Human trials of flu jab delayed again

       Human trials of the Thai-made type-A (H1N1) influenza vaccine have been delayed for the second time after the World Health Organisation recommended the Thai team conduct more studies on the trial jab's safety.
       Vichai Chokewiwat, the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO)chairman, said the WHO viewed that Thai scientists were new to the production of live-attenuated vaccine, so the country should take careful steps in producing a vaccine.
       The WHO's recommendation came after the Thai team detected an abscess in a rat injected with its trial H1N1 vaccine earlier this month.
       Although the WHO experts concluded that the abscess had nothing to do with the trial vaccine, they recommended more studies be done before Thailand goes ahead with human trials.
       "So we decided to postpone the vaccine testing on humans for 10 more days. The trials will begin on Oct 5," Dr Vichai said after the meeting of a committee on vaccine trials on humans which he chaired yesterday.
       The human testing was originally scheduled for Sept 21, but was later postponed to Sept 24 and then Oct 5.
       "Yes, we are worried that Thailand's H1N1 vaccine development project is not going as smoothly as expected, but we have come this far and we won't give up," said Dr Vichai.
       In the meantime, the GPO would recruit volunteers for vaccine trials.
       The GPO planned to conduct vaccine tests on 24 volunteers, but only seven were on the list as most of the applicants did not meet the testing requirements.
       In another development, the subcommittee on immunisation practices,a body that counsels the government on vaccine matters, yesterday proposed a priority list of H1N1 vaccine recipients.
       The advisory panel would next week submit the list to the Public Health Ministry for review and then help state and local health departments plan for a vaccination campaign as soon as the previously-ordered 2 million vaccines arrive around December and January.
       Under the list, health care workers,pregnant women and those with obesity problems will be among people first in line to receive the vaccine, followed by those with chronic diseases and developmental disabilities, totalling 5 million,who are at the highest risk of complications from the new flu strain.
       Somchai Chakrabhandu, Disease Control Department chief, said the recommendation is based on the number of fatalities reported by the Bureau of Epidemiology.
       The type-A H1N1 flu has caused over 10,000 hospitalisations and 153 deaths in 56 provinces as of Sept 16. Most of them were among these risk groups,except for the healthcare workers.
       Charung Muangchana, director of the national vaccine committee, said an estimated 400,000 healthcare workers are listed to receive the vaccine first because they are on the front lines in providing services at hospitals.