UK swine flu vaccine gets approval.

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA), has recommended the authorisation of two pandemic flu A(H1N1) vaccines – of which one will be used in the UK. 

The vaccines are Focetria and Pandemrix, which have been developed by Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) respectively. GSK’s Pandemrix will be used in the UK and can be given to adults and children over six months old, as well as pregnant women.

According to reports, the UK has bought 60 million doses and there is also a contract for an additional vaccine which is yet to be approved, which would mean there would be provision for up to 132 million doses.

In July, the Department of Health (DoH) announced, to much speculation, that a vaccine would be fast-tracked for use in Britain in September. At that point GSK predicted that a more realistic
timeline would be towards the end of 2009.

In the statement released by the EMEA, 6,000 participants have already been part of clinical trials and trials in adults and children will continue with further results expected from October/November. 

Several countries including Australia, Brazil, the US, UK and Italy have all pledged the donation of vaccine to countries in the developing world as resources continue to be scarce. The WHO said that current supplies of the vaccine are inadequate for a world population and said that current demand continues to outstrip supply.

In its update this week, WHO confirmed that approvals have now been given to licence pandemic vaccines in Australia, China and the US, with Japan and several European countries soon expected to follow suit.

The worldwide death toll from the virus now stands at almost 4,000 and the number of reported cases total at least 318,925.