On February 11, the Nha Trang Vaccine Institute announced promising results in the production of H5N1 avian influenza vaccine using a method of culturing the virus strain on chicken embryos.
This work has been underway for three months, and the Nha Trang Vaccine Institute has produced its first batches of finished vaccine.
Eggs used in the laboratory for vaccine formulation
(Illustrative image from pro.corbis.com, VNN)
According to Dr. Le Van Hiep from the H5N1 Vaccine Production Department at the Nha Trang Vaccine Institute, 10-11 day old embryos are selected, and the virus strain, after passing quality checks, is cultured into the egg embryos. Following several complex stages, the finished H5N1 vaccine is obtained.
The Nha Trang Vaccine Institute stated that final results regarding the efficacy and safety of the vaccine produced from chicken embryos will be confirmed after 18 months. Prior to this, the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology also achieved initial success using a method of culturing the virus in monkey kidney cells to develop the vaccine.
