GPO cooks up first batch of flu vaccine

       Researchers have produced the first local batch of vaccines for use against influenza type-A (H1N1).
       The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, which is making the vaccine, is now looking for a new academic partner to step up production ahead of the second wave of infections expected in December.
       GPO managing director Witit Artavatkun yesterday said 1,270 vials, each containing 0.7ml of the vaccine, were labelled and stored in a temperaturecontrolled room awaiting sterilisation tests. The process would take two weeks.
       Mahidol University's faculty of veterinary science is preparing for further tests on animals before moving on to a clinical trial, in line with a recommendation by the subcommittee overseeing health strategies against the flu pandemic, Dr Witit said.
       Virologist Prasert Thongcharoen, the subcommittee chairman, raised concerns over the safety of fast-tracked vaccine research and said careful development was needed as Thailand had adopted the live-attenuated vaccine technology, as opposed to unactivated virus technology.
       Live-attenuated vaccine technology allows a large amount of vaccine to be produced in a short period of time.
       Dr Witit said the GPO had followed development steps recommended by the World Health Organisation.
       The agency was considering using facilities at King Mongkut's University of Technology (KMUT) Thon Buri to boost production of the vaccine to accommodate the second wave of the influenza.
       He said the agency hoped to use facilities at KMUT's Bang Khunthian campus as its second plant for making the vaccine.
       Dr Witit admitted the maximum production capacity of the plant at Silpakorn University's faculty of pharmaceutical sciences in Nakhon Pathom province was just 540,000 doses per month.
       The agency hopes to produce 10 million doses of the vaccine by December.
       A five-year rental plan for using university laboratories to develop vaccines is being negotiated with KMUT. The GPO said it could invest 150 million baht into the project. Additional funds have been sought from the World Health Organisation, he said.
       Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry yesterday confirmed eight new deaths from H1N1, raising the country's death toll to 119.
       Paichit Varachit, deputy permanent secretary for public health, said the deaths between Aug 16 and 22 were four women and four men. Half were aged from 31 to 40 years, which is categorised as a risk group.
       The rise in the number of deaths in the past week was the smallest since weekly tallies were begun on July 15. It was nearly half the 14 deaths reported the week before.
       Dr Paichit said the H1N1 outbreak in Bangkok and surrounding areas was diminishing, but it was spreading in northern provinces."The ministry has instructed every province to strictly follow two reduction measures: Reduce both the number of viral infections and the overall death toll as much as they can," he said. Dr Paichit said the government committee in charge of containing the H1N1 outbreak, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, met on Tuesday and agreed to continue anti-flu measures.
       H1N1 WATCH Deaths: As of Aug 22,compared to Aug 15 111 119 Aug 15 Aug 22 Contact numbers: * Public Health Ministry hotline: 02-590-1994 (24 hours) or 1422 * Health Emergency Response Unit: 02-590-3333 * BMA disease control division: 02-245-8106 POST graphics