USDA speeds production process of AH1N1 vaccine

The USDA plans to make the master seed virus (MSV) for the AH1N1 flu available to interested veterinary biologics manufacturers.

Next week, the Centre for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) will issue a notice to manufacturers to alert them the MSV will be available as soon as it is fully characterised and tested, which would be around early to mid-July 2009.

By providing all interested manufacturers with the same approved AH1N1 MSV, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) eliminates the need for each manufacturer to focus resources to develop its own master seed that would then require CVB confirmatory testing.

Should the virus ever appear to be an emerging disease in swine, producers will have a vaccine available much faster than usual, possibly as early as in November or December 2009, the USDA.