U.S. Prepares to Test Bird Flu Vaccines

[cthrumatrix]

U.S. Prepares to Test Bird Flu Vaccines

Thu Feb 24, 2:41 AM ET Health - AP


By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The federal government is getting ready to test a bird flu vaccine and stockpiling both vaccine and antiviral drugs as the threat grows that a deadly strain of avian influenza will begin spreading from Asia.

Two million doses of vaccine are being stored in bulk form for possible emergency use and to test whether it maintains its potency, officials said Wednesday.


United Nations (news - web sites) officials warned that the Asian bird flu outbreak poses the "gravest possible danger" of becoming a global pandemic.


Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites), told the National Press Club this week that "it is a worrisome situation," though she also said the United States "is not immediately on the brink of an avian flu epidemic."


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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050224/ap_on_he_me/bird_flu_vaccine

[mzmolly]

1. Ahhh, perhaps this explains all the scuttlebutt about imminent pandamics

caused by the bird flu. ;)

[Ian David]

2. The three major vaccine producers all have same-sex partner benefits

Be sure to tell the fundies they need to boycott all flu vaccines.