World Health Organization: One Step Closer to Bird Flu

The World Health Organization has stated we are now in the 3rd phase of a 6 phase wait for the expected bird flu pandemic.

Experts at WHO and elsewhere believe that the world is now closer to another influenza pandemic than at any time since 1968, when the last of the previous century's three pandemics occurred. WHO uses a series of six phases of pandemic alert as a system for informing the world of the seriousness of the threat and of the need to launch progressively more intense preparedness activities.

In June, 2007 the World Health Organization in cooperation with a major pharmaceutical company which manufactures flu vaccines, announced that it would initiate stock-piling for the eventual arrival of H5N1 (bird flu).

So far, the virus has not been transmitted human to human; but only bird to human. Of those infected, 50% died. Therefore, this virus is very powerful. A major concern is that there are insufficient supplies of a vaccine to protect us, and the present conventional vaccinations would be useless. Additionally, humans do not have any antibodies to protect them from this particular flu, and would require two vaccinations to gain any immunity.

Therefore, it comes as good news that through new technology, an oil in water emulsion adjuvant has increased the potency of the available flu vaccine; less vaccine has to be given, and a one time administration is sufficient. The oil phase contained 5% DL-α-tocopherol and squalene, and the aqueous phase contained 2% of the non-ionic detergent polysorbate 80.

Obviously, this vaccine has significant benefits, and the technique can be used once the particular mutation of the bird flu virus has been identified to ramp up production.

One caveat: the above technique was used in a very small sample, compared to the global population that would require vaccination if (and when) the bird flu transmissions occur human to human.

Source

The Lancet
Sambhara S, Poland GA. "Breaking the immunogenicity barrier of bird flu vaccines." Lancet 2007;270:544-545.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/Vaccines/dh/6429

Leroux-Roels I et al. "Antigen sparing and cross-reactive immunity with an adjuvanted rH5N1 prototype pandemic influenza vaccine: a randomised controlled trial." Lancet 2007;270:580-589.