Can vegetarians get Swine Flu

Answer 1

Yes, H1N1/09 is not a food borne illness. You do not get it from eating pork or any other meat products, so just avoiding those foods will not protect you from catching the flu. Vegetarians should get the vaccinations to prevent the flu like everyone else.

Vegans may object to the minuscule amount of trace egg proteins left from growing the virus samples to create the vaccines, and therefore may avoid getting the vaccine due to their moral convictions against exploitation of animals.

They will have a difficult decision. If they have equal concern about the safety of fellow humans as they do animals, they will need to decide which is the better scenario and the highest good for all involved:

1. Not being vaccinated due to the residual tiny amount of egg protein that may be in the vaccine, and taking the risk of catching the flu and spreading it to other human adults and infants (some of whom may have weakened immune systems and could potentially die from catching the flu from them), and maybe spread it to their pets since dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, etc. have been able to get this flu from their owners who were sick or,
2. Doing as much for the welfare of all living creatures (people as well as animals) by protecting themselves, their family, their pets, and other humans from the virus by getting a vaccination despite the use of the egg protein as a growth medium in making the vaccine. If they choose to reject the vaccine and risk getting and spreading the flu, then they will have to be extremely careful not to spread the flu to others, including remaining isolated or voluntarily quarantined if they do catch the flu themselves.