Vaccine against bird flu is found · 2007-04-18 11:32
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its first approval of a vaccine for human use in the United States against the H5N1 influenza virus, commonly known as avian or bird flu.
The vaccine, manufactured by sanofi pasteur was found to be able to develop adequate immunity against H5N1 in 45% of the people receiving two doses of the vaccine.
According to Food Consumer, the vaccine is not intended to fully prevent bird flu infection when an influenza pandemic emerges, which may be caused by a variant that is immune to the vaccine.
Instead, the vaccine is to provide "early limited protection in the months before a vaccine tailored to the pandemic strain of the virus could be developed and produced."
"The threat of an influenza pandemic is, at present, one of the most significant public health issues our nation and world faces," said Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs.
"The approval of this vaccine is an important step forward in our protection against a pandemic."
The H5N1 virus, one version of the influenza A virus commonly found in birds, is far more severe than seasonal influenza and the infection happens quickly, with pneumonia and multi-organ failure commonly seen.
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