Some 4.8 million doses of flu vaccine are now being prepared for use in response to the growing U.S.
outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or H5N1, officials say. The order for the doses to be filled into vials comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a growing number of human cases linked to the unprecedented outbreak of the virus in dairy cattle this year. The supplies will be pulled from a "pre-pandemic" stockpile funded by the federal Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.
Vaccinemaker CSL Seqirus has been tasked with manufacturing the doses at its North Carolina plant. "It utilizes a highly scalable method of production and is currently positioned to deliver up to 150 million influenza vaccine doses to support an influenza pandemic response within six months of a pandemic declaration," CSL Seqirus said in a release . The doses combine bulk stockpiles of two key ingredients: an "antigen" targeted at the H5 portion of the H5N1 virus with an "adjuvant" designed to boost the immune response triggered by the vaccine.
While manufacturing of these new bird flu doses is set to be completed by "later this summer," the vaccines still may not be immediately ready for use. "I do want to decouple availability and manufacturing completion, because there is of course that regulatory component that would be needed to either approve or authorize actual use of the doses," ASPR's David Boucher told reporters Thursday. The FDA has pr.
