Are flu vaccinations permissible? I have heard they contain porcine gelatine?
The answer
In principle, it is not permissible to use medication with harām contents unless the two following conditions are present:
Condition: Only if a reliable Muslim doctor advises it and there is no halal alternative.
Explanation
1) A reliable Muslim doctor advises the use of the medication.
2) There are no other halāl alternatives.
If a reliable Muslim doctor advises against the use of a particular medication or there are other halāl alternatives, it is not permissible thereafter to make use of the harām medication.1
With regards to the flu vaccine, after speaking to a number of doctors, they have confirmed that the nasal spray flu vaccine offered to children in the UK does contain porcine gelatine.
One must consult a reliable Muslim doctor to establish whether it is an absolute necessity to take the flu vaccine and if there are other alternatives available.
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Faraz Adam
References
1(قَوْلُهُ وَجَوَّزَهُ فِي النِّهَايَةِ إلَخْ) وَنَصُّهُ وَفِي التَّهْذِيبِ: يَجُوزُ لِلْعَلِيلِ شُرْبُ الْبَوْلِ وَالدَّمِ وَالْمَيْتَةِ لِلتَّدَاوِي إذَا أَخْبَرَهُ طَبِيبٌ مُسْلِمٌ أَنَّ شِفَاءَهُ فِيهِ، وَلَمْ يَجِدْ مِنْ الْمُبَاحِ مَا يَقُومُ مَقَامَهُ (رد المحتار، ج 6، ص 389، سعيد)
أما إذا علم أن فيه شفاء، وليس له دواء آخر غيره يجوز الاستشفاء به (المحيط البرهاني، ج 8، ص 82، إدارة القران)
فتاوي محمودية، ج 18، ص 367، فاروقية
كفاية المفتي، ج 9، ص 150
Based on the Hanafi school and on the question as it was asked. Another mufti may reach a different conclusion. Read the disclaimer.