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From: ellie ( -199.90.157.4)
In Reply to: H1N1 shot posted by Nokoni on September 15, 2009 at 4:10 pm:
the shots are not animal tested, simply because there is no time to run such tests. however, they are cultured in eggs. There is a nasal spray alternative that is egg-free. There is one other difference between the shot and the spray: the shots are killed virus. You cannot, possibly, get the flu from the flu shots, because that virus is dead. However, the spray uses a modified live virus. It's modified in the labs so that it doesn't replicate the same way as the "wild" strain of the virus, but there is a very, very, very, very small chance of getting the flu from a live virus nasal spray. All that said - you work with kids. Young kids. How many of them have mothers who may be pregnant? or very young siblings who are really vulnerable? I do think we have a responsibility, if we work in health care or with kids, to minimize ANY chance we could be a vector of infection. I work in a nursing facility for medically fragile, mentally retarded young adults, and I NEVER use conventional meds. I will limp along with pneumonia for two weeks at home, rather than take an antibiotic that was animal-tested. But I am going to get the nasal spray for H1N1, because if these compromised patients of mine get sick they will die. Period. I can't risk their wellbeing that way. The spray is about as vegan as a medication can get; the only risk is to me.
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