HK and US scientists develop new bird flu vaccine
Hong Kong and US scientists have developed a new vaccine against the H5N1 bird flu virus which could be cheaper and more effective than its predecessors, the University of Hong Kong said.
Hong Kong and US scientists have developed a new vaccine against the H5N1 bird flu virus which could be cheaper and more effective than its predecessors, the University of Hong Kong said.
Microbiologists from the university and the National Institutes of Health in the United States said the vaccine, created by genetically modifying a smallpox vaccine, had a quicker immune response than existing alternatives.
As such, it was a potential solution to future H5 pandemics.
"A single dose of the vaccine will provide rapid protective immune responses," the university said in a statement.
"In a H5 pandemic situation, such vaccines may have to be deployed at short notice. The induction of good and rapid protective immune response after the first dose of vaccine is a major advantage," it said.
The production of the vaccine does not require sophisticated facilities, making it easier for poor countries to produce, the university said.
The team hopes the new vaccine can ride on the various advantages of the smallpox vaccine, which is very cheap and has a shelf life of several years, according to a Monday report in the South China Morning Post.