For flu vaccines, up to 500 million eggs are needed each year

500 million eggs for the production of the flu vaccine

Every year health experts call for flu vaccination. What may surprise many is that up to 500 million chicken eggs are needed every year for the production of the influenza vaccine. Although alternatives have been researched for a long time because of the enormous number of individuals, according to experts, eggs will continue to play an important role in the manufacture of such medicines over the next 20 years.

Protection against infectious diseases

Vaccinations are a very effective remedy for various infectious diseases. Which vaccinations are recommended is determined in Germany by the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Although reports of supply bottlenecks for important vaccines in Germany have been reported in recent years, the population in Germany is currently well supplied with them. What many people are unaware of is that eggs are needed to make vaccines - and a huge amount of them.

The flu vaccine requires hundreds of millions of eggs each year. Although research is being done on alternatives, according to experts, eggs will also be needed for the production of vaccines in the coming decades. (Image: Richard Villalon / fotolia.com)

No eggs no flu vaccine

Without eggs, there would be no flu vaccine. Although researchers have been experimenting with cell cultures for some time now, eggs are still indispensable for the production of the vaccine.

Martin Friede, Head of the Impact Research Unit at the World Health Organization (WHO) told the German Press Agency that between 450 and 500 million chicken eggs would be needed each year for vaccine production.

"More than 90 percent of the flu vaccine worldwide is produced with the help of eggs. From an egg can usually be a vaccine dose, sometimes a little more, produce, "said the expert, according to dpa.

Yellow fever vaccine is also obtained with the help of eggs, but it was possible to gain significantly more doses from an egg than the flu vaccine.

As explained in the agency message, the researchers do not use the eggs that are sold for consumption. Rather, specimens are required for this, which are obtained by chickens in special farms under controlled conditions.

"This is more expensive than the production of eggs for the omelette," said Friede. The chickens are also not suitable for consumption. According to the experts, they are "too dry".

Viruses are produced in selected laboratories

Twice a year, WHO experts discuss which variants of influenza viruses are expected to occur in the coming season. Then they recommend the composition of the vaccine.

According to the information, the viruses required for production are produced in selected laboratories and sent to the various vaccine factories.

There, the virus particles are injected according to peace in the egg white of hatching eggs and ripen over ten to eleven days to billions of copies of the virus before the protein is sucked off.

Heat or chemical additives would deactivate the virus particles to make it a harmless but effective vaccine.

Alternatives are being researched

Peace has been researched for a long time because of the enormous number of eggs required for alternatives.

Around five to ten percent of influenza vaccines worldwide are already being developed on cell cultures obtained from the kidney tumor of a dog. It is said that the cell line can be reproduced endlessly.

And in another method, the viruses grow on insect cells. "These are highly complex processes that are far from being sufficiently available," says Friede.

"Eggs will certainly continue to play the crucial role in the production of flu vaccine over the next 20 years."

However, this could sometimes cause production problems, because "in the case of the circulation of viruses that are dangerous for poultry, the chicken stocks for obtaining the eggs needed could be limited or not available," it says in the Pharmacy textbook.

And further: "No chicken - no egg - no vaccine, that's the simple equation for conventional chicken egg-based flu vaccine production. By contrast, the cell line is ready for action even in the event of unexpected requirements. "(Ad)