To make vaccine against a flu virus, the virus is cultivated, inactivated and blended into antigen, the main ingredient used in the shots. But the H1N1 virus being used for swine-flu vaccine is so far yielding a “low” level of antigen, Swiss drug maker Novartis AG said Thursday. It said the yield so far is about 30% to 50% of what the company normally gets for seasonal flu vaccines.
Robert Parkinson, chief executive of Baxter International Inc. , also described “yield optimization” as a challenge.
The WHO said Monday it is attempting to tweak the H1N1 virus and send manufacturers a new copy that might yield more vaccine. In the meantime, Novartis said it is attempting to adjust its production process to improve the yield.
Experts aren’t yet sure how much antigen will be needed per shot; human studies to be carried out later this summer will make that clear. The less antigen necessary, the more shots can be produced. Booster ingredients called adjuvants may also be used to increase the effectiveness of the antigen.
Found by John Stec.
This is a setup article!
Ohhh no we don’t have enough antigens!! oohhnoo
he but wait no worries!!
We got Squalene QS-21 we tested it in the Golfwar!!
and its A.O.K!!
SSoo roll up to the Vaccination bus and get your shot of protection!!
the WHO can do what they want to the virus
a/n1h1 patent is theirs
Baxter is right down the street from me here, John – want to put me on assignment?
The epidemiologists look at the emerging flues in late winter in order to predict the most prevalent types the next winter. So far it has been mostly a winning crap shoot for the scientists. They have been right far more than they have been wrong.
The problem with the Swine Flu (H1N1) is that it is emerging in the summer. The flu likes to transmit in the closed rooms and areas we have in winter.
No Agenda has made it easy for me to figure out what to do.
This is identical to what happened with the first “Swine Flu” vaccine. They couldn’t make enough of it, fast enough. So they substituted some faster growing strain, that was supposed fairly close to the original. Or so the maker claimed. But did it REALLY immunize against the then swine flu strain, at all. Or did it just end up making a lot of people sick. All I know is that military personnel had no choice but to become guinea pigs, and take the shots. And like myself, got very sick for a night or more. And the services basically ignored our reactions to these shots. I wasn’t even sent to the hospital or back to my quarters. I had to suffer in agony, while at work. Shivering in a corner, with a lot of coats piled on. After that, all bets were off. I swore I’d never reenlist. Not when it’s policy to dump this crap on soldiers, just to make a profit, before attempting to sell the public on it. Or dump out-of-favor meds, like Valium, on service personnel, for every medical complaint.
Now this “new” strain of swine flu shows up, conveniently, when the economy is very bad, and I’m betting the vaccine makers aren’t doing so well. BAILOUT! This flu germ isn’t proving to be anymore deadly, than regular flu. But since it’s “Swine” related, they got the excuse to go postal on its case. And shot every one up with whatever they can concoct, quickly and cheaply enough, to try and stop it. But more than likely it will end up being the year-round flu, that never leaves.
Right now the regular flu looks like more of risk so I will get that shot. I may wait till next year for the swine flu shot when they have things sorted out a bit better. Of course by then you may just have to take one shot.
If I’m going to get it, it will be in the couple of weeks, since I’m jumping on planes from Ireland to the USA at the end of the month. Good thing I don’t have work to do when I get there, and people to look after me before I give it to them.
I’m one of those folks who will not be getting a vaccine under any circumstances, since I’m on a trial immunosuppressant medication (FTY720), made by … Novartis.