H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine
Problems Creating H1N1 Vaccine Make For Tough Choices
The World Health Organization [WHO] has proclaimed that frontline responders to any pandemic, primary health care workers, should receive priority when initial vaccine is made available for novel influenza A H1N1 virus. Pharmaceutical companies are in rapid pursuit of as much vaccine as possible to combat the deadly flu strain currently circling the globe. Wealthy countries are purchasing their share of vaccine and poorer countries are at a disadvantage according to the WHO. Wealthier countries are being asked to share their supplies with poor countries or fund the purchase for these poorer, less fortunate populations.
As countries line up for vaccine the initial yields from producers of the vaccine has been a letdown. The seed virus is grown in chicken eggs which are critical to vaccine production and these yields have so far disappointed coming in at twenty five to fifty percent of the average seasonal flu production levels. Manufacturers are creating substitute strains and examining them in the hope they can increase the harvest.
The WHO raised the alert level to a six on June 11 classifying H1N1 a pandemic as the previously named swine flu began to increase its global march. The newly named novel Influenza A has to this point caused relatively mild symptoms in those afflicted and deaths have been few considering past pandemics to this point though hundreds have perished and medical experts are concerned the mortality rate will increase substantially without some form of immunization regimen in place as quickly as possible.
Certain portions of the population have proven particularly vulnerable to the illness including pregnant women , asthmatics and obese persons. These groups seem to be susceptible to hazardous difficulties combating the virus. The WHO advisory to immunize health care providers is to ensure that the medical system and its health care workers will continue to thrive in each country as the virus continues to spread and progress. Countries in general must decide on their own who receives the vaccine and prioritize accordingly after the high risk groups have been immunized. After first responders and pregnant women those with chronic illnesses should follow and governments may deem it necessary to vaccinate children due to close quarter transmission at school and in their home.
Countries are also being advised to fulfill their commitment to vaccinate for seasonal influenza and there are no shortages of vaccine due to timing of production for seasonal flu varieties. Seasonal flu vaccine is produced using three different strains of flu virus – the seasonal H1N1 strain related by distance to the pandemic strain, also the H3N2 virus and an influenza B strain of virus.
Most major pharmaceutical companies are working diligently on producing flu vaccines including GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and AstraZeneca’s Medimmune. Some smaller manufacturers were achieving seasonal flu like values using what are known as live attenuated viruses to produce their vaccines and these results were promising.
Since the results of this vaccine production is lower than anticipated the WHO is reviewing their forecast for H1N1 vaccine availability. They previously stated that approximately 4.9 billion units would be available in time for the following flu season based on only one shot per person which has not been confirmed as yet. They were also counting on similar harvests to seasonal flu outputs of vaccine and hadn’t anticipated the low yields.