Accessibility links
Mixed Results from Experimental Bird Flu Vaccine An experimental bird flu vaccine has potential to offer protection from a pandemic, according to a study in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine. But the research also suggests the effective dose is much greater than originally thought, and it works in only half of all patients.
thumbnail
Special Series

Health Officials Keep Close Watch on Bird Flu

A pandemic is feared if the virulent strain, now in Asia, Europe and Africa, jumps to humans.

Mixed Results from Experimental Bird Flu Vaccine

Heard on Day to Day

Mixed Results from Experimental Bird Flu Vaccine

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5312047/5312048" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

An experimental bird flu vaccine has potential to offer protection from a pandemic, according to a study in the latest issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

But the research also suggests the effective dose is much greater than originally thought -- meaning the U.S. federal government's current stockpile of vaccine is inadequate -- and it works in only half of all patients.