A SIGNIFICANT step towards creating a swine flu vaccine has been taken, it emerged today.
A SIGNIFICANT step towards creating a swine flu vaccine has been taken, it emerged today.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said Health Protection Agency (HPA) scientists have worked out the full genetic code of the virus, which will help understand how it operates and to identify the parts that can be used to manufacture a vaccine.
On a visit to a laboratory in Hertfordshire, he was told that researchers hope European manufacturers will be able to take delivery of prototypes in the coming months to enable mass production to begin.
Praising their efforts, Mr Johnson said: “A significant step towards protecting the world's health against swine flu has been taken.
“We have been preparing for the possibility of a pandemic for some time. We now look to the vaccine industry to produce the required quantities of vaccine as quickly as possible.”
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