Australia is well into its yearly winter flu season. In addition to the yearly flu vaccine, two small groups of Australians are testing 2 new flu vaccines. adelaide-based Vaxine is vaccinating 300 subjects while Melbourne's CSL has 240 people in their trial. Trials may last 6-7 months which will coincide to the middle portion of our (US) flu season. Should the CSL vaccine work, the Australian government has ordered 21 million doses.
The Australian trials will help to determine the dose of vacine and schedule of administration. Since it's the first time humans will be vaccinated with this new flu vaccine health officials anticipate that it may require two doses of vaccine, a couple of weeks apart, similar to the first time a child gets the traditional flu vaccine.
Though the swine flu has become a worldwide pandemic, experts do not want to fast track a vaccine through trials at the risk of safety. It is expected that first signs of efficacy will be clear six to seven weeks after the vaccine is administered. Both companies are hopeful but feel that there is no guarantee that the vaccines will work. Swine flu is a bit daunting in terms of its behavior and pathogenesis, so only time and these first trials will tell if vaccine protection will be successfully disseminated during this year's resurgence of the H1N1 flu here in the US.
The Australian trials will help to determine the dose of vacine and schedule of administration. Since it's the first time humans will be vaccinated with this new flu vaccine health officials anticipate that it may require two doses of vaccine, a couple of weeks apart, similar to the first time a child gets the traditional flu vaccine.
Though the swine flu has become a worldwide pandemic, experts do not want to fast track a vaccine through trials at the risk of safety. It is expected that first signs of efficacy will be clear six to seven weeks after the vaccine is administered. Both companies are hopeful but feel that there is no guarantee that the vaccines will work. Swine flu is a bit daunting in terms of its behavior and pathogenesis, so only time and these first trials will tell if vaccine protection will be successfully disseminated during this year's resurgence of the H1N1 flu here in the US.
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