Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 - For Immediate Release:
Listen to the warnings
Just 6 weeks ago (March 16th, 2009), the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN), Australia's national health and vaccination information lobby group, warned that contamination of the Baxter International flu vaccine with live Avian Influenza virus (H5N1 - the bird flu) could lead to the pandemic we have been warned about over the last few years. This vaccine was sent to 8 European nations and the contamination was only discovered when scientists in the Czech Republic found that all ferrets who were given this vaccine died - an event which does not occur with normal flu vaccine.
Influenza viruses - both swine flu and avian influenza - are host specific meaning that though pigs and birds are susceptible to their own strains respectively, they will not generally cross into other species. Not without a bit of help, that is.
Labs around the world however, are currently experimenting with ways to 'help' these viruses cross the species barrier - to try and create vaccines in advance of the predicted pandemic.
As we saw with Baxter's inclusion of live avian influenza virus in their flu vaccine, accidents can and do happen and when they do, the results can be deadly.
The strains of influenza being diagnosed in Mexico and the US are brand new. They have never been identified before. Not necessarily unusual or cause for concern. What is concerning however is the fact that in this outbreak, the flu strain we are seeing is a combination of human, avian and swine influenza - and the genetic codes for these viruses match those that normally circulate in Europe and Asia.
Not only are we seeing these viruses jump the species barrier - they are jumping the intercontinental barriers as well.
The question then becomes - did they jump or were they pushed?
Are we seeing yet another pharmaceutical company mistake - one now with deadly results?
The only way to answer this question is to immediately test all currently licensed influenza vaccines for contamination with foreirn flu viruses. The Australian Vaccination Network feels that this would be not only a prudent move on the part of the government, but one which could stop a potential outbreak of this deadly disease from reaching our shores via a pathway that is currently not being investigated.
For further information, call the AVN on 02 6687 1699, 0414 872 032 or visit their web site - www.avn.org.au. |
