Simian Virus 40 Contamination of Polio Vaccines

Institute of Medicine Report in 2002 is Inconclusive, Concern Mounts with SV40 Found in Pfizer and Moderna mRNA Vaccines

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH

The first draft of this essay was written with artificial intelligence. Because monkey kidney cells were used in manufacturing, some of the polio vaccines administered from 1955–1963 was contaminated with simian virus 40 (SV40). Most, but not all, of the contamination was in the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report titled "Immunization Safety Review: SV40 Contamination of Polio Vaccine and Cancer," published in 2002, provided a comprehensive evaluation of the potential health risks associated with exposure to whole virus SV40 virions through contaminated polio vaccines. The report aimed to assess the scientific evidence regarding the link between SV40 contamination and the development of cancer in humans, drawing upon a wide range of studies and data to inform its conclusions.

Institute of Medicine (US) Immunization Safety Review Committee. Immunization Safety Review: SV40 Contamination of Polio Vaccine and Cancer. Stratton K, Almario DA, McCormick MC, editors. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2002. PMID: 25057632.