Hi have a question, Are out of date Flu vaccinations harmful if given to people? an occupational health service that my employers use have administered 'out of date' vaccinations to our staff? Thanks

Oh - surely this is a question to put to your OCC Health provider?!!

Yes, they may well be harmful. If a few days out of date, then realistically the harm may be minimal but longer than that and the deterioration will result in some potentially harmful changes in composition. The issue is, we just cannot predict with certainty. The value of the vaccine will be lost - wrong strain(s) for this year, plus probably defective antigen failing to stimulate an effective immune response. And there is inevitably there the product liability issue, even if this has been stored under ideal conditions - inject me with an out of date medicine, especially if you do it knowingly, and expect the claim to hit your desk within hours! Make me ill in the process and expect to be taken to the cleaners. You must have some registration to hold these vaccines for human use - CQC etc - and will lose that in a heartbeat. You may also be in line for professional censure through the appropriate registration body - RCN, UKCC, GMC etc. Dispose the old vaccine as clinical waste (biologicals) if in small amount, or if its literally one of two prefilled syringes just drop them into a sharps box. If it a larger amount, contract a permit-holding and licensed waste carrier as a special pick-up. But for God sake don't even think of injecting them into a person. It will be potentially harmful for the patient, and incredibly painful for you!