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Vaccine will take longer than expected: WHO
The World Health Organization says it will take longer than expected to produce a vaccine for the H1N1 virus. Flu experts are having a tougher time than expected growing the H1N1 virus in the lab. This is making it more difficult for the scientists to retrieve a seed stock necessary to the production of the vaccine. (CBC) -
WHO recommends vaccine's composition
Following tests on the various H1N1 strains found across the world, WHO recommends that vaccines for the pandemic H1N1 virus contain the A/California/7/2009(H1N1)v virus as it is the closest relative to the virus. WHO will begin to distribute the A/California/7/2009(H1N1)v virus seed strain —the base material for the development of a vaccine takes — to vaccine manufacturers. -
GSK receives strain of H1N1 virus
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) begins developing the H1N1 vaccine in late May upon receipt of the A/California/7/2009(H1N1)v virus seed strain from WHO. The vaccine will comprise antigen of the A/California/7/2009(H1N1)v influenza strain and also contain GSK's proprietary adjuvant system AS03. The adjuvant is added to the antigen at time of administration to boost your system's response to the vaccine, making it more effective. -
GlaxoSmithKline's vaccine
The government of Canada has a contract since 2001 with GSK to maintain vaccine production capacity in Canada. H1N1 vaccine antigens are expected to be available in four to six months time. -
WHO declares H1N1 pandemic
WHO declares a phase six pandemic of the H1N1 swine flu, the highest on the scale. A phase six pandemic means that there is a human-to-human spread of the virus and that there is a community outbreak in more than one country in different parts of the world. The last pandemic announced by WHO occurred more than 40 years ago in 1968. -
Production of vaccine starts
Production of the H1N1 begins following completion of GSK's seasonal vaccine at the end of July, as per guidance from WHO and the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization. The production of the vaccine takes five to six months from the moment where WHO isolates the virus strain to when the vaccine is ready for roll-out. -
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announce that the government of Canada will place an order for 50.4 million doses of H1N1 vaccine. The $400 million contract is going to GlaxoSmithKline's factory in Quebec City. Most of the 50.4 million doses of H1N1 vaccine will contain an adjuvant — a substance used to boost the vaccine's effectiveness. The 1.8 million doses that won't include the adjuvant are intended for pregnant women. (GlaxoSmithKline/Reuters)
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GSK, the manufacturer of Canada's swine flu vaccine, starts testing the vaccine on people. GSK says it plans to test its vaccine on more than 9,000 people in Canada, the United States and Europe as part of 16 clinical trials. The first trial — based in Germany — will assess the use of the vaccine given as two doses, 21 days apart in 128 healthy adults, aged between 18 and 60.
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GSK releases the initial results of its first trial. The trial is designed to test the safety and effectiveness of the company's H1N1 vaccine. According to the results, more than 98 per cent of subjects who receive a first dose of 5.25 micrograms of vaccine and the company's AS03 adjuvant show signs of protection three weeks later, compared with 95 per cent of those who receive the vaccine without the adjuvant, the company says.
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The Ministry of Health fast-tracks the swine flu vaccine. Two thousand healthy Canadians will take part in GSK Canada's clinical trials. An interim order — issued by the health minister in rare situations where immediate action is required to deal with a significant risk to human health, public safety, or the environment — allows GSK to start limited clinical tests on humans in Canada.The clinical trials will cover issues that have not been focused on by previous studies. (CBC)
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GSK announces results from second clinical trial
GSK announces the results from a second clinical trial of its pandemic (H1N1) adjuvant vaccine. The trial shows that one dose of the vaccine can provide a strong immune response which exceeds the criteria as defined by international licensing authorities using the lowest dose of antigen available in pandemic vaccines. -
1st H1N1 vaccines shipped
H1N1 vaccine doses were shipped to provinces in anticipation that the limited Canadian clinical tests were successful. "Two million doses of vaccine have already been shipped to provinces and territories to facilitate the implementation of their programs, once authorization is given," Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. David Butler-Jones, said at a news conference. (CBC) -
H1N1 vaccine approved for rollout
Health Canada authorizes the rollout of the H1N1 vaccine. One dose of the H1N1 vaccine seems to offer immunity in the "high 90s" in healthy adults, said Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer and most people will gain immunity within 10 days of receiving one dose. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press) -
Widespread vaccination campaign starts
Provinces and territories kick off the vaccination campaign against the H1N1 virus. Most provinces and territories will focus the campaign this week on health-care professionals and people in high-risk groups. (Michael Turschic/CBC) -
Canada secure an additional supply of non-adjuvanted vaccine
Another 200,000 doses of vaccine without the adjuvant are ordered from CSL Australia under a special order for emergency access. The vaccines without the adjuvant are recommended for pregnant women. The 200,000 additional emergency doses from CSL Australia will be available ahead of the GSK order, said Ontario's chief medical officer of health Dr. Arlene King. (Ron Heflin/Associated Press) -
No H1N1 vaccine for Ontarians with egg allergies
Residents with egg allergies are unable to the H1N1 vaccine, because eggs are used as incubators for the H1N1 vaccine. (Reuters) -
Provinces ration smaller flu vaccine supply
Fewer doses of H1N1 vaccine are expected next week because the vaccine manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, has a single production line. The company needs to stop producing adjuvanted vaccines to make the non-adjuvant type for pregnant women. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press) -
GSK resumes production of adjuvant vaccine
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, this week Canada will receive just 400,000 doses of adjuvanted and 225,000 doses of non-adjuvanted vaccines, compared to two million doses that were received last week. The shortages of vaccines are causing provinces and territories to further restrict the allocation of doses. In New Brunswick, the Horizon Health Network has cancelled 34 H1N1 vaccine clinics scheduled this week for school children blaming the sudden cancellation on the shortage. -
H1N1 vaccine safe after millions of doses: WHO
WHO says that the vaccine is safe after millions of doses have been given so far and no unusual side-effects have been seen. (Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press)
