Russia to Begin Bird Flu Vaccine Tests on 20 People in November

Text of report by Russian news agency RIA

Bird flu vaccine tests are to begin in November 2005, the director of the flu research institute of the Russian Medical Sciences Academy, Oleg Kiselev, told journalists today.

“The testing of the vaccine will be carried out on 20 volunteers. The tests will begin in November this year. We are planning to complete the tests by December,” Kiselev said.

According to him, by March 2006 “if everything goes smoothly and the testing of the vaccine is a success, we will release the first consignment of the vaccine for sale”.

Speaking about possible dangers of the testing for humans, the institute director said: “The only thing that might happen is the volunteers’ temperature may go up to 38 degrees [Centigrade].

“If after testing this result is observed on 3.5 per cent of the volunteers, we will not use the vaccine any further,” Kiselev said.

Earlier, Russia’s chief medical officer Gennadiy Onishchenko said that the bird flu vaccine will be tested on volunteers.