H5N1 vaccine could be basis for life-saving stockpile
Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have announced that a vaccine they developed a few years ago against one antigenic variant of the avian influenza virus H5N1 may protect humans against future variants of the virus. Vaccines based on this model might therefore be suitable for stockpiling for use during a pandemic (worldwide epidemic) until a new vaccine could be developed specif...Health and Human Services stockpiles 20 million bird flu Vaccines
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to stock vaccines and anti-viral drugs for 20 million people has come under strong criticism for the past some days by Infectious Diseases // Society of America and other critics who say that the stocks are not enough and HHS should stock at least 100 million vaccine stocks in order to effectively prevent flu pandemic. HHS earlier ann...Australian Government To Stockpile Anti-Bird Flu Drug Relenza
The Australian Government has announced that it will be spending $60 million to buy 1.8 courses of the anti-bird flu drug Relenza from Biota Holdings. //Australian Health Minister Tony Abbott confirmed the order yesterday. The drug had been licensed by Biota to pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline, but Biota had alleged that GSK failed to market this properly. GSK has refuted this alle...US Citizens Told To Stockpile For Bird Flu Outbreak
US citizens in Hong Kong have been advised to build a three-month stockpile of food, medicine and water in their homes// in case of a bird flu pandemic, a news report said Tuesday. An advisory has been sent out to all 60,000 registered US citizens in the former British colony urging them to prepare the stockpiles ahead of the coming winter flu season. It suggests stockpiling...WHOs Plan of Global Stockpile of Bird Flu Vaccine Gathers Momentum
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it is working with vaccine manufacturers to move ahead on plans to create a global stockpile of vaccine for the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The announcement follows a request by the World Health Assembly in May for WHO to establish an international stockpile of H5N1 vaccine. WHO has also welcomed the announcement by G...