U.S. Races To Get Millions Of Swine Flu Doses Ready

New technologies could speed up production

By Mark Johnson and Kathleen Gallagher of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Sept. 5, 2009 11:33 p.m.

In a contest that pits human against virus, the U.S. government is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of swine flu vaccine in hopes of having millions of doses ready for use before the next wave of the pandemic H1N1 sweeps across the nation.

This week the virus struck first, infecting a handful of students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; an additional 25 to 30 are awaiting results of a swine flu test.

Across the United States, thousands of other students have reported influenza symptoms, though many have not been tested for swine flu, according to college officials and a survey by the American College Health Association.

"Well, I think it's going to be a race," said Douglas Reding, vice president of the Marshfield Clinic. "It could potentially be neck and neck depending on when the next outbreak occurs."

At the Milwaukee Health Department, Medical Director Geoffrey Swain said: "I've got my fingers crossed. I'm hopeful that the swine flu outbreak will not have picked up a lot of steam before we get a lot of vaccine."

The race comes at a time when the federal government is in the midst of a multibillion-dollar effort to boost America's flu vaccine capacity and just as vaccine makers are moving into new technologies. Read the rest of the story.