Swine flu jabs ready for testing

US pharmaceutical firm Baxter International has announced completion of the first commercial batches of a human swine flu vaccine.

The medication, called Celvapan A/H1N1, was completed in late July. It must now undergo clinical trials which are scheduled to begin later this month.

The company had already gained European Medicines Agency (EMEA) licensure of a 'mock-up' pandemic vaccine made with a different pandemic strain, a process which enables fast track approval of a pandemic vaccine containing the actual pandemic strain.

The company has agreements with a number of countries, including Ireland, to deliver a swine flu vaccine following the WHO's declaration of a pandemic.

The Government plans to acquire more than 7.5 million doses of a swine flu vaccine and is planning to offer vaccination to the entire population in the autumn.

Baxter will now begin discussing plans for distribution with health authorities in these countries, subject to regulatory approval.

A number of other drug companies are also working on swine flu vaccines.