# 274
Japan has joined the growing list of countries to order in a supply of a pre-pandemic vaccine based on older strains of the H5N1 bird flu virus.
It’s admittedly a gamble. No one really knows if a vaccine based on an older strain will be effective on a mutated pandemic strain of avian flu. It is hoped that a pre-pandemic inoculation would reduce the morbidity and mortality of the illness.
This report comes from Japan Today:
Japan to stock vaccine against new strains of flu for 10 mil
Wednesday, January 3, 2007 at 19:06 EST
TOKYO — The government plans to buy prototype vaccine solutions for a strain of the bird flu virus to build up a state-sponsored stockpile of vaccine for as many as 10 million people, government sources said Wednesday.
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/395058
The story goes on to state that four Japanese vaccine manufacturers were expected to complete production of two types of vaccine, enough to inoculate 10 million people, by February. It gives no detail as to the clades, or the costs, or who would receive these inoculations.
Obviously, this is a stopgap measure. The population of Japan is 127 million. Ten million doses will cover less than 8% of the populace.
But it’s a start.
