The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that it was confident a new vaccine can be made to immunize people against the fatal A/H1N1 virus.
"We have no doubt that making a successful vaccine is possible within a relatively short period of time," said Marie-Paul Kieny, director of the WHO Initiative for Vaccine Research.
Kieny added, however, due to the complex process of developing a new vaccine, it would take at least four months for the first doses of vaccines to come out of a factory and be available for immunizing people.
"It will take four to six months between the time the virus is isolated and the availability of the first doses," Kieny told a news briefing at the WHO headquarters.
Kieny also pointed out that vaccines for preventing seasonal influenza, as are used in a vast majority of countries, would not be effective against the new A/H1N1 virus.
"Tests show there is very little chance that seasonal vaccines ... would be effective against this particular virus," she said.
According to the WHO's latest update, the total number of lab confirmed human infections of the A/H1N1 influenza has reached 365, with one death from the United States and nine deaths from Mexico. In total 13 countries and regions have been affected by the new disease.
(Xinhua News Agency May 2, 2009)
