Yet another vaccine story. It seems that nearly every day, there is another study trying to either prove or disprove links between assorted vaccines and assorted illnesses. And now, as the flu season is upon us, Chiron Corp., who makes half of the influenza vaccines sold in the U.S., has been forbidden to sell its vaccines. The problem? British regulators say there are “sterility problems at its plant in Liverpool.” In other words, the vaccine is contaminated. Yuck. Best to risk the flu than a contaminated vaccine.

At any rate, I wasn’t planning on getting a flu vaccine, but for a lot of people, coming down with a case of influenza can really put them at risk for serious respiratory diseases like pneumonia. So what is the problem with these vaccine makers? It’s not the first time that vaccines have been contaminated, or there have been “problems” in manufacturing. We are trusting them with our health. Is it that difficult to maintain high standards?

Here are a few links to the story:

From Yahoo News: Major Supplier Won’t Make Flu Vaccine This Season

From the International Herald Tribune: Fears of flu vaccine shortage after suspension

From abc7.com: Flu Vaccine Shortage, Half of Nation’s Supply Wiped Out

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