Grass seed vs. hay fever

Dynavax is set to release a hay fever injection that will give hay fever sufferers 2 years of protection against the allergen. From the article: “Dina said that based on the current hay fever market, which is worth about $10 billion, the company expects a successful vaccine to be a blockbuster.”

Here’s some food for thought about the grass industry (in Oregon).. “In 1999 the “farm gate” value [of grass seed] was nearly $350 million. Grass seed companies added about 33% or $100 million in research, production and marketing services bringing the total value to over $450 million…” “Approximately 3,500 people are employed directly on Oregon’s grass seed farms. The industry is directly responsible for an additional 6,500 non-farm jobs.”

I know it’s not fair to compare Oregon to the rest of the nation, but Oregon is the largest producer of grass seed. $450 million vs. $10 billion is something to think about.. And how many hay fever sufferers are there for every person employed by the grass seed industry?

I’m just glad I don’t live in the valley any more..

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