Vaccine. New influenza A(H1N1) vaccine: How ready are we for large-scale production?

[Giuseppe]

Vaccine. 2009 Jun 26. [Epub ahead of print]

New influenza A(H1N1) vaccine: How ready are we for large-scale production?

Collin N, de Radigu?s X, Kieny MP;
the World Health Organization H1N1 Vaccine Task Force. World Health Organization, Avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.


The threat of an influenza pandemic has emerged once again, this time in the form of a new strain of influenza A(H1N1) virus. Fortunately, the international community, including influenza vaccine manufacturers, has been increasing its preparedness for such an event, triggered by the need to stem the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus over recent years. Today, the development of a pandemic influenza vaccine in the fastest possible time is a global priority. However, two major issues need to be taken into consideration: how long will it take to produce sufficient pandemic vaccine doses to immunize the global population at risk, including poor populations that have no resources to purchase the vaccine; and how will pandemic vaccine production affect availability of trivalent vaccine for the forthcoming 2009-2010 influenza seasons. To address these questions, WHO carried out a survey in May 2009 among influenza vaccine manufacturers on their planned seasonal and pandemic production with a view to developing recommendations on the distribution and use of influenza vaccine in the case of a pandemic.

PMID: 19563891 [PubMed - as supplied by publishe
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[the doctor]

Re: Vaccine. New influenza A(H1N1) vaccine: How ready are we for large-scale production?

I understand the concern shared by many in the PH community worldwide about the need to continue to produce seasonal flu vaccine since at the present, most people who die from flu die from these strains.

However, this view should be tempered by the fact that one of the characteristic developments seen with the three 20th century pandemics is that the pandemic strain soon replaces all the excising strains in circulation. An exception to this was the emergence of H1N1 in 1977 which continues to co-circulate with H2N3, the cause of the 1968 pandemic. This is an anomaly as is the 1977 H1N1 itself which apparently represents a virus that was released into the human population from a laboratory. The evidence for this can be found in an article published last week in the NEJM. Here is the link:http://content.nejm.org/cgi/reprint/NEJMra0904322.pdf

IMO then, if novel H1N1 is a pandemic strain, and I think it is, then it will likely replace the seasonal type A strains currently in circulation. I imagine we will see if this dogma applies to the artifact of the cold war biolab, 1977 H1N1 or not but my guess is that it will.

The question is how fast will this occur? I don't know but would appreciate comments from others who might have this information or at least make a guess.

Grattan Woodson, MD

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: Vaccine. New influenza A(H1N1) vaccine: How ready are we for large-scale production?

I posted earlier a call for an evaluation of the presentation by Adolfo Garcia-Sastre.

He presented the potential vaccine protection against a biosecurity breach in his laboratory when managing ''spanish flu'' re-constructed reassortant viruses.

According his work, it seems that in animal models human seasonal vaccines based on H1N1/texas and H1N1/new caledonia could protect against lethal dose induced infections by H1N1/1918-type virus.

The protection was calculated in about 60% of infected animals.

No protection by H3N2 vaccines or placebo-containing vaccines.

 

[Zac]

Re: Vaccine. New influenza A(H1N1) vaccine: How ready are we for large-scale production?

Since next seasonal vaccination calls for a formulation that has 2 of the same components as last year, wouldn't it make more sense to not produce those and instead produce swine flu vaccine using their manufacturing lines?


2008/2009
* an A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like virus;
* an A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus;
* a B/Florida/4/2006-like virus

2009/2010
* an A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like virus;
* an A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus;
* a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flu_vaccine#Annual_reformulation_of_flu_vaccine

 

[marcovth]

Re: Vaccine. New influenza A(H1N1) vaccine: How ready are we for large-scale production?

In Quebec, they are growing H1N1 vaccine in plants.

This can be scaled up very quickly, and these plants can be sold to production facilities all over the world.

I hope they will be on time to get the product approved before the panic starts.

http://www.medicago.com/upload/MDG H1N1 immunogenicity results Jun09 FINAL EN.pdf