Chicken run
Currently, flu vaccines are produced in chicken eggs. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was concerned about a limited number of doses produced in the eggs, as well as trouble caused by a potential avian flu pandemic. So, in 2005 the department paid Sanofi-Pasteur more than ninety-seven million dollars to develop a cell-based influenza vaccine technology.
The benefits to the changed vaccine is that the products could be frozen indefinitely – currently, the egg method is perishable – and people who are allergic to eggs could receive the vaccine. 1 The vaccines also would be free from any potential avian flu virus.
Angry cows
Cows and cow products are used for many vaccine parts, like amino acids, blood, enzymes, gelatin, and glycerol.
The particularly outlandish twist is that not all cows used for American vaccines are American cows. Vaccine manufacturers purchase cows from other countries without any restrictions. And before 2001, some of the foreign cows used in vaccines hailed from countries contaminated with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) – commonly known as mad cow disease. That means mad cow disease could have been present in the cow material used in vaccines.
While the FDA “strongly recommends” vaccine manufacturers not to use cows from BSE-countries, they do not forbid the use. Manufacturers agreed to change the source of their cows to non-BSE countries in 2001. 2 Yet none of the companies are held accountable for their promise.
Talk back
Is this news to you? Have you ever thought about a potential exposure to avian flu or mad cow disease when getting vaccines?
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Bethany S. says
Do you know when the cell-based influenza vaccine will be available?
No, I’ve never thought of that possibility! Have there been any reported cases of avian flu or mad cow disease proven to come from vaccine exposure?
Hilary says
Bethany, I’m not sure when the cell-based influenza vaccine will be available, but you can read more at: .
As far as I know, there haven’t been any reported cases of the avian flu or mad cow disease related to vaccines. However, it’s important to note that not all vaccine reactions are reported … reactions are voluntarily submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System at http://vaers.hhs.gov/index.
xlpharmacy says
That is quite horrible to think that part of the vaccines are made of viruses or bacteria. But this is the method of making our body more resistant like bird’s flu and mad cow’s disease.
xlpharmacy
John Grints says
This only shows how our body and all our systems are perfectly made. Our body is able to recognize foreign antigens and will react to it only if our body don’t have same antigens inside. Thus, the process of vaccination has been developed. The attenuated bacteria/viruses are being injected into our body in order for us to be immune. Thus, when large amount of antigens have entered our system, our body will react that it’s just normal since that kind of antigen is already present in our system. Perfect!generic viagra
Hilary Kimes Bernstein says
Thanks for clarifying, John! I did write about this process in “Vaccines 101”: http://accidentallygreen.com/2011/02/vaccines-101.html