An institute in Vietnam, The Nha Trang Institute of Vaccines and Biological Products, has announced that it has successfully produced 5,000 doses of a H5N1 vaccine for humans from chick embryos.
The vaccine tested on white mice, guinea pigs and cockerels resulted in similar reactions. The observations have been sent to Vietnam's National Institute of Verification of Vaccines and Biological Products. It is reported that the quality was tested against the World Health Organization (WHO)'s standards.A group of scientists injected two doses of vaccine into white mice, guinea pig and cockerels; the second dose given 20 days after the first..
Samples obtained from the vaccinated animals ten days after the second dose, showed that the vaccine produced the highest hemagglutinin (HA) antibody levels.
Nguyen Thi Minh Hien, one of those involved in the research, said the institute is planning to produce another 5,000 doses of the vaccine in early 2007. Various international verification centres will carry out the tests. If successful, the institute will propose a test on humans.
Vietnam is one of the Asiatic nations worst hit by this virus.
The Vietnamese Health Ministry reports 93 bird flu cases in humans in 32 localities since December 2003. These include 42 fatalities.
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Source-Medindia
SRM/ASH/L
