(CIDRAP News) While most vaccine manufacturers have reaped below-average crops of H1N1 influenza vaccine virus from the eggs in which they're grown, MedImmune Inc. has a different problem: high virus yields, but a potential shortage of the devices used to spray the vaccine into the nose.
(CIDRAP News) The top US advisory panel on immunizations recommended today that groups totaling up to 159 million people be targeted for vaccination against the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus but that a narrower population of about 41 million have priority if initial supplies are short.
(CIDRAP News) The immunization advisory group for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) meets tomorrow in an emergency session to discuss which groups should be targeted to receive the pandemic H1N1 vaccine and whether some should have priority.
(CIDRAP News) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may review vaccines for the novel H1N1 influenza virus the same way it evaluates the annual updates of seasonal flu vaccines, which would probably lead to faster FDA approval than occurs with brand-new products, an FDA official said in the wake of an FDA advisory committee meeting today.
(CIDRAP News) Federal health officials today announced plans to launch several clinical trials of pandemic H1N1 vaccines in a race to gather safety and immunogenicity data in time for a possible fall resurgence of the novel virus. In some of the trials, volunteers will receive H1N1 and seasonal flu shots at the same time.
(CIDRAP News) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday announced its approval of seasonal influenza vaccines for this year, the annual step that clears the way for manufacturers to start marketing their vaccines.
(CIDRAP News) If an effective vaccine for pandemic H1N1 influenza is available, the federal government expects to mount an H1N1 vaccination campaign this fall, initially targeting schoolchildren, adults with health problems, pregnant women, and healthcare and emergency workers, a top US official said today.
(CIDRAP News) The US government has granted Protein Sciences Corp. (PSC) of Meriden, Conn., a $35 million contract to develop its technique for making influenza vaccines by growing flu virus proteins in insect cells, an approach said to be faster than traditional methods.
Jun 17, 2009
The World Health Organization's (WHO's) count of novel H1N1 influenza cases reached 26,563 today, an increase of 1,275 since yesterday, Dr. Keiji Fukuda reported at a news briefing from Geneva. The death toll increased by 1, to 140, while the number of affected countries stayed the same at 73. Fukuda is the WHO's assistant director-general for health security and the environment.[Canwest News Service story]
