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Bird flu vaccine breakthrough offers hope
A low-dose vaccine for the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has succeeded in initial clinical trials in people.
The vaccine is produced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and was tested at low doses on 100 adults. In 80% of them, the vaccine elicited the level of protection required by the agencies that regulate influenza vaccines.
Crucially, this was achieved with two separate doses of just 3.8 micrograms each. Producing the vaccine is difficult and time-consuming, so the lower the dose required, the more people can be treated. In the event of a pandemic, hundreds of millions of doses would be required.
Previous attempts to produce a low dose vaccine had been unsuccessful, with required doses as high as 180 micrograms. Companies then tried adding an adjuvant – a chemical which stimulates the immune system and increases the potency of a vaccine. But, again, results were disappointing.
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A low-dose vaccine for the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has succeeded in initial clinical trials in people.
The vaccine is produced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and was tested at low doses on 100 adults. In 80% of them, the vaccine elicited the level of protection required by the agencies that regulate influenza vaccines.
Crucially, this was achieved with two separate doses of just 3.8 micrograms each. Producing the vaccine is difficult and time-consuming, so the lower the dose required, the more people can be treated. In the event of a pandemic, hundreds of millions of doses would be required.
Previous attempts to produce a low dose vaccine had been unsuccessful, with required doses as high as 180 micrograms. Companies then tried adding an adjuvant – a chemical which stimulates the immune system and increases the potency of a vaccine. But, again, results were disappointing.
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