Pandemic Prep…Get to the Hospital…Vaccine Update

With the announcement of the World Health Organization yesterday of a world wide pandemic it is now more important than ever to keep up our preparations and to increase or efforts to get our family and friends to understand the threat. You may have heard that Novartis has developed a vaccine for the H1N1 flu. There are a few points to pay attention to. Although this is great news, it is just the beginning. Human tests have not been conducted and we all remember the last time a vaccine was rushed to market, in 1976, more deaths occurred  from the vaccine than from the flu. I am sure they will conduct complete tests this time and that will take time. Also, they admit production licenses will not happen until the fall, the beginning of the flu season. Manufacture will then take time and we will be unprotected until that time. Thirty countries are awaiting vaccines and all the major vaccine manufacturers have committed a portion of their production to countries that cannot afford to pay for the vaccine. This will limit the supply. Who will decide who among us gets the vaccine and who doesn’t. Vaccines are also being developed by companies using the proven method, although old, of injecting eggs and letting the virus grow in eggs and them creating the vaccine from those cells. This method will not have vaccines available until November or December, far into the flu season.

Self quarantine may be the only option we have to keep our family safe.

We will keep preparing. Last week we discussed when to see the doctor. This week the information on when to go directly to the hospital.

If your family member has any of the following, go to the hospital immediately:

• Severe trouble breathing and it is not caused by a stuffy nose

• Has blue lips or hands, suddenly becomes pale, or has cold legs up to their knees

• Is limp or unable to move

• Is so sleepy they don’t respond when you try to get them up

• Shows signs of a stiff neck, especially if they also have fever, are listless and their eyes are sensitive to light

• Is very confused

• Has a seizure

• Has worsening of chronic medical conditions (such as: heart or lung disease or diabetes)

"Novartis  has  successfully  completed  the production of the  first batch  of influenza  A(H1N1) vaccine,
weeksahead of expectations. Cell-based manufacturing technology[1]  allows vaccine production to be
initiated once a  pandemic virus strain  isidentified without the  need to  adapt the  virus strain  to grow  in
eggs, as with traditional vaccine technologies. This advance has  cut weeks off the time required  to
begin vaccine production. This  first batch of ten liters of  wild type influenza A(H1N1) vaccine  monobulk
will be  used for  pre-clinical evaluation  and testing  and is  also being considered  for use  in clinical  trials.
It  demonstrates  the value of the cell-based production approach, that is also being  used by Novartis
with reassortant influenza A(H1N1) seed."The speed advantages of our  cell-based production approach and
our unwavering commitment toaddress this public  health emergency  haveresulted in our ability to  provide the
fastest possible response to this outbreak," said Dr. Andrin Oswald, CEO of Novartis Vaccines  andDiagnostics.
"This achievement is also  a testament to the  technical skills and innovation of Novartis Vaccines
and Diagnostics people and our partners. I believe it highlights  our reputation as a leader  in influenza
vaccine research, development and production."Based on this success with the wild type, Novartis
expects to be able to achieve rapid  scale up of  influenza A(H1N1) vaccine  manufacturewith reassortant
seed which was  provided by the Centers for  Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
on May 27th. The company plans to  start clinical trials with that  vaccine in July  and expects
licensure  in the fall of 2009.
More than 30  governments have  made requests to  Novartis to  supplythem  with  influenza  A(H1N1)
vaccine."

http://www.pr-inside.com/novartis-successfully-demonstrates-capabilities-r1317557.htm

One Response to “Pandemic Prep…Get to the Hospital…Vaccine Update”

1. Mike says:

   June 12, 2009 at 4:30 pm

   Hey, nice post, really well written. You should write more about this. I’ll certainly be subscribing.