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Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => COVID-19 => Topic started by: paul cotter on 29/05/2022 11:50:14

Title: Might the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine be linked to recent Monkeypox cases?
Post by: paul cotter on 29/05/2022 11:50:14
The astra-zeneca covid vaccine is based on a modified simian adenovirus. Is there any possibility of a contaminated batch being responsible for the sudden appearance of monkeypox in diverse locations? Personally I think it is remote possibility as this particular vaccine seems to have fallen out of favour. I would be interested in hearing what others think about this conjecture. Zoonotic contamination of vaccines has happened before.
Title: Re: Might the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine be linked to recent Monkeypox cases?
Post by: Origin on 29/05/2022 13:27:08
The astra-zeneca covid vaccine is based on a modified simian adenovirus. Is there any possibility of a contaminated batch being responsible for the sudden appearance of monkeypox in diverse locations?
I would say no way.  The idea that there is a vaccine with a different live random virus would be an unbelievably poor lab technique.
Title: Re: Might the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine be linked to recent Monkeypox cases?
Post by: Bored chemist on 29/05/2022 14:51:51
Is there any possibility of a contaminated batch being responsible for the sudden appearance of monkeypox in diverse locations?
It would be weird if a single batch got sent to Portugal, the US, the UK. Spain and Canada.
If there had been a contaminated batch that was big enough to be split to all those different countries, then we wouldn't be talking about dozens of cases, we would be talking about tens of thousands- perhaps millions.
Title: Re: Might the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine be linked to recent Monkeypox cases?
Post by: evan_au on 29/05/2022 22:49:37
The Astra-Zeneca vaccine is not grown in monkeys, so contamination by a different virus infecting monkeys is very unlikely.
- In fact, the natural host of monkeypox is rodents - it's just that it was never investigated until some monkeys caught it.

According to an Astra-Zeneca site, the vaccine is grown in a human cell line:
Quote from: Astra-Zeneca
the production process utilises living ‘producer cells’ derived from a human cell line, created more than 50 years ago. The cells are altered to act as ‘mini factories’ to produce the vaccine rapidly.

Growth of the producer cells takes place in single use bioreactors, which reduces the risk of cross contamination and enhances biologic and process safety. Conditions including pH and temperature are very tightly controlled to ensure growth occurs at an optimal rate.

https://www.astrazeneca.com/what-science-can-do/topics/technologies/innovating-production-and-manufacture-to-meet-the-challenge-of-covid-19.html