Tests Reveal Bird Flu Vaccine Is Safe

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Preliminary clinical trials in China have shown that a human vaccine for avian influenza is "safe and effective." The vaccine is to be used against the H5N1 strain of bird flu in humans. With this initial success, it seems that the battle being waged against the Bird flu virus has been won or at least has swung our way.

The vaccine, which is meant for high-risk groups such as poultry workers, has been developed by researchers from the Beijing Sinovac Biotech Company and the China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. It would face many more rounds of testing before the mass production starts. The first-phase of trials was conducted on six volunteers at Beijing's Sino-Japanese Friendship Hospital from November 05 to June 06.

China is one of the worst-hit nations from the bird flu disease in humans. China has reported 21 human infections and 14 deaths from H5N1 bird flu in recent months. China has also reported over 30 cases of bird flu in poultry, resulting in the culling of over 25 million poultry. The World Health Organization had recorded 241 human infections with bird flu worldwide, including 141 deaths.

Experts believe that the toll may be much higher as many cases may have gone undetected. They fear the virus could mutate into a new strain and could spread from human to human and cause a global pandemic.