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High Doses of Experimental Bird Flu Vaccine Induce Immune Responses in Adults

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Brief Description:
High doses of an experimental bird flu vaccine encourage immune responses in most healthy adults, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Transcript:
Akinso: High doses of an experimental bird flu vaccine encourage immune responses in most healthy adults, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. About half the adults in the study, after getting an initial and then a booster dose at the highest dosage of the tested vaccine developed levels of infection-fighting antibodies, which the current test predicts would neutralize the virus according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the NIAID.

Fauci: In that study 451 individuals were tested and it was found to be well-tolerated and it induced an immune response that would be predictive that this vaccine would be protective against H5N1 isolate that was used in the vaccine.

Akinso: In general, the study showed that the higher the dosage of the vaccine, the greater the antibody response produced in the participants. Dr. Fauci said although the immune responses seem to be positive, the dosage of the vaccine is still a concern.

Fauci: The dose that was required to reach that level of immunity was considerably higher than the dose that's required to induce protective immunity in seasonal flu. Therefore, there will have to be other studies subsequent to this to try and get the vaccine to be able to be usable in a much lower dose.

Akinso: The NIAID is investigating other options that may allow a reduction in the dosage. In addition, NIAID is pursuing other approaches to an H5N1 vaccine, including vaccines made in cell cultures rather than grown in eggs. This is Wally Akinso at the National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland.

This page was last reviewed on May 12, 2006

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