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Breakthrough in effective bird flu vaccine

by Willemien Groot*

03-01-2008

There has been a new step forward in the development of an effective vaccine against H5N1, the bird flu virus that's also dangerous to humans. By adding an agent that stimulates the immune system, it appears that the existing vaccine is effective against various strains of the bird flu virus.

Uncertainty has been the biggest problem in developing an effective vaccine against the variant of H5N1 that's dangerous to humans. Uncertainty about which strain of the virus it is, and uncertainty over which type of bird flu could develop into a flu virus that might cause a worldwide epidemic. That made it almost impossible to develop a preventative vaccine. But with the discovery made by the British pharmaceutical company Glaxo Smith Klein, uncertainty over the virus strain has become less significant.

Breakthrough
The improved vaccine has been tested by Viro-Clinics, part of the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam. According to virologist Ab Osterhaus, there are several reasons to speak of a breakthrough:

According to the virologist, that's unique.

What's more, tests have shown that by adding the agent, a lot less vaccine is required. And that's very important during a worldwide flu epidemic, when huge quantities of vaccine are needed.

Response
The agent is a so-called adjuvant that is added to a medicine to strengthen its effectiveness. In this case, the substance stimulates the immune system and improves the response to the vaccine. The Erasmus Medical Centre tested the agent on people and on ferrets which, like people, suffer from flu viruses. Osterhaus explained the results:

Pandemic
H5N1 is generally regarded as the bird flu virus that can develop into a pandemic virus. It first appeared in Asia in 1996, and then spread very quickly across the whole world. In Africa, Europe and the Middle East the virus was subsequently identified. Millions of poultry were killed, and more than a hundred people died as a result of the flu virus.

H5N1 is one of the high-pathogenic viruses: 90 percent of people who are affected eventually die. Up to now, the virus has not mutated into a variant that can be passed from one human to another.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) regards the virus as the major potential cause of a pandemic, but there are other types. Spanish flu, which killed 50 million people worldwide in 1918, was of the type H1N1.

Supplies
Osterhaus is pleading for the supply of large quantities of the vaccine and adjuvant against H5N1. As soon as the flu virus develops into a variant which can be passed on from person to person, and a pandemic is lurking, the adjuvant can be added to the vaccine. In addition, supplies of antiviral agents such as Tamiflu must remain at the same level.

Although it is not certain that H5N1 will develop into a pandemic virus, virologist Ab Osterhaus pleads for vigilance:

* RNW translation (as)

Tags: Bird flu, Erasmus Medical Centre, Glaxo Smith Klein, H5N1, pandemic, Rotterdam, vaccine

Reaction(s):

dr david hill, 04-01-2008 - switzerland

The strategy to prevent hundreds of millions of people dying (possibly over a billion) across the globe from the Avian Flu pandemic is totally flawed. This reliance that governments around the world have placed on predominantly vaccination (cure) only is a decision that history will record as one of the most insane and insidious decisions that has ever been taken by our political leaders. This assertion is based upon the facts that the eventual human-to-human killer virus that will emerge will be a new strain due to the fact that viruses constantly mutate and that owing to the initial incubation period for bird flu to show its ugly face, the virus will have spread like wildfire across the world through millions travelling internationally on a daily basis. Indeed, the avian flu strain is 20 times more virulent than the 1917/18 Spanish flu that killed between 50 million and 100 million people, but where this time, literally hundreds of millions will perish with this ill thought out strategy by our political leaders and governments. What should have been undertaken is that this highly contagious disease should have been addressed at its source (prevention) and where history again will confirm this eventual conclusion. Unfortunately by then, this terrible event will have taken place. Governments should rethink therefore before it is too late and adopt predominantly a - field- strategy, for this is the only strategy that will work and stop the unimaginable happening. Governments have been warned continuously, but where they do not wish to listen due to the powerful overtones delivered to our political leaders by the giant pharmaceuticals in their quest for profits (or selfish greed dependant on which point-of-view one wishes to take). One has to remember also that since 2003 the human mortality rate through the bird flu virus has been 62% and where only 38 people on average out of every hundred has survived. Overall therefore it has to be said that these vast profit-orientated pharmaceutical companies have not stopped any of these deaths through their highly expensive drugs and where things will be no different when the eventual pandemic arrives. It is hoped therefore that for the sake of humankind, that a major sea change takes place within the thinking of our political leaders in 2008, from one of cure to prevention, and before time literally runs out on us all. Indeed, in 2007, CNN.Com determined that 87% of voters considered that health agencies would NOT be able to respond effectively if there was an avian flu pandemic. These are therefore not fear factors but factors derived from pure logic and facts determined by some of the leading authoritive thinkers on the subject. Dr David Hill World Innovation Foundation Bern, Switzerland UK Postal Address: P O Box A60, Huddersfield, HD1 1XJ, United Kingdom UK Tel:0044(0)1484 537181 4th January 2008

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