Bird flu vaccine produces promising results
An Australian-developed vaccine that's been trialed in Perth has been found to produce a strong immune response against the H5N1 bird flu virus.
More than 190 local volunteers participated in the clinical study by the Vaccine Trials Group at The Kids for Child Health Research and Princess Margaret Hospital for Children.
Perth study leader Dr Peter Richmond said the vaccine was found to be safe and well tolerated and the data has now been submitted for registration of the vaccine with the Therapeutics Goods Administration.
"We've always said that the best preparation against bird flu is to have a vaccine available, so we are very pleased to have been part of this important trial," Dr Richmond said.
"The volunteers have played a really critical role in helping to have a vaccine available to protect Australians in the event of an influenza pandemic."
Dr Richmond said that the Vaccine Trials Group was now conducting a trial to assess how well the vaccine works in children.
"In any flu pandemic, young children are particularly at risk for serious complications of the disease as well as playing an important role in spread of influenza viruses in the community", Dr Richmond said.
Forty volunteers aged between 6 months and 3 years of age are still needed.
Dr Richmond said there was no live virus in the vaccine which meant there was no chance of catching the infection from the vaccination
Study volunteers will receive two doses of the vaccine, three weeks apart. They will then have blood tests over the following 7 months to check their immunity. An anaesthetic cream will be applied prior to all blood tests.
The Commonwealth Government has contributed to the funding of the research and the development of the vaccine by the Australian pharmaceutical company CSL.