Oh, you might have missed this on your major news outlet [inject SEVERE SARCASM here], but there’s a really good reason to skip the flu vaccines, you know. I’ve always been against them, of course; but for any doubters out there, check out this report from the Toronto Sun:
Baxter: Product contained live bird flu virus
The company that released contaminated flu virus material from a plant in Austria confirmed Friday that the experimental product contained live H5N1 avian flu viruses.
And an official of the World Health Organization’s European operation said the body is closely monitoring the investigation into the events that took place at Baxter International’s research facility in Orth-Donau, Austria.
“At this juncture we are confident in saying that public health and occupational risk is minimal at present,” medical officer Roberta Andraghetti said from Copenhagen, Denmark.
…On Friday, the company’s director of global bioscience communications confirmed what scientists have suspected.
“It was live,” Christopher Bona said in an email.
The contaminated product, which Baxter calls “experimental virus material,” was made at the Orth-Donau research facility. Baxter makes its flu vaccine — including a human H5N1 vaccine for which a licence is expected shortly — at a facility in the Czech Republic.
Wow. This “accident” was accidentally discovered, when a subcontractor in the Czech Republic inoculated ferrets with the product and the critters died.
I would normally put this up on my political blog, but I get 20X the traffic here, and a good portion of you visitors to this blog are from Europe and Asia. This is outrageous. Baxter is not forthcoming with how (or why, but we all know why they did this) the “accident” occurred.
Yikes, people.
I hope you are prepared for the future. Hat tip to Jean at Yeah, Right….
9. March 2009 at 6:50 pm
I’m glad you posted this, Rebecca. I’ve been getting a ton of traffic on it from people doing searches about it. Amazing, isn’t it, that MSM is STILL not covering it. Thanks for the HT.
9. March 2009 at 10:51 pm
I’ve never gotten a flu shot and have been against them for the same reasons I’m against other vaccines, but this gives another strong reason to stay away from the poison in a syringe…I mean, vaccines. I did get the flu this year, but that’s far preferable to bird flu.
10. March 2009 at 12:45 pm
I knew there was a reason I have been against getting flu shots. My dad was forced to get them while he was in the Air Force. They made his so ill and he was finally able to get a waiver that said he didn’t have to.