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Currently no - but they have been in the past, and could easily become scarce again. We shouldn't take that for granted.

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I don't think they're going to become scare. They're a real money-maker for the pharmaceutical companies. Soon people (or they insurance, if they have it) will pay $130/shot, because the government's not going to be covering the cost any more.

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Horseshoe crabs blood is an example of a scarce resource that vaccines (and all injectable meds) depend on to make sure they don't kill you. If you think anti-vaxers are bad when they're wrong, imagine what the world would be like in a world without horseshoe crabs.

FYI vaccines recommended by ACIP are covered by ACA plans, with zero copay.

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I grew the up the ocean, and am fond of horseshoe crabs. But at this point my feeling is fuck 'em.

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Not the point - if we run out of them, injectable medicines, including all injectable vaccines, become a lot less safe. You really do need to be able to screen out endotoxins.

Hip replacements and stents also require horseshoe crab blood to ensure safety. We need to look for alternatives, aggressively, before it's too late.

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