14 DAY TRIAL // Tests for a new vaccine against bird flu have shown promising results, after it was discovered that it produces the necessary immune response to protect a person against the disease.
The vaccine, tested by Dr. John J. Treanor's team from the University of Rochester in New York, which will be used by the United States in the eventuality of a pandemic, was developed by using the hemagglutinin protein, the "H" part of the virus, the neuraminidase protein, the "N" part, and genes from flu strains used for developing seasonal vaccines.
The vaccine was given to 451 healthy adults aged 18 to 64. 2 shots of the highest dose of the vaccine were given to the volunteers 28 days apart and, after analyzing blood samples, it has been found that 54% of them had protection from the virus by developing antibodies that would neutralize the virus.
If we consider that the vaccine needs to be produced in large quantities, the fact that so much vaccine is needed to produce small amount of immune system reaction is not good news. It was also found that the vaccine is safe for children and the elderly.
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that if the human-to-human transmission becomes possible, the new virus "is likely to be different from the H5N1 strain that Dr. Treanor's team tested, but not completely different."
Scientists will be able to make more of the vaccine, a process that takes six months, when companies will produce flu vaccine for the 2006-2007 season. At this point, the H5N1 virus is not transmissible from person to person. After close contact with sick birds, 186 people became infected, 105 dying from bird flu.