Melanie A. Staley
Sept. 11, 2009
2:35pm
China will soon be the first nation to provide its citizens with a vaccine for H1N1. Because of the significance of this flu (5592 cases in China at the time of the article), the vaccine is being produced as quickly as possible. This is due to cooperation by government institutions, namely the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Ministry of Health, and the State Food and Drug Administration, with the drug company Sinovac Biotech Ltd. The vaccine has been pushed through clinical trials and the registration process in order to be distributed as soon as possible. Two factories have already been licensed for production, and others are planned for approval by the end of the month.
Despite worries of possible adverse side effects by the World Health Organization, it is likely that distribution of the vaccine, known as PANFLU.1, will begin within the next few weeks. There will be an estimated 65 million people vaccinated before the end of the year, with top priority going to students, pregnant women, individuals with poor health or medical conditions, medical staff, and key workers, such as soldiers, police officers, and quarantine officials. Unfortunately, this number is not nearly enough to protect China’s population of approximately 1.3 billion people.
Everyone knows the risks involved with such a widespread illness as H1N1. It is wonderful that a vaccine is now available, at least in some part of the world, but I must agree with the WHO in that there could be possible side effects that are at this point unknown. Sinovac and the Chinese government seem to have sped through trials, due to the obvious need for a vaccine as well as the growing anxiety over the H1N1 flu strain. I can sympathize with these worries, as they are on everyone’s mind, but I would hate for problems with this vaccine to occur when so many are counting on it for protection. On the other hand, China’s lead in the production of a vaccine could be helpful for other nations as well, setting the base for a strong vaccine and the possibility of vaccines for those who it would not be otherwise available.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/09/china.swine.flu.vaccine/index.html
1 comment:
I am kind of stuck on how to react. I think it is great that a vaccine has been made but I wonder if it is going to work or have any horrible side effects. I agree with you that, I would hate for something to happen when all these people are depending on it and putting their trust with it. If it does work, it will be a huge scientific breakthrough.
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