darkoshi: (Default)
Many 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.

Date: 2019-06-16 01:25 am (UTC)From: [personal profile] nozomi604
nozomi604: (Default)
Thanks for the research; I was just thinking about this. And yeah, cloned insect cells seem like a step in the right direction.

Also, "vegan vaccine" makes me smile on an etymological level.

Date: 2019-06-16 10:05 am (UTC)From: [personal profile] conuly
conuly: (Default)
Tetanus is endemic in the environment. A lot of people think they can only get it if they step on a rusty nail that was embedded in the dirt, but any puncture wound can give you the disease - even light scratches if your luck is bad and your immunity happens to be low for whatever reason.

It's not a disease to fuck around with. You don't want to get sick with it.

As for the flu, this year's flu season was particularly awful, something like 30,000 t0 60,000 deaths. You don't want to play around with flu either. Flu and pertussis and diphtheria, you can pass those diseases on to people on the bus or at the supermarket, without being in very close contact with them.
Edited Date: 2019-06-16 10:09 am (UTC)

May 2025

S M T W T F S
    123
45678910
11121314151617
1819 2021222324
25262728293031

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Friday, May 23rd, 2025 01:43 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios