Scientists have successfully tested a bird flu vaccine on humans for the first time. This, coupled with the quick vaccine production process, is a milestone in fighting the deadly virus.
The mortality rate of the bird flu is around 30 percent of the infected patients. China had recorded 45 fatalities and 137 infections of the bird flu H7N9 since October. According to the World Health Organization, the H7N9 doesn’t show any signs of human transmission but this does not mean that the virus cannot go through changes in its inherent qualities to allow infection through human contact.
The researchers recruited 284 Australian adults to participate in the experiment. They were assigned into several groups: one to be given two shots of a placebo injection while the others two shots of various vaccine formula. There were six different vaccines each varying in doses and content of adjuvant, a chemical that greatly enhances a person’s immune system.
Their analysis shows that the vaccine caused the patients to produce significant quantities of antibodies that attack foreign entities in the system.
About 81 percent of the participants who were given high content adjuvant vaccine showed that the injections had rendered more antibodies to be generated in their systems in order to combat against the "H" protein. On the other hand, over 90 percent of them produced specific antibodies against the “N.”
The vaccine manufacturer and biopharmaceutical company Novavax assures that there are no major negative effects linked to the vaccine. However, apparent side effects that were observed in some volunteers were sore and reddish injection pricks, especially those participants who had taken shots with adjuvant content.
Apart from the successful clinical trial, another advantage of the vaccine is how fast it can be produced. Novavax was able to come up with a process that eliminated the use of eggs, a traditional practice used in vaccine development. This immediate process will allow health officials to respond fast in suppression of a potential pandemic.
The study was published on the Nov. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
