Salmonella Is No Danger to Vaccines

View PDF | Print View
by: Guest Total views: 342 Word Count: 357   

Dow Jones Reprints: This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.com

This year's flu vaccine has some consumers worried. While it might protect them against a potentially deadly virus, could they end up infected with salmonella instead?

The answer is no, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and vaccine manufacturers.

Flu vaccine is made by growing the virus in chicken eggs, and eggs are the source of a salmonella outbreak this summer that has led to nearly 1,470 illnesses and prompted a nationwide egg recall.

But the eggs used to make flu vaccine come from different farms than those sold to consumers as food. Considered an important part of the government's arsenal against a flu pandemic, they're also tested vigorously for pathogens, officials say.

Eggs used for vaccines are fertilized, while those sold for eating are not. A "seed virus" is injected into eggs, then grows in the egg white and is later harvested for use in vaccine.

"The recent August 2010 salmonella outbreak in shell eggs for food consumption and subsequent recall does not affect 2010-2011 influenza virus vaccine production, safety or availability," an FDA spokeswoman confirmed in an email.

Sanofi-Aventis SA, the largest supplier of flu vaccine in the U.S., has its own suppliers of eggs. "The companies that supply our eggs are exclusive to us and follow much higher levels of biosecurity than companies that supply table eggs," Donna Cary, a Sanofi spokeswoman, said in an email. "The network of farms which supply our eggs are inspected by us and continuously meet rigid guidelines under which the chickens and eggs are monitored for any illness."

Sanofi and the FDA also test every lot of vaccine before its release, Ms. Cary said.

Ms. Cary wouldn't disclose the locations of the farms that supply Sanofi's eggs.

"The location of our farms is confidential and part of the company's biosecurity measures," she said.

Write to Betsy Mckay at betsy.mckay@wsj.com

Additional information:

Influenza vaccine why this year's flu vaccine ain't so hot
This year's flu season is different from other years. In addition
The Road to the Horizon: How many people die of flu every year
Flu Vaccine Worst in 10 Years
Influenza Vaccine Flu Shot) Facts, Vaccination Side Effects and
Vaccination Flu .gov
Flu outbreak is worst for eight years Society The Guardian
The Checkup Should I Get A Flu Shot?
Amednews: Flu shots plentiful, doctors urged to get as well as
Flu vaccine effectiveness lower than usual Reuters
http://online.wsj.com/article/...

Related "Flu, Influenza":

• Consumers Cautioned to Avoid Recalled Meat Products
  The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is ad ...
• In a bid to end prevailing shortage Sri Lanka Govt. contemplates chicken ...
  The government is exploring the possibility of ...
• Bird Flu Outbreak in Bangladesh, 117600 Chickens Killed
  Livestock officials culled 117,600 chickens in th ...
• Swine Flu, Proper Treatment and Prevention
  The flu, whether it is swine or not, is a seriou ...
• HILLARY SMITH: Possible flu outbreak presents Olympic threat
  With just more than two months before the start ...

Comments

Add Comment