The H5N1 vaccine will be useless for a pandemic

The World Health Organization warns that currently developing human bird flu vaccines will not work much once a pandemic occurs. The reason is that they do not target the target.

"We strongly encourage some countries to develop human avian influenza vaccines," said Dr. Henk Bekedam, WHO representative in China, "but we know that the vaccine is probably not effective for one. pandemic " .

Although the H5N1 avian influenza virus is currently capable of transmitting disease from poultry to humans, it is not yet possible to spread from human to human. Therefore, "it cannot become a pandemic agent in humans. Even if H5N1 becomes the" predecessor "of a pandemic strain, it must undergo a series of decisive changes." Therefore, the vaccine that is effective for it is unlikely to deal with its descendants, Bekedam said.

Quite a number of companies around the world are trying to develop vaccines against H5N1, but only target the virus that attacks poultry, not the dreaded mutant virus in the future.

China last week announced it has developed for people and will conduct clinical trials in the coming days. The vaccine proved safe and effective on mice, Xinhua news agency quoted an official responsible for monitoring the study. According to experts, the H5N1 vaccine will be very helpful in protecting people who are in close contact with sick poultry like farmers, destruction workers and veterinarians.

The Ministry of Health of Vietnam also has a similar view on WHO about the effect of H5N1 vaccine on humans. Deputy Minister Trinh Quan Huan stressed that if a pandemic of influenza occurs at a rate of rapid spread from one person to another, the virus will definitely not translate to H5N1 but a completely new strain. Thus, H5N1 vaccine if produced successfully will not work to prevent pandemic. Humans cannot also prepare a vaccine that is able to fight the future strain of the virus. Historically, influenza viruses have changed frequently and very quickly, so vaccine production must always run after them and cannot "go off and wait".

However, according to Mr. Huan, the research on producing H5N1 vaccines like Vietnam is still necessary, because this virus strain still exists and poses a danger to people. When produced successfully, it will be used for people at high risk of avian influenza infection, such as those exposed to sick poultry, living in epidemic areas, as poultry destruction."The production of H5N1 vaccine for poultry is also extremely important because we cannot solve the H5N1 flu within a few years. Asia, including Vietnam, is home to many poultry, and the virus has "It is possible to survive in the environment for a long time. Therefore, in parallel with the study of human vaccine production, Vietnamese scientists are also working on studying H5N1 vaccines for poultry," Huan said.

My Linh - Thanh Nhan