US allocates USD72 million to vaccine manufacturers to enhance bird flu shot readiness
Date
10/6/2024 4:14:10 AM
(MENAFN) On Friday, federal health officials announced a significant initiative to bolster the United States' preparedness against potential bird flu outbreaks by allocating USD72 million to vaccine manufacturers. This funding is aimed at ensuring that currently available bird flu vaccines are ready for immediate use if needed. While there are no current recommendations for vaccination against bird flu for the general U.S. population, officials from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) emphasized that these actions are being taken "out of an abundance of caution."
The allocated funds will be used by pharmaceutical companies CSL Seqirus, Sanofi, and GSK to "fill and finish" vaccines. This process involves transferring vaccines from bulk storage into ready-to-use vials or pre-filled syringes, thereby ensuring that vaccines can be rapidly distributed if necessary.
David Boucher, director of infectious disease preparedness and response at HHS's Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), underscored the importance of these actions, stating that they will enhance the country's readiness against novel influenza strains, including H5. He highlighted that the ability to swiftly develop and distribute vaccines is crucial for responding to public health emergencies.
Additionally, the HHS indicated that the manufacturers will produce extra influenza antigens—the components that provoke an immune response—in bulk, tailored to match the strains of bird flu currently circulating. Previously, health officials had filled nearly 5 million vaccine doses, and this new funding is expected to double the stockpile of ready-to-use vaccines. By taking these proactive steps, federal health officials aim to strengthen the nation’s response capabilities in the event of a bird flu outbreak, ensuring that necessary vaccines can be quickly deployed to protect public health.
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