"Most flu shots and the nasal spray flu vaccine are manufactured using egg-based technology. Because of this, they contain a small amount of egg proteins, such as ovalbumin. However, studies that have examined the use of both the nasal spray vaccine and flu shots in egg-allergic and non-egg-allergic patients indicate that severe allergic reactions in people with egg allergies are unlikely.
Although people who are allergic to eggs should receive flu vaccine, people with some other allergies should not."
"Growing influenza viruses in eggs is the oldest way of making flu vaccines. Scientists inject a live virus into an embryonated egg, let the virus replicate, collect the replicates, purify them, and then kill them. They use those inactivated viruses to make the flu vaccine.
Influenza vaccines are generally made from inactivated flu viruses so that getting a flu shot won’t make a person sick, but the inactivated version can still jump-start the immune system. Flu viruses make antigens—toxins released by a virus—which cause an immune response. Sensing an antigen causes the body to produce antibodies—specific proteins made to fight a specific antigen. If the person later encounters that virus circulating in the wild, the antibodies will recognize the virus’s antigens and attack."
Probably less of a pricing problem and more of a sourcing problem. Imagine growing a vaccine in eggs from bird flu infected chickens. You want a new pandemic? Because that’s how you get a new pandemic.
Seems like that would make things easier by skipping a few steps. If the egg already has the bird flu virus, then you just inactivate it and you’re done. Insert egg anally and you’re protected, easy peasy.
Aren’t eggs a major component in producing the vaccine? Maybe that’s part of the problem?
Bird flu + reduced egg supply = ??
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines/egg-allergies.html
"Most flu shots and the nasal spray flu vaccine are manufactured using egg-based technology. Because of this, they contain a small amount of egg proteins, such as ovalbumin. However, studies that have examined the use of both the nasal spray vaccine and flu shots in egg-allergic and non-egg-allergic patients indicate that severe allergic reactions in people with egg allergies are unlikely.
Although people who are allergic to eggs should receive flu vaccine, people with some other allergies should not."
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7047267/
"Growing influenza viruses in eggs is the oldest way of making flu vaccines. Scientists inject a live virus into an embryonated egg, let the virus replicate, collect the replicates, purify them, and then kill them. They use those inactivated viruses to make the flu vaccine.
Influenza vaccines are generally made from inactivated flu viruses so that getting a flu shot won’t make a person sick, but the inactivated version can still jump-start the immune system. Flu viruses make antigens—toxins released by a virus—which cause an immune response. Sensing an antigen causes the body to produce antibodies—specific proteins made to fight a specific antigen. If the person later encounters that virus circulating in the wild, the antibodies will recognize the virus’s antigens and attack."
Somehow I think that the price of eggs is only a small contributor in the cost for vaccine manufacturing. Don’t worry, there are still enough eggs.
Probably less of a pricing problem and more of a sourcing problem. Imagine growing a vaccine in eggs from bird flu infected chickens. You want a new pandemic? Because that’s how you get a new pandemic.
Seems like that would make things easier by skipping a few steps. If the egg already has the bird flu virus, then you just inactivate it and you’re done. Insert egg anally and you’re protected, easy peasy.
Oooh let’s make this the new horse paste. Imagine all the conservatives basking in their rotten egg farts.
Good point.
If only we had some other technology to make vaccines…