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The only way?
US races to make vaccine against new bird flu ? just in case
By Maggie Fox, Senior Writer, NBC News
Less than two weeks after Chinese officials released the genetic sequence of a new type of bird flu, U.S. vaccine experts are well on the way to making a vaccine to protect people against it.
[snip]
Two seasonal flu vaccines that use new technology approved within the past six months should help speed up the process. That same techonology can be used to make other vaccines, including one to protect against H7N9. And Dr. Robin Robinson of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Health and Human Services Department, says H7N9 is giving his department the chance for what he hopes will be a dry run.
[snip]
Seven companies make flu vaccines for the U.S. market, and the CDC and HHS are heavily invested in encouraging people to get vaccinated each year, not only to protect themselves from flu, but to keep a market incentive for companies to make flu vaccine.
But Monto says it?s the only way. ?If the companies were not involved in producing a vaccine and taking risks each year, we wouldn?t have vaccines,? he says. And seasonal flu is nothing to sneeze at -- killing upwards of 40,000 people in a bad year.
Robinson says these preparedness efforts have been spared so far from budget cuts hitting other areas of government...
By Maggie Fox, Senior Writer, NBC News
Less than two weeks after Chinese officials released the genetic sequence of a new type of bird flu, U.S. vaccine experts are well on the way to making a vaccine to protect people against it.
[snip]
Two seasonal flu vaccines that use new technology approved within the past six months should help speed up the process. That same techonology can be used to make other vaccines, including one to protect against H7N9. And Dr. Robin Robinson of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Health and Human Services Department, says H7N9 is giving his department the chance for what he hopes will be a dry run.
[snip]
Seven companies make flu vaccines for the U.S. market, and the CDC and HHS are heavily invested in encouraging people to get vaccinated each year, not only to protect themselves from flu, but to keep a market incentive for companies to make flu vaccine.
But Monto says it?s the only way. ?If the companies were not involved in producing a vaccine and taking risks each year, we wouldn?t have vaccines,? he says. And seasonal flu is nothing to sneeze at -- killing upwards of 40,000 people in a bad year.
Robinson says these preparedness efforts have been spared so far from budget cuts hitting other areas of government...