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Forum: SKG Bird Flu Vax Commercial

26 October 2006

Goju – at 07:59

Anyone seen the GlaxoSmithKline Bird Flu Vax commercial?

Yup - seen it several times now. DW saw it first and told me they have a vax!!!!!! Not to worry.

I saw it - they talk about developing a vax to keep us safe from BF. It sounds like they are making the vax to save us all… but if you listen closely, they say they are “developing” a vax. They do make it sound as if BF is H2H though…. frightening if you know what that means.

They also mention Relenza.

It is a commercial meant to reassure that everything is being done to keep us safe. Very well shot and produced.

Makes me think we have a “situation” developing just around the corner.

Goju – at 08:00

here is their website

http://www.gsk.com/infocus/influenza.htm

JWB – at 08:06

….In this case, the World Health Organization would alert governments on how to tackle the outbreak. ….

OoooooooKay

cottontop – at 08:11

Goju-

from lack of news anywhere, lack of military activity,(especially around here. Fort Drum is always very active), increased bird flu in the on-line news, states putting out their prepardness plan, a “miracle” vaccine that is going to save us, China “conquers” bird flu, Who roumored to raise alert level, what is all of this saying to you?

Goju – at 09:04

H5N1 is spreading in birds around the globe. H5N1 is diversifying into a multitude of strains. There is limited H2H. Symptoms and CFR are changing with each new strain (read “is there something about all that dengue, Chik and undiagnosed viral illnesses we don’t know?)

My gut feeling is that H5N1 will go pandemic in a flash (Nabbarro’s opinion too) and we’d better hope that the strain that goes is NOT the indo one.

Unfortunately I think it will… i think TPTB think so too. I think TPTB know it will be devastating and there is nothing they can do about it anymore. There is not enough food in the supply chains to prep everyone within the timeframe needed (which no one can say a timeframe for sure anyway). The “cut and run” technique is being employed. Keep the top safe (read Gov, Military, Biz) and when the smoke clears, pick up the pieces (unlike nuke war, infrastructure will be mostly unaffected).

TPTB will keep the public off balance by keeping them focused on “other” events. Mention of BF will be in a reassuring tone. The pandemic will not be announced until it is upon us and all the “top” is safely on their way to SIP.

Our military around the world will circle their wagons and wait it out. Watch for pull backs to central locations (ie - redeployment of forces in Iraq - read “giving the Iraqies more responsibility”). With our troops out of action, regional conflicts will flare up and borders will be redrawn (hope not by Nukes - read “NK vs SK, Pakastan Vs India, China vs SEA/Japan”). Then the troops will be reallocated to where we can do the most good (read - “easy way out of Iraq? - bring the boys home in time for the next election”)

As the news dries up, i get more nervous because i know that H5N1 is NOT going away. I know it IS spreading. I know it is DIVERSIFYING. It is only a matter of time before it hits the right combination and circumstance for pandemic to start. It will circle the globe faster than we can post “OMG!” And that ambulence you hear out your window may hold the first case in your town before you read it on the CNN crawl.

WHO is making very interesting moves with picking a new leader and forming the emergency team. Their press releases are grim. The GKS ad makes me twitch. It really sounds as if pandemic H2H has begun… another “don’t worry, we have it all under control”.

On the other hand, maybe there is no news because there is no news, there will be a universal miricle vax developed that can be sprayed into the air and we are all safe once again - where my cheeseburger and fries at?

cottontop – at 09:15

I believe China is misleading the people by claiming it had eradicated bird flu, and, feeling a litle too presumpitious. There are many factors that can not be controlled, many equations that can not be foreseen. They cannot get rid of every chicken in the country, they are not looking to pigs, ducks, ect. Their news of good news, is making me uneasy.

beehiver – at 11:30

I caught the end of the GSK ad on Discovery Health channel last night. Isn’t this the vaccine with the proprietary adjuvant…an oil-emulsion adjuvant, or closely related to the MF59 adjuvant that has caused so much concern as highlighted by anon_22 on a different thread? Has the proprietary GSK adjuvant been approved yet by the FDA for use in vaccines in the U.S.? If there is truly an oil emulsion adjuvant in this new vaccine they are already advertising, and it has not been approved yet…what’s going on? Is this an effort to build early public support, without the public knowing what’s in the vaccine, and can’t find out due to “proprietary” status?

For the record, I do not always take an anti-vaccine stance; but I am in favor of full testing, full disclosure, and informed consent. Sometimes the testing of biological products is not thorough; and the current level of knowledge about interactions in molecular biology is not as complete, or has not penetrated as thoroughly, as we would like to think. We are not God, yet…if ever…and there is need to behave in the professional world with great respect. Hopefully the public will demand full disclosure, and will be cautious about what they allow themselves to believe.

Goju – at 11:51

I don’t think they “have” the vax yet. The commercial was a bit misleading IMO

janetn – at 12:28

Beehive, Yes your correct its the same vaccine. I caught the same commercial, my DH saw it too. Even though the commercial does not say they have a vaccine my DH thought different. How many people are going to see that ad and think incorrectly that there is a vaccine available?

crfullmoon – at 12:47

CIDRAP: …”The nation currently lacks the capacity to make enough egg-based flu vaccine.”… “HHS officials predicted it would take 4 to 5 years to bring cell-based flu vaccines to the point of usability. “

HHS pdf Estimated U.S.-based vaccine production

Current capacity; 2 doses, 90 ug/dose for 1.7 Million = 0.6%of the population

2007 capacity (est); 2 doses, 90 ug/dose for 3.3 million = 1.1% of the population

Current capacity; 2 doses, 18 ug/dose for 8.3 million = 2.8% of the population

Page 23 Pre-Pandemic Vaccine, HHS strategy to stockpile pre-pandemic vaccine to protect 20 M persons for possible pandemic strains.

H5N1 stockpile for 5.7 M civilians and 1.8 M military personnel by 2/06 Production limited to period between annual campaigns

Page 33 Conclusions and Next Steps HHS doctrine and pandemic vaccine and antiviral drug supply goals will minimize need for targeting & priority groups

But a significant vaccine supply gap will remain for >5 years and antiviral drug gap for 2 years”

observer – at 15:06

This from Reuters today may explain ads, etc.

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc expects to sign more contracts to supply governments with its experimental bird flu vaccine for humans, following purchases by Switzerland and an unidentified Asian country.

“Between now and Christmas I expect we will sign a few more in Europe and elsewhere,” Chief Executive Jean-Pierre Garnier told analysts in a post-results conference call.

Europe’s biggest drugmaker announced earlier this month that the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health had ordered 8 million doses of its H5N1 vaccine to protect its entire population in the event of a influenza pandemic, which many experts fear may be triggered by bird flu.

The vaccine has not yet won regulatory approval but Glaxo plans to file it with the European Medicines Agency by the end of 2006.

Glaxo’s vaccine uses only a very low dose of active ingredient, which should help stretch scarce supplies.

A key challenge in the race to produce a vaccine for millions of people around the world — which governments are keen to stockpile — is how to make the maximum number of shots from the minimum amount of antigen, or active ingredient.

While Glaxo’s vaccine offers protection against the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus now circulating, its impact on any mutated strain of virus is not certain.

However, experts say it could “prime” a person’s immune system so they will get stronger effects from a later, better-matched vaccine.

http://tinyurl.com/t2xv2

Bronco Bill – at 21:09
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