Race to produce bird flu vaccine

A new vaccine against Hungary's avian flu will be allowed to be put into use in late March next year, according to Hungarian Health Minister Jeno Racz in a press conference yesterday in Budapest. Russia also said it would test flu vaccines in November.

Mr. Jeno Racz said that although there have been no cases of bird flu in Hungary yet, the process of applying for permission to use vaccines still needs to be conducted when necessary. Last weekend, Hungary said it had successfully tested the vaccine after volunteer testers developed anti-virus antibodies.

In Russia, from March 2005 there was a vaccine against bird flu, according to a report from the Director of the Flu Research Institute in Saint Petersburg.

Oleg Kiselyev, he said the vaccine will be tested in 20 volunteers in November and is expected to end next month. If tested successfully, the first series of vaccines will be produced.

According to him, the biggest danger when testing this vaccine on people who test can get fever to 38oC. But if the results are only achieved by 3.5% of volunteers, the vaccine will not be used.

TRAN DUC THANH ( According to AP, Mosnews )