Thailand: Scientists Developing Vaccine

A group of Thai scientists is developing a bird flu vaccine for humans in a bid to boost the country's preparedness for an H5N1 influenza pandemic. Group leader Prasert Auewarakul, of Siriraj Hospital's medicine faculty, said the scientists had isolated some H5N1 virus strains from Thai patients over the past months and successfully reduced their virulence to the point where they could be used as initial prototype strains for vaccine production.

Dr Prasert said Thailand's bird flu vaccine development project, jointly conducted by the Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec), would allow the country to have its own defences against a bird flu outbreak instead of waiting for help from the WHO. He said the vaccine prototype would be ready for animal testing in the next four or five months. Read More ....

Source: Bangkok Post News