panflu Stats

[Mixin]

Now researchers at the New York Medical College in Valhalla have created improved strains by growing one sample of the virus repeatedly in chicken eggs until it adapted and grew faster. They will send two to vaccine manufacturers this week, says John Wood of the UK's National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC).

A vaccine made from these strains will still take time to roll out, warns Luc Hessel, head of public affairs at the biggest flu-vaccine maker, France's Sanofi Pasteur. The new strains must prove themselves under manufacturing conditions, and companies must make seed batches.

NIBSC has also created a faster-growing virus, which it sent to manufacturers earlier this month. It poses an extra problem, however: it was made using methods not used before for commercial vaccines. (I wonder what method that would be?)

http://tinyurl.com/lm79ea
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