Disgusting Ingredient #2: Serum From Aborted Calf Fetus Blood
One of the more grotesque methods involved in vaccine manufacturing is the collection of fetal bovine serum. The purpose for serum is providing a nutrient broth for viruses to grow in cells.
How is the blood collected?
According to the Humane Research Australia website:
“After slaughter and bleeding of the cow at an abattoir, the mother’s uterus containing the calf fetus is removed during the evisceration process (removal of the mother’s internal organs) and transferred to the blood collection room. A needle is then inserted between the fetus’s ribs directly into its heart and the blood is vacuumed into a sterile collection bag. This process is aimed at minimizing the risk of contamination of the serum with micro-organisms from the fetus and its environment. Only fetuses over the age of three months are used otherwise the heart is considered too small to puncture. Once collected, the blood is allowed to clot at room temperature and the serum separated through a process known as refrigerated centrifugation.”