Thanking The french for Saving our Butts !

“3 Decades ago there were @ 12 Companies that made flu vaccine. There might have been about 4 in the past 5 years. Merck & Wyeth just pulled out of the biz recently.

So there are two companies left. Chiron Corp. of the good ole USA was going to supply us with vaccine. However, as you may know, their plant in England F***Up with sterility and therefore could not releas any vaccine.

Now we come to the sole source of flu vaccine for all US citizens:

Aventis Pasteur!

Thanks to their plant in the non-french state of PA, there will be fewer deaths.

God Bless the French!

Btw - Why is no one making vaccine? Too expensive and low profit, that is, when they don't take a loss for it. Firms still use a very old technique for flu vaccine: chicken eggs. It takes one chicken egg to develop enough virus for 4-5 doses of vaccine. (Now you know why PA has/had so many flu facilities). The vaccine is good for only the one year so up to tens of millions of doses get tossed. Furthermore, The gov buys most of the vaccines so profit margin is low.

this trend that is only getting worse. Recent shortages because of Companies pulling out include:

MMR, DTaP, Hib, Varivax (chickenpox), Hepatitis B, Prevnar, and Td (tetanus).

However, within a decade or so vaccines, such as flu, will be produced by that naughty technique of Cell Culture (Shhhhhhhh! That's our secret), so we can put the profit back into vaccine production!”

“The French are always there for ya if there's a buck to be had. Money is the one thing they haven't given up on. I take that back...look at their economey. LOL!”

“As my post indicated, 'taint no money in vaccine development...yet.

Once the Tissue culture tech is figured out then everyone else will jump back in.”

“I don't ever get a flu shot.”

“You probably have the same naturally repelling effect on a flu virus as you do on people, bbw!”

“I don't get them either. Especially when there's a shortage like this year. I haven't had the flu in years. [knocking on wood]”

“You make a good point.”

“Last week the pharmacy across the street from my office was giving flu shots. It was an absolute mob scene with hundreds of old farts lined up. They had several cops to control traffic and the crowd. At one point they had to use a loudspeaker to tell everyone to step back from the door or they'd be forced to shut down. It looked like a rock concert without the music.”

“Rioting for Flu shots! I wonder if AARP is going to sue anyone?”

“If the suply goes back up I'm breaking my tradition of not getting one. This is supposed to be a really really bad year.”

“Some people are coming up to Canada to get the flu shots. I guess they pay money...since medical care is only good for Canadian citizens.

Change the thread title to, "Thank Canada for saving...."”

“I thank Canada for beer and gravy fries...”

“Damn, It's been so long I've forgotten about gravy fries. Drooooooooooooool.

Mexico is getting vaccine demands from us, also.

Going to Mexico for treatment? Those are some pretty scared folks!!!!!”