Bird flu vaccine developed
2005-10-27 14:00
Brussels - European scientists have developed a vaccine for a strain of avian flu known as H7N1 which can spread from birds to humans, but is not judged as dangerous as the H5N1 strain that has killed people in Asia.
European Union spokesperson Philip Tod on Thursday said experts from Britain, Italy, France and Norway had developed a vaccine using a new technique which could speed up vaccine development in the event of a flu pandemic.
"The risk of H7 emerging as a pandemic influenza strain is considered to be lower than H5N1," the EU said in a statement.
"Nonetheless, it is expected that the H7 FLUPAN research will be a valuable resource for pandemic vaccine development in the future."
- SAPA