New York Times: First Vaccine Against Avian Flu Is Approved as Interim Measure

Excerpt:
"The first vaccine against avian flu won government approval yesterday, even as federal officials conceded its usefulness in a flu pandemic might be limited.

The vaccine, made by Sanofi Pasteur, is directed against the H5N1 strain of influenza virus, which some public health experts say could possibly spark a deadly epidemic of flu in humans.

The federal government has already stockpiled enough of the vaccine to treat 6.5 million people. But yesterday’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration means the vaccine is no longer considered experimental and therefore could be dispensed during a pandemic without requiring each recipient to sign a form giving informed consent.

The vaccine, approved for adults 18 to 64, will not be available for sale to the general public. It will be dispensed only by the government in the event of a pandemic under rules that have yet to be fully worked out."

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/18/health/18flu.html

Alex

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