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ambiguous phrase. vaccines & veganism
Saturday, June 15th, 2019 05:24 pmMany people don't X solely because they are against Y.
I think that could mean either:
For many people who don't X, the only reason they don't is because they are against Y.
or:
For many people who don't X, there are reasons for it other than them being against Y.
Actually, depending on X and Y, it could even mean:
Many people X, but not only because they are against Y.
..
from https://vaxopedia.org/2017/05/19/which-vaccines-are-vegan/
"...many vegans don't vaccinate solely because they are against vaccines."
..
I had read it is recommended for adults get tetanus & diphtheria booster shots every 10 years, and wondered if I should get one.
I am in favor of vaccines; they prevent a lot of disease and deaths.
But as a vegan, I don't like it that vaccines are made using animal ingredients and animal testing. It was long ago, in my teens, when I first read that some vaccines are made using eggs. So I checked if that is still the case today. It is.
Most flu vaccines, and a few others, are still made with eggs. Flublok is one which isn't. It is made using insect cells instead. Based on this page, it is made with "insect cell lines", so maybe it doesn't even require insects to be killed anymore to get those cells.
This web page lists vaccine ingredients, including "process ingredients (substances used to create the vaccine that may or may not appear in the final vaccine product), and growth mediums (the substances vaccines are grown in)"
https://vaccines.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=005206
Based on that data, the current tetanus & diphtheria vaccines all are made using bovine extracts. So I'm still ambivalent about going out of my way to get those kind of vaccinations, when they are only suggested or recommended but not required. I don't work with children or sick people, so as an adult, I haven't been required to get any vaccinations. I wish there were vegan alternatives available, so that I wouldn't feel conflicted about it.
I find these kind of ideas helpful to combat the mental conflict:
Comment by user PacNW: Thank goodness for vaccines. I get them all. They are one of the best things about living in the modern era and not during the dark ages.
I know they aren’t vegan, so I compensate for that by making an extra donation to an animal rights/protection/welfare organization whenever I get one. We won’t be able to help animals if we die from some horrid, preventable disease.
Comment by user Sandra: if you have to go to the hospital for a serious illness, you will likely use more animal tested products than if you stayed healthy. In some cases doctors many even request having specimens taken from you and tested on animals. Stay healthy as possible for the animals too!
In other words, it's regrettable that most vaccines currently aren't vegan, but it would be much worse if those vaccines weren't available, or weren't widely used. So until vegan vaccines are more widely available, it is still the more ethical choice, for both humans and animals, to get vaccinated than not.
Vegan Flu Shots: A Guide
[ 2019/11/03 - that link isn't working today, but this one is:
https://edvfood.com/2015/01/08/vegan-flu-shots-a-guide/
]
..
That reminds me, I was reading about rabies a few weeks ago. I'll make that a separate post.
I think that could mean either:
For many people who don't X, the only reason they don't is because they are against Y.
or:
For many people who don't X, there are reasons for it other than them being against Y.
Actually, depending on X and Y, it could even mean:
Many people X, but not only because they are against Y.
..
from https://vaxopedia.org/2017/05/19/which-vaccines-are-vegan/
"...many vegans don't vaccinate solely because they are against vaccines."
..
I had read it is recommended for adults get tetanus & diphtheria booster shots every 10 years, and wondered if I should get one.
I am in favor of vaccines; they prevent a lot of disease and deaths.
But as a vegan, I don't like it that vaccines are made using animal ingredients and animal testing. It was long ago, in my teens, when I first read that some vaccines are made using eggs. So I checked if that is still the case today. It is.
Most flu vaccines, and a few others, are still made with eggs. Flublok is one which isn't. It is made using insect cells instead. Based on this page, it is made with "insect cell lines", so maybe it doesn't even require insects to be killed anymore to get those cells.
This web page lists vaccine ingredients, including "process ingredients (substances used to create the vaccine that may or may not appear in the final vaccine product), and growth mediums (the substances vaccines are grown in)"
https://vaccines.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=005206
Based on that data, the current tetanus & diphtheria vaccines all are made using bovine extracts. So I'm still ambivalent about going out of my way to get those kind of vaccinations, when they are only suggested or recommended but not required. I don't work with children or sick people, so as an adult, I haven't been required to get any vaccinations. I wish there were vegan alternatives available, so that I wouldn't feel conflicted about it.
I find these kind of ideas helpful to combat the mental conflict:
Comment by user PacNW: Thank goodness for vaccines. I get them all. They are one of the best things about living in the modern era and not during the dark ages.
I know they aren’t vegan, so I compensate for that by making an extra donation to an animal rights/protection/welfare organization whenever I get one. We won’t be able to help animals if we die from some horrid, preventable disease.
Comment by user Sandra: if you have to go to the hospital for a serious illness, you will likely use more animal tested products than if you stayed healthy. In some cases doctors many even request having specimens taken from you and tested on animals. Stay healthy as possible for the animals too!
In other words, it's regrettable that most vaccines currently aren't vegan, but it would be much worse if those vaccines weren't available, or weren't widely used. So until vegan vaccines are more widely available, it is still the more ethical choice, for both humans and animals, to get vaccinated than not.
Vegan Flu Shots: A Guide
[ 2019/11/03 - that link isn't working today, but this one is:
https://edvfood.com/2015/01/08/vegan-flu-shots-a-guide/
]
..
That reminds me, I was reading about rabies a few weeks ago. I'll make that a separate post.