Some 4.8 million doses of flu vaccine are now being prepared for use in response to the growing U.S. outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or H5N1, officials say.
The order for the doses to be filled into vials comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a growing number of human cases linked to the unprecedented outbreak of the virus in dairy cattle this year.
The supplies will be pulled from a “pre-pandemic” stockpile funded by the federal Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. Vaccinemaker CSL Seqirus has been tasked with manufacturing the doses at its North Carolina plant.
“It utilizes a highly scalable method of production and is currently positioned to deliver up to 150 million influenza vaccine doses to support an influenza pandemic response within six months of a pandemic declaration,” CSL Seqirus said in a release.
The doses combine bulk stockpiles of two key ingredients: an “antigen” targeted at the H5 portion of the H5N1 virus with an “adjuvant” designed to boost the immune response triggered by the vaccine.