French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur has announced an encouraging start to the trial results of the first avian flu vaccine.
The company reported positive responses from 300 volunteers who received the vaccine during a trial, laying the groundwork for more in-depth research and testing.
Scientists around the world are currently studying a vaccine against the H5N1 avian influenza virus. They are considering the potential for this virus to mutate into a deadly strain capable of global spread.
Currently, it is not possible to administer the vaccine before a pandemic begins, as the vaccination must correspond to the specific strain of the flu virus, the timing of which is still unknown.
Nevertheless, Sanofi Pasteur, a vaccine branch of the giant pharmaceutical company Sanofi Aventis, remains hopeful in developing a practical vaccine capable of combating avian flu outbreaks worldwide.
