Fw: ***Fw: The scoop on the flu shot

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----- Original Message -----

From: " benz " <benzaleta@...>

<Undisclosed-Recipient:;>

Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 1:37 PM

Subject: ***Fw: The scoop on the flu shot

>A most interesting end to this e-mail ---

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>> >Subject: The Scoop on Flu Vaccine

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>> > >How the vaccine works:

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>> > >Influenza vaccine is produced by growing the virus in eggs. The

>> > >virus is killed and processed to create the vaccine, which is given

>> > >by injection under the skin. The body then produces antibodies to

>> > >the virus over the next two to four weeks. If the immunized person

>> > >then comes into contact with the influenza virus, the antibodies

>> > >attack and kill the virus before it has a chance to cause infection.

>> > >The vaccine contains the 3 most likely strains to be active during

>> > >the " flu season "

>> > >

>> > >Why the shortage:

>> > >

>> > >Almost half of the nation's flu vaccine will not be delivered this

>> > >year. Chiron, a major manufacturer of flu vaccine, will not be

>> > >distributing any influenza vaccine this flu season. Chiron was to

>> > >make 46-48 million doses vaccine for the United States. Chiron is a

>> > >British company. Recently British health officials stopped Chiron

>> > >from distributing and making the vaccine when inspectors found

>> > >unsanitary conditions in the labs. Some lots of the vaccine were

>> > >recalled and destroyed.

>> > >

>> > >Why is our vaccine made in the UK and not the US?

>> > >

>> > >The major pharmaceutical companies in the US provided almost 90% of

>> > >the nations flu vaccine at one time. They did this despite a very

>> > >low profit margin for the product. Basically, they were doing us a

>> > >favor. In the late 80's a man from North Carolina who had received

>> > >the vaccine got the flu. The strain he caught was one of the

>> > >strains in that years vaccine made by a US company. What did he do?

>> > >He sued and he won. He was awarded almost $5 million! After that

>> > >case was appealed and lost, most US pharmaceutical companies stopped

>> > >making the vaccine. The liability out weighed the profit margin.

>> > >Since UK and Canadian laws prohibit such frivolous law suits UK and

>> > >Canadian companies began selling the vaccine in the US.

>> > >

>> > >By the way...the lawyer that represented the man in the flu shot law

>> > >suit was a young ambulance chaser by the name of .

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>> > _____

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