengue and the vaccines that protect against it. She explains why most people in the U.S. aren’t recommended to get the dengue vaccine, and why they can’t be vaccinated even if they are among those who could benefit from vaccination. She also addresses common questions and discusses the relative risks of dengue.
Watch the episode to find out:
Why a dengue vaccine that was available in the U.S. is no longer
Why people can get dengue up to four times throughout their life
Why only female mosquitoes bite people
What antibody-dependent enhancement or ADE is
What three criteria people needed to meet in order to get vaccinated against dengue when the vaccine was available
To learn more about dengue disease and the vaccine to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-dengue.
Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes.
For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu.
Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.
...more
14min

FAQs about VEC Vaccine Notes:

How many episodes does VEC Vaccine Notes have?

The podcast currently has 37 episodes available.