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.
To introduce a capsule protein that allows the virus to grow better in the eggs they’re incubating it in. They’re newer methods of incubating virus other than hen eggs, but they could not me up and running for production by Fall.
I don’t really see what the problem is from this article. It is just saying how they are going to make it to they can get more boosters per antigen.
I think JCD is getting swept up in the conspiracy nut stuff from hanging around with AC too much.
The H1N1 virus was popular before –
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6271833.stm
This conspiracy crap is getting old.
john when did your curmudgeonly ass become such a luddite? “frankenvaccine, omg!”
Fat_Asshole said:
I don’t really see what the problem is from this article. It is just saying how they are going to make it to they can get more boosters per antigen.
I think JCD is getting swept up in the conspiracy nut stuff from hanging around with AC too much.
50,000 people die in the US every year from the REGULAR flu.
So far, 256 people, in the US, have died from the SWINE flu in the first 6 months of this year.
You don’t see a problem here?
@#: “I don’t really see what the problem is from this article. It is just saying how they are going to make it to they can get more boosters per antigen.” – which indirectly means that it will be at least more virulent. We do not have capability to predict what other changes this may cause. Nor is (or could be) the containment 100% proof. There is reasonable probability that the virus can become more dangerous and escape to general population. That is the (scientifically based) worry of cautious people. WHO and the makers of vaccine ignore this aspect for profit and “coverage” which should be obviously unconscionable.
#6 as a matter of proportion, you do raise a good point. why all the hysteria? although, novartis tweaking process to increase yields doesn’t disturb me, and i generally agree that vaccines are efficacious…
#7 couching your argument in pseudo scientific terms, doesn’t change the fact, that Michael Chrichton was – a novelist.
I don’t get regular flu shots and unless swine flu becomes a killer pandemic (like the 1918 Spanish Flu) I won’t get that shot either.
Where do you sign up for the “Human studies?” I need a job.
Every notice when you plan for a Saturday Night Party and you want a lot of ice for all the drinks you either have to make sure the local store has lots of bags or you have to start 2-3 weeks before hand making your own ice cubes===because when the party starts, its too late to start freezing water.
Same with vaccines except there is no local store. You people seem to think ice comes from an ice tray by snapping your fingers.
Silly Hoomans.
#6
The problems with all this fluttering about the swine flu is that there is a big lack in understanding about the flu virus, and the nature of vaccines. I can’t be bothered to go into it all now, but a lot of these people are using very pseudo-scientific arguments. Yes right now there are less deaths from the swine flu than the normal flu. However the normal flu is understood, and people are still urged to get vaccinated against it. However it is well known and is in a state of balance with a regularly yearly cycle and accurate estimates of the death rates. However, when a new strain of the flu is discovered it opens the door for the possibilities of it behaving differently. Yes, sometimes it will end up not being very harmful and eventually fizzle out. No doubt people will then use that as the basis for claiming that all future potential epidemic diseases are nothing but hyped up fear mongering from the government. There is also the possibility however that it will mutate into a very contagious and very deadly strain. History has shown that diseases can do this and wipe out millions. This is the possible outcome when a new disease comes out, so yes, we have to monitor it carefully. Hopefully it will fizzle out, but it also might not be, so we buy lots of vaccines incase that does happen.
#7 That vaccine is not a version of the virus. It is a sterilized version of the virus which makes the antibodies come out, but doesnt affect the body as the virus would. Its basically is the virus without the DNA. There is no chance of it breaking out, so containment will not be an issue.
There is just too much conspiracy rubbish on here. I won’t pretend that the vaccine companies and politicians are saints. They can be incompetent, and at worst, corrupt. But there is not big conspiracy to wipe out half the population. Cool your jets people.
# 16
So to sum up, your reply is “I don’t have any counter arguments, so I’ll just call you stupid”
Nice!
Chinese toys contain lead, international story.
Bloomberg “Baxter Sent Bird Flu Virus to European Labs by Error (Update2)” very little coverage.
The contaminated vaccines were discovered and apparently no harm came from it.
Vaccines are a magnificent discovery. Contaminated or rushed vaccines, not so much.
Technocratic dictatorship, very bad news.
P.S. No one plans to forces me to buy Chinese toys.
# 14 so, to sum it up?
virri are virulent – some more than others. although not alive, when doing their thing, virii sometimes incorporate snips of host dna, causing mutations that could cause an exponential increase in virulence/lethality. people are more mobile than in the past. the potential exists for a MAJOR pandemic. then a bunch of people die and whoever lives passes on immunity and life goes on.
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.