SeniorJournal.com

INDEX

FRONT PAGE

PAGE TWO
More Headlines

 • General Features

 • Find Help

 • SENIOR ALERTS

 • Baby Boomers

 • Odds & Ends

Health-Fitness

 • Fitness

 • Health/Medicine

 • Medical Research

 • Nutrition/Vitamin

Government

 • Politics

 • Medicare

 • Medicare Drug Program

 • Medicare Q&A - Dear Marci

 • Medicaid

 • Social Security

 • Social Security, Medicare Q&A

 • Social Security Reform

Enjoying Life

 • Books

 • Entertainment

 • Features

 • Grandparents

 • Senior Statistics

 • Senior Stars

 • Sex & Seniors

 • Sports

 • Travel

 • Senior Volunteers

On The Web

 • Links - Senior

 • Senior Friendly Business Links

 • Sites We Like

Elderly Issues

 • Elder Care

 • Assistance for Elderly

 • Housing

Money 

Thinking

 • Opinions

E-mail this page to a friend!

Flu News for Senior Citizens

As H5N1 Virus Concern Grows, U.S. Buys Additional Influenza Vaccine

U.S. wants to prepare to protect 20 million from pandemic

November 20, 2006 – The U.S. government has taken another step toward building a stockpile of vaccine to protect 20 million people in the event of an influenza pandemic. The newest vaccine purchases of 5.3 million doses supplements the existing stockpile of 5.9 million doses of H5N1 vaccine. Health & Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced the department has awarded contracts totaling $199.45 million to three vaccine makers to the 90-microgram doses.

The H5N1 strain of avian flu has spread to more than 40 countries and has led to the deaths of hundreds of millions of additional birds, which has heightened concern about the possibility of a human flu pandemic.

Furthermore, the number of avian flu cases in humans has reached more than 250 cases in 10 countries. More than half of those persons infected have died. To date, H5N1 avian influenza has remained primarily an animal disease, but should the virus acquire the ability for sustained transmission among humans, the potential for an influenza pandemic would have grave consequences for global public health.

The three awards by HHS include a $117.9 million contract to sanofi pasteur for 3.7 million doses, a $40.95 million contract to Novartis for 800,000 doses and a $40.6 million to GlaxoSmithKline for 800,000 doses.

"Having a stockpile of influenza vaccine that may offer protection against the H5N1 virus is an important part of our pandemic influenza preparedness plan," Secretary Leavitt said. "These contracts are a continuation of our aggressive multi-pronged approach to a potentially critical public health challenge."

At two 90-microgram doses per person, these purchases provide enough courses to vaccinate nearly 2.7 million people. Initial clinical studies of H5N1 vaccine in humans have shown that two 90-microgram doses of the vaccine are required to stimulate a level of immune response that researchers anticipate would provide protection for an individual against the H5N1 strains that have been spreading among birds in Asia.

However, further clinical testing is underway, including the evaluation of techniques that may reduce the amount of antigen (active ingredient) per dose needed to achieve effective individual protection.

This additional vaccine will be placed in the nation's Strategic National Stockpile where they will be available for use should an influenza pandemic occur.

HHS' effort to stockpile vaccine is part of a broader effort by the department to accelerate the development and production of new technologies for influenza vaccines within the U.S. Earlier this year, HHS announced a $1 billion investment to support the advanced development of cell-based production technologies for influenza vaccines and will help to modernize and strengthen the nation's influenza vaccine production by creating an alternative to producing influenza vaccines in eggs.

Search for more about this topic on SeniorJournal.com
		Web	SeniorJournal.com

Click to More Senior News on the Front Page

Copyright: SeniorJournal.com