Safety

UK firm says its bird flu vaccine could vaccinate the world

Emergency Management Alert, July 19, 2005

A British pharmaceutical firm says it has developed a DNA-based bird flu vaccine which could easily be mass produced and help shield the world's population from bird flu, reports BBC News.

PowerMed's vaccine is further away from market than other vaccines, but is expected to enter clinical trials next year. The firm says 1.2kg of the vaccine could vaccinate the United States population twice over.

PowerMed could produce enough of the vaccine to protect the world within three months, according to Clive Dix, MD, chief executive of PowerMed. He added that the vaccine could be easily adapted if the virus strain mutates.

The vaccine is produced by cloning a gene from the current bird flu and inserting it into an existing DNA backbone vaccine. The biggest production advantage, according to PowerMed, is that the vaccine does not need to be produced in as secure an environment as vaccines grown in chicken eggs.

    Hospital Safety Center

  • Hospital Safety Center

    Improve compliance with hospital safety standards from The Joint Commission, OSHA, and other regulators with this...

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance

    Learn Life Safety Code tips and interpretations for healthcare facilities with this in-depth monthly resource.

  • Hospital Safety Connection

    Stay on top of hospital safety requirements and best practices with our free, fast-paced weekly update.

  • Administering Your OSHA Program

    This course will help an employee new to the role of OSHA safety officer. It gives an overview of OSHA requirements and...

  • Medical OSHA Manual Combo

    Get into compliance with Quality America's OSHA Safety Program Manual and stay in compliance with OSHA Watch Newsletter...

Most Popular

Related Articles