Swine Flu Vaccine from Novartis: Lower Dose Means More Supply November 18
There may be an answer to what is being experienced in the United States as far as supply of the swine flu vaccine is concerned, brought to us by the company Novartis.
Supply has been a rather sensitive topic since the United States officially started immunizing high priority groups, with delays being experienced in the delivery of vaccines and people – patients and health care providers alike – began to feel frustrated with the entire process.
Novartis recently announced, however, that based on the results that the company has gathered from ongoing trials, a 7.5 µg dose of Novartis’ A(H1N1) 2009 unadjuvanted vaccine was able to meet the immune response criteria set for protection of adults as well as the elderly. The dose is only half of the current 15 µg dose that is approved in the United States for adolescents, adults and the elderly.
Andrin Oswald, CEO of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, verbalized what this may potentially mean to the United States’ immunization efforts: we may just be able to double the current vaccine supply – at least the vaccines manufactured by Novartis, which was presumably the only vaccines that the company can accurately vouch for – and inoculate more people. We wonder whether the same possibility holds true for vaccines manufactured by other companies and facilities. If so, then it means that the entire supply of swine flu vaccine doses can indeed be doubled.
There is even more potential for increasing vaccine supply when using adjuvanted vaccine – these are vaccines to which a substance that will improve immune response, which means that less vaccine may be used to achieve the desired protection – is added. For adjuvanted vaccines, even less dose is reportedly needed, at least according to the trials: 3.75 µg. The company’s flu manufacturing facility based in Liverpool, the output of which is destined exclusively for the use of the United States, can quadruple its output if the vaccines are adjuvanted.
Tags: swine flu prevention, swine flu protection, swine flu vaccination, swine flu vaccine, swine flu vaccine supply