Is It Permissible to Use Egg-Based Vaccines?

Question: Is it permissible to use egg-based vaccines?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

Yes, egg-based vaccines are permissible to use. As long as eggs come out of living chickens, eggs are pure (tahir) even if they are fertilized. [Hashiyat al Sharwani]

One would assume that the fluid containing the virus is not harvested from the blood of the developing chick, and therefore, it is pure unless proven otherwise. They are clearly not taken from chicks that are hatched and then killed.
Please see: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/how-fluvaccine-made.htm

If there is any genuine reason to doubt, or there is any real concern of cruelty to animals, one should just try and opt for something like an RNA vaccine instead.

If one believes that such a vaccine is impure (najis) and other pure (Tahir) vaccines are not available or too expensive, one could still use the filthy (najis) vaccine if there is a medical need. [Minhaj al Talibin, Nawawi]

Whether or not you should actually take vaccines, and if so which type, is a medical issue, and should be reserved for medical specialists.

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.