Polysorbate 80 is present in some vaccines as either a stabilizer or as a residual manufacturing byproduct. Some stories on the internet have suggested that polysorbate 80 in vaccines causes infertility. There is no evidence to support this suggestion. The amount of polysorbate 80 in vaccines is very small, and we are regularly exposed to polysorbate 80 in other products. For example, polysorbate 80 can be found in lotions, makeup, shampoos and conditioners, medications (both oral and intravenous versions), vitamins and supplements, and foods. Some common foods include salad dressings, canned foods, prepared foods and ice cream. 

In ice cream, polysorbate 80 is used as an emulsifier to make the ice cream smooth and to slow its melting. A typical serving of ice cream (1/2 cup) may contain about 170,000 micrograms* of polysorbate 80. 

*A milligram is one-thousandth of a gram, and a microgram is one-millionth of a gram. For context, a gram is the weight of one-fifth of a teaspoon of water or about one raisin. To visualize 1 milligram, consider cutting one raisin into 1,000 equally sized pieces. One of those thousand pieces would be a milligram. To visualize a microgram, consider cutting one raisin into 1,000,000 equally sized pieces. One of those million pieces would be a microgram.

Quantities of polysorbate 80 in vaccines