Impfstoff für Mexiko
Das ist auch beim niederländischen Impfstoffkonzern Crucell bekannt. Der Konzern, zu dem die Berner Firma Berna Biotech gehört, wurde als Mitglied der Internationalen Taskforce für Impfstoffbeschaffung von der Panamerikanischen Gesundheitsorganisation bereits um Hilfe gebeten. Der Konzern sucht seine begrenzten Vorräte des neusten Grippeimpfstoffs Inflexal V zusammen und bereitet sie zum Export nach Mexiko vor. Inflexal V ist wirksam gegen die saisonale Grippe. Ob der Impfstoff auch vor der neuen Grippe Schutz bietet, weiss freilich niemand zu sagen.
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Crucell is looking to mobilize remaining (limited) stocks of its 2008/2009 seasonal vaccine Inflexal® V for supply to Mexico. Although at this stage it is not clear if existing seasonal flu vaccines induce protective immunity to the currently circulating H1N1 swine flu virus strain. The situation appears to be evolving rapidly, therefore Crucell's response will be tailored to support the public health needs, once more information becomes available, and as directed by organizations such as the WHO.
Local pharmaceutical companies prepare to develop swine flu vaccine
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TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan has been in contact with the United States, seeking samples of the H1N1 swine flu virus strain so that local pharmaceutical companies can start developing a human vaccine against the virus that emerged in Mexico last week, Health Minister Yeh Chin-chuan said Wednesday.
Yeh said at the Legislative Yuan that the Department of Health (DOH) has also instructed the non-profit National Health Research Institute (NHRI) to prepare for developing the vaccine.
He said the NHRI is capable of producing vaccine in emergency situations and that an expanded vaccine plant run by Adimmune Corp., also known as Kuo Kwang Biotechnology, is expected to be inaugurated by June.
The Adimmune vaccine plant, which will be the largest of its kind in Asia with a maximum annual capacity of 30 million doses of vaccine, will allow production of human vaccine against swine flu to be significantly ramped up, Yeh noted.
Noting that the World Health Organization (WHO) is working on a global H1NI vaccine production plan, Yeh said the country will take part in the global action in line with WHO instructions.