| ■ CDC Has Candidate Viruses for Swine Flu Vaccine | 2009.05.26 |
| FRIDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- A viable H1N1 swine flu vaccine got a bit nearer Friday, with U.S. health officials saying they had two promising candidate viruses for use in such a shot. "Today CDC received, from one institution, a candidate vaccine virus," Dr. Anne Schuchat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's interim deputy director for science and public health program, said during a news conference. The strain was created by "combining the genes of the novel H1N1 virus with other parts from other viruses," Schuchat explained. This type of hybrid virus will grow more easily in eggs -- an essential part of the vaccine production process. The CDC, along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has also created a second candidate virus using reverse genetics, Schuchat said. The CDC is testing both viruses to make sure they can stimulate an optimal immune response, Schuchat said. "After that work is done suitable viruses will be sent out to manufacturers. We expect by the end of May that will happen," she said. |