The results of the first-stage human clinical trials for a locally produced vaccine for influenza A(H1N1), which began on Sept. 23, will be released on Tuesday, the vaccine developer said yesterday.
The results will be referred to the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday for screening after project managers at the three hospitals where the trials took place — National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) , Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Hospital and Tri-Service General Hospital — met over the findings of the trials.
A total of 475 people representing all age groups were given the first shot and have undergone subsequent testing over the past three weeks to determine the concentration of antibodies in their blood, said Adimmune Corp (國光生技), the nation’s sole human vaccine manufacturer.
Some of those who were given the first shot have also been receiving a second shot for the second stage of the trial since Monday and are expected to return to hospital in three weeks to have their blood examined again, Adimmune said.
“If more than 70 percent of those tested produce antibodies, this will be considered proof of the vaccine’s efficacy,” said Huang Li-min (黃立民), a physician at NTUH’s Department of Pediatrics.
Under a DOH plan, children under the age of nine will be given two shots once an immunization program is implemented nationwide.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned on Wednesday that a second wave of the A(H1N1) outbreak is emerging after a previous wave peaked early last month.
CDC statistics showed that the total number of patients hospitalized for A(H1N1) since the outbreak began had reached 367 as of late Thursday. Of the total, 24 remained in hospital, 319 had recovered and been discharged, and 24 had died.
The DOH plans to start distributing 15 million doses of A(H1N1) vaccine sourced from home and abroad next month.
The vaccine will be distributed in order of priority, led by typhoon-affected victims, medical personnel in charge of disease control and prevention, and pregnant women.
They will be followed by preschool children, seriously ill patients, elementary, junior and senior high school students, individuals aged 19-24 and those over 25 at high risk of cardiopulmonary disease, healthy people aged 25-49, and those between 50 and 64.
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