Seeking a silver bullet
Dal prof to lead testing of flu vaccine
By JOHN McPHEE Health Reporter, The Chronicle Herald (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Fri. Jun 19 - 4:46 AM
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1128140.html
A Dalhousie University immunology professor will lead a national research network to evaluate the vaccine for the H1N1 virus.
Scott Halperin will co-ordinate the work of 80 researchers across Canada who will develop ways of rapidly testing the vaccine ? as soon as one is manufactured ? for safety in clinical trials.
They will also come up with a plan to make sure everyone who needs the vaccine receives it, in the event of a severe pandemic.
Once the vaccine is distributed, the researchers will continue to monitor safety and distribution.
"Obviously in the clinical trials, we?ll be measuring safety, but it will be in a relatively small number of people," Mr. Halperin said.
"Once it?s implemented, we want to be able to rapidly measure safety, and get the information back to the people who are making decisions (affecting) hundreds of thousands of people."
The federal government recently announced $10.8 million in funding for the network over three years.
Mr. Halperin, who is director of the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology, was appointed chief investigator this month.
The network of about 30 institutions was created through a partnership between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
At least five manufacturers are working on a pandemic vaccine in North America and Europe.
The vaccine will likely become available in October or November, Mr. Halperin said.
Canada has a contract with the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline to supply enough H1N1vaccine to reach every Canadian.
The company has a manufacturing facility in Quebec, so Canada is covered even if other countries close their borders to vaccine exports, which has happened in past pandemics, Mr. Halperin said.
The World Health Organization has declared the H1N1, or swine flu, outbreak as an official pandemic, based on the number of countries that have been affected.
About 170 people have died worldwide, but most cases have been mild.
Health officials warn a more severe form of the virus may appear in the fall.
"I think (that) is a distinct possibility," Mr. Halperin said.
"We know at the beginning of the outbreak, it was more severe with a lot of deaths in Mexico. We?re also seeing some more severity in our First Nations communities. And, as with other pandemics, we?re seeing young healthy people who have died, not just the elderly, as in the usual annual influenza.
"How severe a pandemic it could be, we don?t know."
For the same reason, the scope of a national vaccination program, or even if one will be done, isn?t known.
The decision will be made by public health experts, Mr. Halperin said.
"Once a decision has been made to use it . . . we?ll decide whether we?re going to immunize selected populations or the entire population, depending on who it?s affecting."
The vaccination would be administered in public health administered clinics, as opposed to doctor?s offices.
Mr. Halperin agrees with the province?s treatment of the H1N1 outbreak as a seasonal virus.
Of the 85 cases that have been reported from late April to Tuesday in Nova Scotia, only one person has been hospitalized.
"One has to have a measured response that?s related to how severe it is and how widespread it is in Nova Scotia," he said.
"Right now, the cases have been more like the annual flu so it makes sense to deal with it that way."
An update on the number of cases will be released today by the Department of Health Promotion and Protection.
Dal prof to lead testing of flu vaccine
By JOHN McPHEE Health Reporter, The Chronicle Herald (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Fri. Jun 19 - 4:46 AM
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1128140.html
A Dalhousie University immunology professor will lead a national research network to evaluate the vaccine for the H1N1 virus.
Scott Halperin will co-ordinate the work of 80 researchers across Canada who will develop ways of rapidly testing the vaccine ? as soon as one is manufactured ? for safety in clinical trials.
They will also come up with a plan to make sure everyone who needs the vaccine receives it, in the event of a severe pandemic.
Once the vaccine is distributed, the researchers will continue to monitor safety and distribution.
"Obviously in the clinical trials, we?ll be measuring safety, but it will be in a relatively small number of people," Mr. Halperin said.
"Once it?s implemented, we want to be able to rapidly measure safety, and get the information back to the people who are making decisions (affecting) hundreds of thousands of people."
The federal government recently announced $10.8 million in funding for the network over three years.
Mr. Halperin, who is director of the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology, was appointed chief investigator this month.
The network of about 30 institutions was created through a partnership between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
At least five manufacturers are working on a pandemic vaccine in North America and Europe.
The vaccine will likely become available in October or November, Mr. Halperin said.
Canada has a contract with the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline to supply enough H1N1vaccine to reach every Canadian.
The company has a manufacturing facility in Quebec, so Canada is covered even if other countries close their borders to vaccine exports, which has happened in past pandemics, Mr. Halperin said.
The World Health Organization has declared the H1N1, or swine flu, outbreak as an official pandemic, based on the number of countries that have been affected.
About 170 people have died worldwide, but most cases have been mild.
Health officials warn a more severe form of the virus may appear in the fall.
"I think (that) is a distinct possibility," Mr. Halperin said.
"We know at the beginning of the outbreak, it was more severe with a lot of deaths in Mexico. We?re also seeing some more severity in our First Nations communities. And, as with other pandemics, we?re seeing young healthy people who have died, not just the elderly, as in the usual annual influenza.
"How severe a pandemic it could be, we don?t know."
For the same reason, the scope of a national vaccination program, or even if one will be done, isn?t known.
The decision will be made by public health experts, Mr. Halperin said.
"Once a decision has been made to use it . . . we?ll decide whether we?re going to immunize selected populations or the entire population, depending on who it?s affecting."
The vaccination would be administered in public health administered clinics, as opposed to doctor?s offices.
Mr. Halperin agrees with the province?s treatment of the H1N1 outbreak as a seasonal virus.
Of the 85 cases that have been reported from late April to Tuesday in Nova Scotia, only one person has been hospitalized.
"One has to have a measured response that?s related to how severe it is and how widespread it is in Nova Scotia," he said.
"Right now, the cases have been more like the annual flu so it makes sense to deal with it that way."
An update on the number of cases will be released today by the Department of Health Promotion and Protection.