WASHINGTON — Attention is shifting to the world's five leading flu vaccine makers: How fast are they really producing swine flu vaccine, and just how do they plan to test that it works? A meeting Thu
rsday of the Food and Drug Administration's scientific advisers offers the first in-depth public progress report since U.S. scientists delivered the novel virus to manufacturers and asked them to turn it into usable vaccine. They've succeeded to a degree. The National Institutes of Health on Wednesday called for a few thousand volunteers, from babies to the elderly, for studies to see if pilot batches are safe and protective. The first shots should go into adult volunteers' arms in early August, with child studies to follow quickly if there are no signs of immediate side effects. Those government-directed studies — and more that manufacturers will run — are key as the government decides whether to offer swine flu vaccine to millions of Americans starting in mid-October, besides vaccinating against the regular winter flu. Health authorities in other countries are looking to the U.S. studies, too, as they make their own plans. Assuming the studies show the vaccine is OK, a big question is how much will be available and when. Last week, the World Health Organization warned that production is going slower than predicted, with the strains now in use yielding only about half as much of the main vaccine ingredient as is usual.
For further details visit as : www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gcx9bjqSn_mHLMw5rb3eoY32TZdQD99K0QV00
rsday of the Food and Drug Administration's scientific advisers offers the first in-depth public progress report since U.S. scientists delivered the novel virus to manufacturers and asked them to turn it into usable vaccine. They've succeeded to a degree. The National Institutes of Health on Wednesday called for a few thousand volunteers, from babies to the elderly, for studies to see if pilot batches are safe and protective. The first shots should go into adult volunteers' arms in early August, with child studies to follow quickly if there are no signs of immediate side effects. Those government-directed studies — and more that manufacturers will run — are key as the government decides whether to offer swine flu vaccine to millions of Americans starting in mid-October, besides vaccinating against the regular winter flu. Health authorities in other countries are looking to the U.S. studies, too, as they make their own plans. Assuming the studies show the vaccine is OK, a big question is how much will be available and when. Last week, the World Health Organization warned that production is going slower than predicted, with the strains now in use yielding only about half as much of the main vaccine ingredient as is usual.For further details visit as : www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gcx9bjqSn_mHLMw5rb3eoY32TZdQD99K0QV00
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