Med News Today

Bird Flu Vaccine Failure

The LA Times is reporting that the vaccine being tested for avian flu does not work half the time.

Exerpt:

The experimental bird flu vaccine required 12 times the dose of the seasonal inoculation. That in effect would cut down the nation's stockpile of the vaccine, purchased for about $160 million, to approximately 4 million courses — enough to inoculate only some healthcare and vaccine workers.

The current pandemic flu plan, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in November, calls for enough vaccine for 20 million people, though it does not set a timetable for acquiring the shots.

While only 180 cases of avian flu have been recorded, according to a report from the World Health Organization, 105 of those have died.

posted by nattietodd @ 3:20 AM