Americans May Get Three-Shot Flu Vaccine Series

[pablomorgan]

Washington, DC) -- Americans may get more than the traditional single flu shot this year.

"The Washington Post" reports the Obama administration is pondering a fall campaign that would give people three flu shots.

One injection would be targeted at the traditional seasonal flu, while the remaining two would be designed to prevent infection with the swine flu virus.

The "Post" cites Centers for Disease Control and Prevention immunization practices advisory committee chairman Dale Morse as saying another option would be to add an ingredient aimed at the swine flu to the regular seasonal vaccine.

Experts are reportedly working with the Obama administration to figure out how to educate the public and implement administration of two different influenza vaccines in the same flu season.

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine preventive medicine expert William Schaffner says, quote, "they have never tried this before, and there is going to be a great deal of confusion." Health officials have been asked to accelerate production of the seasonal flu vaccine to accommodate possible mass production of a vaccine for swine flu.

http://mystateline.com/content/fulltext/?cid=64981

 

[pablomorgan]

Re: Americans May Get Three-Shot Flu Vaccine Series

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/health/swineflu/index.html

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Americans May Get Three-Shot Flu Vaccine Series

And the production capacity to do this is where???

I do not believe there is enough production capacity to produce both the seasonal flu vaccine and any other flu vaccine in conjunction.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong.

I think this is magical thinking.

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: Americans May Get Three-Shot Flu Vaccine Series

And the production capacity to do this is where???

I do not believe there is enough production capacity to produce both the seasonal flu vaccine and any other flu vaccine in conjunction.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong.

I think this is magical thinking.

Production of seasonal human trivalent influenza vaccines is near the conclusion. So, when the 'desk' will be clean, pharma companies could start the novel H1N1 influenza virus vaccine production, if it will be decided to do, of course.

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Americans May Get Three-Shot Flu Vaccine Series

I think they have completed 60% of the production approximately.

Please see this:


http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=102938

 

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: Americans May Get Three-Shot Flu Vaccine Series

My guess is they would limit the yearly flu shot to those in high risk categories. This would lessen the need to produce as much vaccines as they normally would. It would then open a window of opportunity to start manufacturing the swine vax. Let's hope the swine replicates well in chicken eggs.

 

[mixin]

Re: Americans May Get Three-Shot Flu Vaccine Series

My Cidrap post: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=102325

Some manufacturers are done, some aren't.

Rumors are that the seed strain is not growing well in eggs.

Figures on production capacity depends on who is talking.

If pilot lots pass clinical trials and move to full manufacture—a process that would take several more months—another significant hurdle remains: how to get the vaccine past government regulators.

 

[High Risk]

Re: Americans May Get Three-Shot Flu Vaccine Series

Mixin (#7),

I know nothing about the preferred culture mediums ---- eggs, I assume. Is fermented e-coli ever used? A swine virus ought to love that. As disgusting as that sounds, e-coli is used in some genetic-engineering. However, I have zero idea what the normal protocols and mediums are for vaccines.

 

[JJackson]

Re: Americans May Get Three-Shot Flu Vaccine Series

Hi High Risk
The virus needs to grow in the a cell type with cellular machinery similar to its native host. A number of companies are - or have - produced cell based vaccine production facilities in response to the threat posed by H5N1. Baxter are prominent among them and use a Vero cell line, which comes from Green Monkeys. The problem is partially low capacity, as most plants are not yet on line, but mainly regulatory. This is a new vaccine technology and needs to go through the standard clinical trials procedure. Most are only at stage one which means they have been tried on animals and a few young fit humans but there is a long way to go before they are ready to be unleashed on the general population with all its underlying medical complaints, diverse genetic background and the myriad of other drugs they already have in there systems. The adverse reaction which stopped the last attempt as mass immunisation, against a potential flu pandemic in 1976, was due to about 50 excess GBS cases found after 40 million people had been vaccinated. Hence the need for careful testing. If you are going to be vaccinating over a billion people you need to be sure you are aware of even the most uncommon severe adverse reactions. The one in a million chance is still 1000 dead people.