Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
China to approve single-dose swine flu vaccines
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
Yahoo! Search
Search:
Sign InNew User? Sign Up
News Home -
Help
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Search
Search:
China to approve single-dose swine flu vaccines
By GILLIAN WONG and RANDOLPH E. SCHMID,Associated Press Writers AP - Thursday, September 3
BEIJING - The answer may be near to a crucial question about vaccine for the advancing swine flu _ one shot or two?
ADVERTISEMENT
Chinese officials say they are about to approve vaccines that prevent the new flu in a single dose.
If they're right, it would be good news. Many health researchers fear it will take two shots to protect people, vastly complicating efforts to stem the spread of the illness.
The World Health Organization says it is encouraged after reviewing the test details from one of the two Chinese vaccines. However, experts said more results are needed from other vaccine makers to determine if one dose would be potent enough.
Australia-based CSL should know within days whether one dose of its vaccine, administered to volunteers in that country in late July, was enough. CSL to date has been mum.
In about two weeks, the U.S. expects to announce initial test results from its vaccine, which is the same type as one of the Chinese versions, said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
"From what I've seen and heard of the data, it looks encouraging," Fauci said of the clinical trials of the Chinese vaccine from Sinovac Biotech Ltd. "This is very good news. Let's hope the material that we're using has similar results."
Most experts agreed.
"Everybody is desperately hoping that one (shot) will do because then that's much easier to administer," said Jodie McVernon, a vaccine expert at the University of Melbourne who is involved in Australian trials of swine flu vaccines for young children. She had not seen the Chinese trial results.
However, James McGlothlin, a member of Purdue University's pandemic planning committee, was cautious about the Chinese report.
"They've got some very good scientists over there, but anything that sounds too good to be true ought to be scrutinized," he said in a telephone interview.
"I'd like to look at some of the clinical trials" that led to the one-dose conclusion, he said. "In China, the rules are a little bit different in terms of human subjects," and it's not clear what safety factors were in place, he said.
China's State Food and Drug Administration said on its Web site it will make a decision this week on approving the two vaccines, which completed testing last month and passed reviews by panels of about 40 experts. Four other vaccines are being reviewed, it said.
Government-backed vaccine makers Sinovac and Hualan Biological Engineering Inc. said their studies show one shot of vaccine is effective on people ages 3 to 60. More than 3,000 people participated in the trials.
Sinovac says it has the capacity to produce up to 30 million doses of swine flu vaccine in a year, while Hualan said it can make 160 million doses.
Stockpiling vaccines is China's latest move in its aggressive approach to contain the spread of swine flu in the country of 1.3 billion people and relatively limited medical resources. It has quarantined travelers on suspicion of contact with infected people and ordered schools to test students' temperatures.
The Health Ministry says around 3,700 cases of swine flu have been confirmed on the mainland _ none fatal.
China aims to have enough swine flu vaccine for 5 percent of the public by the end of the year, and although health officials have not released detailed vaccination plans, they have said health workers, public service workers and students are priority groups.
Should China export vaccines, however, quality concerns could arise.
Though China is a worldwide manufacturing center for pharmaceuticals, suppliers have been known to substitute cheaper and sometimes lethal ingredients. Tainted cough syrup was linked to several deaths in Central America and blood thinners made with contaminated products are suspected in dozens of deaths in the U.S. in recent years.
Last week, Mexico's health secretary, Jose Angel Cordova, said Mexico is considering buying vaccines from China, which would be more than 40 percent cheaper than other vaccines being offered to the government. But Mexico would want a guarantee that China's vaccine is safe and effective, he said.
The World Health Organization said information provided by Sinovac showed that in studies, the vaccines were tested in three formulations of 15 micrograms per dose, and all gave antibody responses that satisfied regulatory criteria. That vaccine dose is the same amount the U.S. government is testing.
"We have no reason to doubt what Sinovac is reporting," said Melinda Henry, a WHO spokeswoman in Geneva. "Certainly if one dose proves sufficient to produce the desired immune response, this would be very encouraging in terms of augmenting the global supply of vaccine in the near future."
International health experts say swine flu has not been as severe as initially feared. At least 2,185 people have died, but most cases are mild and require no treatment. Worries remain that a rash of new infections could overwhelm hospitals and health authorities, particularly in poorer countries.
White House advisers have estimated that in a worst case scenario, half the U.S. population could become infected and the World Health Organization predicts that within two years nearly one-third of the world's population will have caught it.
___
Science Writer Randolph E. Schmid reported from Washington, D.C. Medical writers Maria Cheng in London and Lauran Neergaard in Washington contributed to this report.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Sign in to recommend this article »
0 users recommend
Related Articles: Asia Pacific
Dozens trapped as Indonesia quake toll rises to 46AFP - Thursday, September 3
China approves one-dose homegrown swine flu vaccineAFP - Thursday, September 3
Mountain to climb for Indian PM in corruption battleAFP - Thursday, September 3
India says carbon emissions to soar by 2030Reuters - Thursday, September 3
Vice cartel smashed in Hong Kong: policeAFP - Thursday, September 3
Most Popular – Asia Pacific
Viewed
Kidnapped US girl walks into police station 18 years on
Madoff's beachfront hideaway up for sale -- but it's no steal
Microsoft apologizes for photo gaffe
BP unveils 'giant' oil discovery in Gulf of Mexico
Spider-Man joins Mickey Mouse as Disney buys Marvel
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Community
- Intellectual Property Rights Policy
- Help
Other News on Thursday, 3 September 2009 4 Iraqi security personnel to hang for bank heist
First baby born from new egg-screening technique
Google blames Gmail outage on server maintenance
Iranian commander: ex-president challenged state
BP unveils 'giant' oil discovery in Gulf of Mexico
Iran MP warns against commander as interior minister
Israel, Palestinians hold high-level economic talks
Computer algorithm to decipher ancient texts
Four sentenced to die for deadly Iraq bank robbery
Sony to launch 3D TVs next year: report
Guinea bans political debates on radio, TV
| International
|
Suicide attack kills 22 in Afghanistan: governor
Greek PM calls snap election, blames economic crisis
| International
|
U.S. voices grave concern about Sri Lanka video
| International
|
Countries do little to help landmine victims: report
| International
|
Sony to launch 3D TVs next year: report
Key U.S. broadband official: More spectrum needed
| Technology
|
German bright spot for electronic devices spending
| Technology
|
News
News
Amazon joins opposition to Google book deal
| Technology
|
Strong Indonesia quake kills 35, damages 1,300 homes
New US ambassador: global issues test China ties
Cate Blanchett injured during performance
Thailand's swine flu death toll rises to 119
Spy chief among 23 killed in Taliban suicide blast
Indian official's helicopter missing in rebel area
Qantas jet diverted again after midair mishap
Taiwan court convicts former first lady of perjury
Ford, Streep bring Hollywood to Deauville
World Bank chief says China stimulus should continue
News
Pakistani 10-year PIB cut-off yield at 12.50 pct
World Bank presses G-20 aid to poorest countries
Rolling Stones official denies Watts quit the band
| Entertainment
|
Pakistan signs $230 mln road deal with ADB
Former British PM Tony Blair headed to Late Show
| Entertainment
|
Daewoo puts Myanmar gas fields investment at $3 bln
Archaeologists find early Jerusalem fortifications
Diane Sawyer to replace Gibson as ABC News anchor
| Entertainment
|
Men far outnumber women in Qatar: census
Philippines unlikely to climb World Bank survey
Polish Catholic group wants IVF outlawed
Pakistani stocks end higher; rupee firms
Colbie Caillat, Miley Cyrus lead album chart
| Entertainment
|
Tornatore's 'Baaria' premieres at Venice film fest
Jon Gosselin: 'I took a lot of abuse' from Kate
China shares rise on higher manufacturing data
Indonesia quake 'leaves 33 dead'
Ford, Streep bring Hollywood to Deauville
Well-known Gypsy praises Madonna's defense of Roma
Powerful Indonesian quake kills 11; dozens injured
Erich Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops director, dies at 74
Strong earthquake strikes Indonesia's main island
Devastating suicide strikes show Taliban expansion
Twitter snags former Google exec for COO
Indonesia quake death toll at 46, likely to rise
| International
|
EU countries push for bank pay crackdown
Albania to Zimbabwe: the climate change risk list
Viewers hunger for Web and TV at same time: study
Bloodshed at Iranian camp tests US-Iraq transition
Japan's Hatoyama to meet U.S. envoy
| International
|
Swine flu vaccine to cost up to 20 dollars per dose: WHO
Hitmen kill 17 in Mexico clinic on U.S. border
| International
|
YouTube talks to studios on movie rentals: source
Suicide attack kills Afghan intelligence deputy: officials
World powers urge Iran to enter nuclear talks
New iPhone application tracks disease outbreaks
Iran would not discuss nuclear work with powers: TV
| International
|
Karzai inches closer to prospect of Afghan win
Sculptor plugs Greek classics into iPod Age
News Corp. seeks stake in Saudi media company: WSJ
British e-reader company in partnership with Google Books
Dalai Lama says ready to negotiate with China
| International
|
Nokia unveils new smartphones to rival iPhone
Iran opposition says 72 died in post-poll unrest
| International
|
Key U.S. broadband official: More spectrum needed
Tension mounts as Gabon awaits poll outcome
| International
|
French filmmaker Poveda killed in El Salvador
| International
|
Nokia unveils new smartphones to rival iPhone
Hurricane Jimena batters western Mexico
| International
|
U.S., Australia to ask China to exercises: report
| International
|
YouTube may stream movie rentals
| Technology
|
US Mormon missionaries expelled from Guyana
Viewers hunger for Web and TV at same time: study
| Technology
|
Feds didn't clear brush in wildfire area
LG to unveil new Windows smartphones
| Technology
|
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 738
US diplomats say US-Japan alliance to stay strong
Japan's next first lady anything but bland
Firefighters make gains on Calif. fire
Google outage setback for business email pitch
| Technology
|
China to approve single-dose swine flu vaccines
New Zealand stun Sri Lanka in T20 match
Sex, scandal, yawn: Madoff books are a bust
Twitter snags former Google exec for COO
| Technology
|
Dozens trapped as Indonesia quake toll rises to 46
Obama envoy to resume talks in Mideast next week
Tokyo still confident after IOC evaluation
Schwarzenegger demands response to water crisis
SEC flubbed Madoff probe: watchdog
After 1 year, Pakistani president's ratings slide
FAA will modify airspace rules over Hudson River
Indonesia quake death toll at 46, likely to rise
Sexual misconduct at embassy alleged
Hong Kong's top judge to retire next year
Korea Hot Stocks
Seoul shares slip as autos decline; banks advance
S.Korean bonds rise on U.S. lead, weak shares
South Korea Q2 growth revised up, outlook frail
Seoul shares open higher as techs advance
SKorea economy grew faster than expected in Q2
China grants $600 mln to Cuba during solidarity visit
Uniqlo to open biggest store yet in Shanghai
GM China says 2009 sales expected to rise 40 pct
Whitney Houston comeback album headed to No. 1
| Entertainment
|
Madonna world tour breaks her own record
| Entertainment
|
Indonesian quake leaves 44 dead, dozens missing
Cate Blanchett injured onstage in Streetcar
| Entertainment
|
Strong Indonesian quake kills 33; flattens houses
Kenny Chesney gives fans something to cheer about
| Entertainment
|
Circus billionaire plans show from space
| Entertainment
|
Friends, family gather to remember missing poet
Whitney Houston comeback album headed to No. 1
Kenny Chesney gives fans "something to cheer about"
Cate Blanchett injured on stage but the show will go on
Madonna world tour breaks her own record
Cate Blanchett gets a head wound on stage
YouTube in talks with studios about movie rentals: WSJ
Biographical details on Diane Sawyer
Sex, scandal, yawn: Madoff books are a bust
Oprah Winfrey to dedicate show to Michael Jackson
Ahmadinejad says Iran ready for more sanctions
Russia launches new search for journalist killer
LG Elec to unveil new Windows mobile phones
Final farewell as Michael Jackson laid to rest
US sees first signs of growth: Geithner
British finance minister's recession warning
Protesters demand Xinjiang leader step down
| International
|
Iran MPs start vote on Ahmadinejad cabinet
Iran opposition says 72 died in post-poll unrest
Pfizer agrees to record drug dispute settlement
When it comes to hurricanes, what's in a name?
Brussels rejects Berlusconi criticism in immigration row
Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns
| International
|
Iran dismisses sanctions talk, to present proposals
| International
|
Spanish woman kills pedestrian in suicide leap
Greek PM calls snap election, takes risky gamble
| International
|
Catholic editor who criticized Berlusconi resigns
| International
|
LG Elec to unveil new Windows mobile phones
China denies U.S. reporters were seized in China
| International
|
Riots in Gabon as Bongo poll win disputed
| International
|
Indonesian maids in Malaysia to have weekly day off
Myanmar's Suu Kyi appeals against conviction: lawyer
Not enough Facebook friends? Buy them
| Technology
|
Bangladesh ministers ditch suits to save power
Nokia seeking developers' help in Apple rivalry
| Technology
|
Storm Jimena brings havoc to Mexican resorts
China stresses prevention of heavy metal pollution
2 Pakistanis arrested in Britain return home
India media: politician killed in copter crash
2 US soldiers killed in vehicle accident in Iraq
Lawyers set to lodge Suu Kyi appeal
Software mogul attacked by elephant during safari
Spacewalk still on despite approaching space junk
China rejects Kadeer call for talks on Xinjiang
Pa. lifers seeking clemency in wake of US ruling
Sprint backs Hero, the latest HTC Android phone
| Technology
|
Israelis meet US Mideast envoy
Myanmar's Suu Kyi to file appeal in criminal case
Japan's next PM stresses US ties
Study: Older Americans staying put in jobs longer
Iran says will not bow to nuclear deadline 'threat'
Pakistani stocks end lower; rupee weakens
Pakistani forex reserves rise to $14.31 bln
Japan stocks down on strong yen, US worries
S.Korea Sept crude runs to decline from Aug-survey
Trade ministers meet with 2010 Doha deal in sights
Seoul shares flat after volatile trade; autos fall =2
China shares up 5 percent on strong lending news
Taiwan says it won't censor China propaganda film
UK finance minister's warning ahead of G20
An overview of deadly Indonesian earthquakes
Star-filled mausoleum awaits Michael Jackson
Austrian Wehrmacht deserters campaign for justice
Philippines' San Miguel: bln dlr power investment
Fathi meets Yiannis, the man he 'killed' in Cyprus
China to seek more private investment: state media
Nepal's 'living goddess' adjusts to modern life
Venice opens with sentimental Sicily drama
| Entertainment
|
Movie remake for McCarthy's bleak novel The Road
| Entertainment
|
Muslims can see Black Eyed Peas, Malaysia says
| Entertainment
|
LA County lawmaker critical of lack of TV coverage
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights