US to test child bird flu vaccine .... experimenting on children !!!

[Guest guest]

What may be the first clinical trial of a vaccine against the deadly

strain of bird flu in children is set to take place in the US.

Scientists in St Louis want to test the vaccine, made from an inert

form of the potentially lethal H5N1 virus, on 120 children aged

between two and nine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4719502.stm

Centre for Clinical Vaccine Control experts say there is no risk and

warn the young are more vulnerable to flu.

News of the trials emerged as the virus reached birds in Austria and

Germany.

On Thursday, EU vets announced agreed to boost measures to prevent

the spread of bird flu, increasing exclusion zones to 6.5m (10km)

from one mile (1.6km) around affected areas, plus additional buffer

zones.

We are confident that what we are doing is safe

Dr Belshe

Centre for Clinical Vaccine Control, St Louis

Experts are working to develop a vaccine which could be used if a

flu pandemic occurred.

It is believed the most likely way for this to happen would be if

the H5N1 virus combined with a human flu.

The vaccine being tested in the US is made from a strain of the

virus found in Vietnam.

It has already been tested by the National Institutes of Health on

adults at clinical sites in the US.

Director of the centre in St Louis Dr Belshe said it was

crucial a vaccine was designed particularly for children as they are

more susceptible to flu and have a different pattern of immune

response to adults.

It is also thought that children are a key link in diseases

spreading to pandemic proportions.

His team is currently recruiting for the study funded by the

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Stockpile?

Around 150 children die from influenza in the US each year so

designing a vaccine that protects them will be a key step in the

fight against any bird flu virus that might mutate to spread between

humans.

Dr Belshe told the BBC there was no need to be concerned about the

welfare of the children in the trial as any possible side-effects

were very small and consisted of a sore arm and low grade fever that

could be easily treated.

He said: " We are confident that what we are doing is safe and it

yields a lot of information on how to give the bird flu vaccine

should we need it. "

The vaccine is grown in hens' eggs, with one egg per dose, and there

are concerns that it may not be possible to create enough of it to

treat all the youngsters that may be affected should a flu pandemic

arise.

People are concentrating on this disease like never before

Professor Oxford

Professor Oxford, a virology expert at Barts and the London

Queen 's School of Medicine and Dentistry, said many

pharmaceutical companies were trying to create an H5N1 vaccine.

" People are concentrating on this disease like never before. "

He said there was disagreement among scientists about whether

vaccines protecting against existing strains of the H5N1 virus

should be created and stockpiled.

This is because many experts believe it would be better to wait and

create a vaccine based on the exact type of virus that emerges in

any future flu pandemic.

" I am in the group which things we should stockpile a vaccine and

then modify it if and when a pandemic happens.

" It's seems to be sensible to try to go on what we have got now and

indeed the government has already bought 2m doses H5N1 vaccine, " he

said.

Dr Jim on, principal scientist at the UK's National Institute

for Biological Standards and Control, said clinical trials of bird

flu vaccines were being carried out around in the world, in China,

Japan and Europe.

But he said he thought the US trial would be the first time a

vaccine had been tested in children.

[Guest guest]

What may be the first clinical trial of a vaccine against the deadly

strain of bird flu in children is set to take place in the US.

Scientists in St Louis want to test the vaccine, made from an inert

form of the potentially lethal H5N1 virus, on 120 children aged

between two and nine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4719502.stm

Centre for Clinical Vaccine Control experts say there is no risk and

warn the young are more vulnerable to flu.

News of the trials emerged as the virus reached birds in Austria and

Germany.

On Thursday, EU vets announced agreed to boost measures to prevent

the spread of bird flu, increasing exclusion zones to 6.5m (10km)

from one mile (1.6km) around affected areas, plus additional buffer

zones.

We are confident that what we are doing is safe

Dr Belshe

Centre for Clinical Vaccine Control, St Louis

Experts are working to develop a vaccine which could be used if a

flu pandemic occurred.

It is believed the most likely way for this to happen would be if

the H5N1 virus combined with a human flu.

The vaccine being tested in the US is made from a strain of the

virus found in Vietnam.

It has already been tested by the National Institutes of Health on

adults at clinical sites in the US.

Director of the centre in St Louis Dr Belshe said it was

crucial a vaccine was designed particularly for children as they are

more susceptible to flu and have a different pattern of immune

response to adults.

It is also thought that children are a key link in diseases

spreading to pandemic proportions.

His team is currently recruiting for the study funded by the

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Stockpile?

Around 150 children die from influenza in the US each year so

designing a vaccine that protects them will be a key step in the

fight against any bird flu virus that might mutate to spread between

humans.

Dr Belshe told the BBC there was no need to be concerned about the

welfare of the children in the trial as any possible side-effects

were very small and consisted of a sore arm and low grade fever that

could be easily treated.

He said: " We are confident that what we are doing is safe and it

yields a lot of information on how to give the bird flu vaccine

should we need it. "

The vaccine is grown in hens' eggs, with one egg per dose, and there

are concerns that it may not be possible to create enough of it to

treat all the youngsters that may be affected should a flu pandemic

arise.

People are concentrating on this disease like never before

Professor Oxford

Professor Oxford, a virology expert at Barts and the London

Queen 's School of Medicine and Dentistry, said many

pharmaceutical companies were trying to create an H5N1 vaccine.

" People are concentrating on this disease like never before. "

He said there was disagreement among scientists about whether

vaccines protecting against existing strains of the H5N1 virus

should be created and stockpiled.

This is because many experts believe it would be better to wait and

create a vaccine based on the exact type of virus that emerges in

any future flu pandemic.

" I am in the group which things we should stockpile a vaccine and

then modify it if and when a pandemic happens.

" It's seems to be sensible to try to go on what we have got now and

indeed the government has already bought 2m doses H5N1 vaccine, " he

said.

Dr Jim on, principal scientist at the UK's National Institute

for Biological Standards and Control, said clinical trials of bird

flu vaccines were being carried out around in the world, in China,

Japan and Europe.

But he said he thought the US trial would be the first time a

vaccine had been tested in children.

[Guest guest]

What may be the first clinical trial of a vaccine against the deadly

strain of bird flu in children is set to take place in the US.

Scientists in St Louis want to test the vaccine, made from an inert

form of the potentially lethal H5N1 virus, on 120 children aged

between two and nine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4719502.stm

Centre for Clinical Vaccine Control experts say there is no risk and

warn the young are more vulnerable to flu.

News of the trials emerged as the virus reached birds in Austria and

Germany.

On Thursday, EU vets announced agreed to boost measures to prevent

the spread of bird flu, increasing exclusion zones to 6.5m (10km)

from one mile (1.6km) around affected areas, plus additional buffer

zones.

We are confident that what we are doing is safe

Dr Belshe

Centre for Clinical Vaccine Control, St Louis

Experts are working to develop a vaccine which could be used if a

flu pandemic occurred.

It is believed the most likely way for this to happen would be if

the H5N1 virus combined with a human flu.

The vaccine being tested in the US is made from a strain of the

virus found in Vietnam.

It has already been tested by the National Institutes of Health on

adults at clinical sites in the US.

Director of the centre in St Louis Dr Belshe said it was

crucial a vaccine was designed particularly for children as they are

more susceptible to flu and have a different pattern of immune

response to adults.

It is also thought that children are a key link in diseases

spreading to pandemic proportions.

His team is currently recruiting for the study funded by the

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Stockpile?

Around 150 children die from influenza in the US each year so

designing a vaccine that protects them will be a key step in the

fight against any bird flu virus that might mutate to spread between

humans.

Dr Belshe told the BBC there was no need to be concerned about the

welfare of the children in the trial as any possible side-effects

were very small and consisted of a sore arm and low grade fever that

could be easily treated.

He said: " We are confident that what we are doing is safe and it

yields a lot of information on how to give the bird flu vaccine

should we need it. "

The vaccine is grown in hens' eggs, with one egg per dose, and there

are concerns that it may not be possible to create enough of it to

treat all the youngsters that may be affected should a flu pandemic

arise.

People are concentrating on this disease like never before

Professor Oxford

Professor Oxford, a virology expert at Barts and the London

Queen 's School of Medicine and Dentistry, said many

pharmaceutical companies were trying to create an H5N1 vaccine.

" People are concentrating on this disease like never before. "

He said there was disagreement among scientists about whether

vaccines protecting against existing strains of the H5N1 virus

should be created and stockpiled.

This is because many experts believe it would be better to wait and

create a vaccine based on the exact type of virus that emerges in

any future flu pandemic.

" I am in the group which things we should stockpile a vaccine and

then modify it if and when a pandemic happens.

" It's seems to be sensible to try to go on what we have got now and

indeed the government has already bought 2m doses H5N1 vaccine, " he

said.

Dr Jim on, principal scientist at the UK's National Institute

for Biological Standards and Control, said clinical trials of bird

flu vaccines were being carried out around in the world, in China,

Japan and Europe.

But he said he thought the US trial would be the first time a

vaccine had been tested in children.

[Guest guest]

What may be the first clinical trial of a vaccine against the deadly

strain of bird flu in children is set to take place in the US.

Scientists in St Louis want to test the vaccine, made from an inert

form of the potentially lethal H5N1 virus, on 120 children aged

between two and nine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4719502.stm

Centre for Clinical Vaccine Control experts say there is no risk and

warn the young are more vulnerable to flu.

News of the trials emerged as the virus reached birds in Austria and

Germany.

On Thursday, EU vets announced agreed to boost measures to prevent

the spread of bird flu, increasing exclusion zones to 6.5m (10km)

from one mile (1.6km) around affected areas, plus additional buffer

zones.

We are confident that what we are doing is safe

Dr Belshe

Centre for Clinical Vaccine Control, St Louis

Experts are working to develop a vaccine which could be used if a

flu pandemic occurred.

It is believed the most likely way for this to happen would be if

the H5N1 virus combined with a human flu.

The vaccine being tested in the US is made from a strain of the

virus found in Vietnam.

It has already been tested by the National Institutes of Health on

adults at clinical sites in the US.

Director of the centre in St Louis Dr Belshe said it was

crucial a vaccine was designed particularly for children as they are

more susceptible to flu and have a different pattern of immune

response to adults.

It is also thought that children are a key link in diseases

spreading to pandemic proportions.

His team is currently recruiting for the study funded by the

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Stockpile?

Around 150 children die from influenza in the US each year so

designing a vaccine that protects them will be a key step in the

fight against any bird flu virus that might mutate to spread between

humans.

Dr Belshe told the BBC there was no need to be concerned about the

welfare of the children in the trial as any possible side-effects

were very small and consisted of a sore arm and low grade fever that

could be easily treated.

He said: " We are confident that what we are doing is safe and it

yields a lot of information on how to give the bird flu vaccine

should we need it. "

The vaccine is grown in hens' eggs, with one egg per dose, and there

are concerns that it may not be possible to create enough of it to

treat all the youngsters that may be affected should a flu pandemic

arise.

People are concentrating on this disease like never before

Professor Oxford

Professor Oxford, a virology expert at Barts and the London

Queen 's School of Medicine and Dentistry, said many

pharmaceutical companies were trying to create an H5N1 vaccine.

" People are concentrating on this disease like never before. "

He said there was disagreement among scientists about whether

vaccines protecting against existing strains of the H5N1 virus

should be created and stockpiled.

This is because many experts believe it would be better to wait and

create a vaccine based on the exact type of virus that emerges in

any future flu pandemic.

" I am in the group which things we should stockpile a vaccine and

then modify it if and when a pandemic happens.

" It's seems to be sensible to try to go on what we have got now and

indeed the government has already bought 2m doses H5N1 vaccine, " he

said.

Dr Jim on, principal scientist at the UK's National Institute

for Biological Standards and Control, said clinical trials of bird

flu vaccines were being carried out around in the world, in China,

Japan and Europe.

But he said he thought the US trial would be the first time a

vaccine had been tested in children.