H1N1 Flu Pandemic Research Articles

Many Contingencies To Face in Readying H1N1 Influenza Vaccines

Public health officials, vaccine producers, and other experts with responsibilities for countering influenza outbreaks are scrambling to develop, evaluate, produce, and deploy vaccines to protect against both seasonal and the new H1N1 pandemic flu viruses. With so much at stake and many uncertainties, they also are reviewing a range of contingencies, even while acknowledging that circumstances will likely eliminate some of those contingencies and give rise to others. Key uncertainties as of late August included questions as to whether the H1N1 virus would better adapt to humans and become more virulent, how to overcome inefficiencies in vaccine productivity, whether to approve adjuvant use, what population groups are to be accorded priority for the H1N1 vaccine once it becomes available, and what strategy to follow in using diagnostic procedures, some of which performed poorly during earlier phases of this pandemic (Microbe, September 2009, p. 405.)

Adjuvant is necessary for a robust immune response to a single dose of H1N1 pandemic flu vaccine in mice

Pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine antigens are currently being manufactured. The MF59 adjuvant has an established safety profile in humans and a proven ability to increase responses to some influenza vaccines in humans. To inform initial decisions on the use of these vaccine components to protect human populations, we have immunized mice with MF59-adjuvanted or non-adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine. Immunizing unprimed mice with a single dose of MF59-adjuvanted vaccine elicits functional antibody titers equivalent to those associated with protection of humans from seasonal influenza. Without adjuvant, two doses are required for a robust antibody response. Unadjuvanted vaccines with 0.5 and 1 microgram of antigen elicit equivalent titers. These data support including MF59 in pandemic flu vaccines to rapidly protect young adults and children, who may have little or no previous exposure to influenza infection or immunization.

‘Swine flu', to do or not to do?

On 11 June 2009 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a H1N1 (swine) flu pandemic. I was interested in Charles's comments on the potential severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic (Clin Med August 2003 ) and so I rang to ask if we could meet and discuss what he thought about the

In the Shadow of the H1N1 Flu Pandemic: Internet Resources

In the Shadow of the H1N1 Flu Pandemic: Internet Resources