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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Panic / Snoutbreak The Animals

Posted by Charles Mudede on Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 1:45 PM

To manufacture the vaccine for a flu from pigs, humans need lots of eggs from chickens.

The biggest obstacle is the egg-based technology used to develop all flu vaccines in the United States.

The process involves first growing the virus in chicken eggs, then harvesting it into vaccines.

Not only is this a time-consuming process, but Goldhammer points out that the quantity of the vaccine produced is limited to the egg's volume.

"It's only so fast that you can make a chicken lay eggs," said Goldhammer.

Who knew this was the future of breakfast, of eggs and bacon.

Comments (10) RSS

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We need bigger eggs, then.

HARVEST THE OSTRICHES!!

Posted by Baconcat on April 30, 2009 at 1:55 PM

Too bad we don't have big ostrich farms. Those are some big ass eggs!

Posted by Vince on April 30, 2009 at 1:56 PM

the future of all breakfasts is poo.

otherwise OSTRICH is pretty fun to say!

OSTRIIIICH!

Posted by mrbanana on April 30, 2009 at 2:09 PM

Sucks that I'm allergic to eggs and can't have any of the vaccines!

Posted by UofC on April 30, 2009 at 2:17 PM

UofC broke the Ostrich-chain. That's 7 years of bad ostrich luck, buddy.

Posted by Baconcat on April 30, 2009 at 2:19 PM

Goldhammer?

Posted by Jeremy from Seattle on April 30, 2009 at 2:25 PM

UofC could get a series of smaller doses which would grant him/her influenza immunity while not stimulating the allergic response. That would only be advisable if the virus becomes truly deadly (like Yellow Fever is in Africa, where they use this method for people with egg allergies to give them the YF vaccine). Of course it won't help when the ostriches rise up to overthrow the US government and establish avian socialism across the land.

Posted by All hail our flightless overlords on April 30, 2009 at 2:31 PM

@7: I thought that they were buddhist communists?

Posted by Baconcat on April 30, 2009 at 2:41 PM

"Scotty, we need more power for the immunization drive!"

"Me poor wee bairns are workin' as hard as they can, Cap'n!"

"Well, I'm sending Mr. Spock down with a new high tech egg device ..."

Posted by Will in Seattle on April 30, 2009 at 2:58 PM

So what you're saying is, survival and vaccination may depend on our long human history of animal husbandry and consumption of eggs? Stick THAT in your pipe and smoke it, eco-troll!

Posted by Greg on April 30, 2009 at 3:06 PM