Estimates of pandemic flu vaccine production boosted

Scientific advances and increases in manufacturing capacity have greatly increased the potential supply of a bird flu vaccine in the event of a global pandemic, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In a statement, the WHO stated that experts now believe production of a vaccine against the H5N1 bird flu strain will rise to 4.5 billion courses per year by 2010.

This figure sees a dramatic increase from the estimate made by WHO officials and vaccine producers in spring 2006 that about 100 million courses of the vaccine could be produced immediately with current technology.

Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research at the WHO, said: "With influenza vaccine production capacity on the rise, we are beginning to be in a much better position vis-a-vis the threat of an influenza pandemic.

"However, although this is significant progress, it is still far from the 6.7 billion immunisation courses that would be needed in a six month period to protect the whole world," she added.

A total of 331 human cases of H5N1 bird flu had been reported by the WHO between 2003 and mid-October 2007, with 203 of those resulting in death.

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