NEWS: US Flu Vaccine Contamination Caused By BW Simulant

The US vaccination shortage has been caused by the discovery of bacterial contamination in supplies of vaccine produced by Chiron at their plant based in Liverpool, UK. The San Francisco Chronicle is amongst sources that are reporting that the contaminating bacteria has been identified as Serratia marcescens, an opportunistic pathogen.



The bacteria was used extensively by the US Government as a Biological Warfare simulant. A BW simulant is a harmless substance which mimics the actions of a pathogen, and is used in BW experiments where it would be impractical to use a pathogenic, or disease causing, organism.
The most well known seriexs of experiments which used Serratia marcescens as a simulant was the 1950 spraying of San Francisco by the US Army. The clandestine tests were designed to see if a sabotage BW attack could be made on a city. The US Government were later unsuccessfully sued by a San Francisico family who blamed the tests for the death of a family member, Edward Nevin.
Serratia marcescens remained in use as an aerobiologic tracer organism for many years and is still in use even after being recognised as an opportunistic pathogen

Given Serratia marcescens history as an aerobiological tracer organism, it's not too big a leap of the imagination to question whether it had recently been used to test the airflow of the vaccine production plant, thus inadvertently causing the contamination.

This organism was, and possibly still is, used in hospitals in order to trace sources and pathways of acquired infection.


Related News Links:
www.sfgate.com

[edit on 31-10-2004 by Banshee]

This question may have already been answered elsewhere, but I can't seem to find the information. Is there any evidence that some of the current contaminated vaccine was administered recently in the US? The reason I ask is this: My mother -in -law received a flu vaccination on 10/6. She was old, but apparently healthy. On 10/11 she was rushed to the hospital in critical condition with a bacterial pneumonia. This pneumonia was unresponsive to antibiotics and she died on 10/18.
At this point, I do worry that her flu shot may have caused her problem, but have no proof or facts.
Thanks for your attention to this.
joey

[edit on 31-10-2004 by joey]

You know what I dont get? Mr. Bush said that the reason he opposses Americans import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada was because it wasnt safe. Because bringing in drugs from Canada just couldnt be assured. Later he went on to say that it was a shame about the Flu shortage. That he was doing his best and we were importing safe flu vaccines from Canada. So Canada isnt safe for drugs, but it is? Which is it Mr. Bush? Who is the flip-flopper now??? Mr. Bush

Originally posted by joey
This question may have already been answered elsewhere, but I can't seem to find the information. Is there any evidence that some of the current contaminated vaccine was administered recently in the US?

I don't know if any contaminated vaccine was used.
A press release from Chiron in August says 1 million doses of Fluvirin were delivered to US distributers:

Chiron Press Release Aug 26, 2004
In July, Chiron announced that it was on track to deliver an estimated total of 50 million doses of Fluvirin to the U.S. market this season, an increase from earlier projections, and that it had delivered its first 1 million doses to U.S. distributors.

An October Press Release says no vaccine for the 2004/2005 was released into any territory.

Chiron Press Release Oct 15 2004
No doses of Fluvirin were released into any territory for the 2004/2005 flu season.

It's possible they ordered distributers not to use what had been delivered to them before it was ever released to the public.

Can you find out more about the particular vaccine that your Mother-In-Law recieved?
Can you find out who the manufacturer was?