Single Swine-Flu Vaccine Shot Effective, Study Finds
The new swine flu vaccine appears to be highly effective for adults with just one shot, a major boost to the massive immunization campaign that officials are planning to protect against the first influenza pandemic in 41 years, researchers reported Thursday.
Preliminary data from a study involving 240 adults in Australia found that a single standard dose of vaccine produced an immune response within 21 days that appeared easily adequate to protect against the new virus, known as H1N1. The vaccine also appeared safe.
The eagerly awaited findings mark the first results from a flurry of studies that scientists have been rushing to conduct as part of a crash program to develop a vaccine against the virus. The findings indicate that plans to vaccinate millions of Americans--the most ambitious vaccine campaign in U.S. history--and around the world could occur much more quickly and require far less vaccine that officials had feared when they assumed two doses would be necessary.
"This is good news," said Anthony S. Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is leading the nation's efforts to develop the vaccine. "This is very good news. If you needed two doses that would be a major strain on vaccine supplies nationally and globally."
The Health and Human Services Department is planning to release the results of its studies testing the vaccine Friday. Fauci would not disclose any details except to say that the findings will be consistent with these findings and show the response occurs even more quickly---after just eight to 10 days.
"The NIH clinical trials results verify and corroborate the exciting results" from the Australian study, Fauci said, adding there was no reason to suspect vaccine produced by any of the five companies producing the vaccine would be different.
"They are really the same. The seed virus is the same. They are made the same way," Fauci said. "Even though they are from different companies you don't usually see differences from one company to another."
Results from additional studies will be needed to see whether children need one or two doses, he added. Young children usually need two flu shots because they have never been exposed to the flu.
The National Institutes of Health is conducting a series of studies testing the vaccine on a total of 4,600 volunteers, including adults, children and pregnant women.
"We will hopefully get some information about kids from our trial in a couple of weeks," Fauci said.
The results from the CSL vaccine manufacturer in Australia will be published in The New England Journal of Medicine but were released early by the journal online Thursday because of the urgency of the findings. The study involved a standard dose of 15 micrograms of vaccine.
They were published with a second study led by Iain Stephenon of the Leicester Royal Infirmatory in Britain involving 175 healthy British adults ages 18 to 50 who received another version of the vaccine made by Novartis. They received half that dose along with a substance known as an adjuvant, which can boost the effectiveness of vaccine. The study found that produced adequate immune response within 14 days. Adjuvants have been used widely in Europe, which could extend the supplies even further.
Source: Washington Post
« Back to US News
Related News
-
Swine flu vaccine clinics are curbed as supplies lag Sep 10, 2009 @ 01:15 AM
A slowdown in the production of the H1N1 flu vaccine is forcing some Washington area health officials to cancel or limit immunization clinics until more supplies arrive.
-
US Can Cut Half Its Carbon Emissions From Transportation by 2050 ... Sep 10, 2009 @ 01:15 AM
The United States can cut greenhouse gas emissions from transportation in half by 2050 with strategies ranging from cutting speed limits to imposing road pricing, according to a report released today by federal agencies and environmental and industry groups.
-
Study Finds One in 10 Babies Are Born Prematurely Sep 10, 2009 @ 01:15 AM
Around the world about one in 10 babies are born prematurely each year, and more than one-quarter of the deaths that occur in the month after birth are the consequence of preterm birth.
-
Did ACORN get too big for its own good? Sep 10, 2009 @ 01:15 AM
WASHINGTON — Activist group ACORN started in 1970 to help the poor in Arkansas and quickly went national, growing into a multimillion-dollar conglomerate with a mission so far-flung that schools now bear its name, two radio stations are affiliates and a man it backed is the president. Oh yeah, it's also the unwilling star of a hot Internet video featuring a couple dressed as a hooker and her pimp.
-
Howard Kurtz Discusses the Media and Press Coverage of the News Sep 10, 2009 @ 01:15 AM
Washington Post staff writer and columnist Howard Kurtz was online Monday, Sept. 14, at Noon ET to take your questions and comments about the media and and press coverage of the news.
