American government scientists say they have successfully tested in people a vaccine that they believe can protect against the strain of avian influenza that is spreading in birds through Asia and Russia.
Present worry is that the avian flu virus could mutate and combine with a human influenza virus to create a new virus, such a virus could spread rapidly through the world with humnan-to-human transmission.
Tens of millions of birds have died from infection with the virus and culling to prevent the spread of the virus. About 100 people have been infected, and about 50 have died from this strain of the avian influenza virus, called A(H5N1). So far there has been no sustained human-to-human transmission, but that is what health officials fear, because it could cause a pandemic. And that fear has driven the intense research to develop a vaccine.
Tests so far had shown that the new vaccine produced a strong immune response among the small group of healthy adults under age 65 who volunteered to receive it, although the doses needed were higher than in the standard influenza vaccine offered each year. The vaccine, developed with genetic engineering techniques, is intended to protect against infection, not to treat those who are sick. Further tests are required for groups over 65 years of age and children.
Additional tests are needed in part to determine the optimal dose of vaccine; the number of shots people will need for protection; and whether adding another ingredient called an adjuvant to the vaccine could raise the potency of lower doses, stretching the number of people that could be protected.
Though the vaccine needs further testing before it can be approved for general use, it could be released for use if a pandemic should occur.
See a graphic presentation of how the vaccine was developed here
.Present worry is that the avian flu virus could mutate and combine with a human influenza virus to create a new virus, such a virus could spread rapidly through the world with humnan-to-human transmission.
Tens of millions of birds have died from infection with the virus and culling to prevent the spread of the virus. About 100 people have been infected, and about 50 have died from this strain of the avian influenza virus, called A(H5N1). So far there has been no sustained human-to-human transmission, but that is what health officials fear, because it could cause a pandemic. And that fear has driven the intense research to develop a vaccine.
Tests so far had shown that the new vaccine produced a strong immune response among the small group of healthy adults under age 65 who volunteered to receive it, although the doses needed were higher than in the standard influenza vaccine offered each year. The vaccine, developed with genetic engineering techniques, is intended to protect against infection, not to treat those who are sick. Further tests are required for groups over 65 years of age and children.
Additional tests are needed in part to determine the optimal dose of vaccine; the number of shots people will need for protection; and whether adding another ingredient called an adjuvant to the vaccine could raise the potency of lower doses, stretching the number of people that could be protected.
Though the vaccine needs further testing before it can be approved for general use, it could be released for use if a pandemic should occur.
See a graphic presentation of how the vaccine was developed here
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