07 August 2005

Avian flu vaccine developed

If it passes tests, this is really excellent news. One little snag, though, is this:
Because the vaccine is made in chicken eggs, "a potential major stumbling block" to successful mass production is the number of eggs farmers can supply manufacturers, Dr. Fauci said.
Given that one of the first responses to an outbreak is to slaughter much of the poultry, hadn't we better start inoculating people now, while we can?

And what's the plan for inoculating people in currently affected areas — Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam — given the economic situation in those places? Or will this be available only to rich-country folk?