Novartis Flu Vaccine May Work in One Dose

It is expected that there will be high demand for swine flu shots. If Novartis' swine flu vaccine can work with only one dose, it will increase the availability of vaccine.

The reason that most experts felt two doses of swine fly vaccine would be necessary is that swine flu is a new virus to which virtually no one has immunity. However, early results from human tests on one of Novartis' swine flu vaccine trials, showed that one shot of its vaccine provided enough protection against the virus, as per criteria by U.S. and European drug regulators.

Novartis said the results were based on a British trial of 100 people aged between 18 and 50. Volunteers received either one or two shots of its swine flu vaccine. It is also testing other swine flu vaccine formulations in more than 6,000 people worldwide.

The World Health Organization refused to comment on Novartis' vaccine since it had not yet seen the trial data. The agency said that a number of companies were working on one-dose swine flu vaccine formulations. On Thursday, China approved a swine flu vaccine which its producer, Sinovac, says also works with just one flu shot.