26 February, 2013 11:54AM AEST

Newcastle search for bird flu vaccine

Newcastle is part of a global vaccine project being funded by the US Government to combat the danger of avian influenza, or bird flu.

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Remember the worldwide panic over bird flu, and the fears of a pandemic that could kill millions of people?

The alarm has subsided but the situation hasn't really changed, with hundreds of people still infected by the disease, which has a 60% mortality rate.

Just a simple virus mutation to allow human-to-human transmission could result in a deadly threat.

Aaron Kearney from 1233 ABC Newcastle found out about local research that's being done to try to make sure an effective vaccine is available.

He spoke to Dr Marc Russo, director of Hunter Clinical Research. (listen to attached audio)

The study is comparing two doses of the vaccine, one which is already known to work, and the other which is about half the strength.

"To see if we can achieve immune status with a lower amount, and that would mean that there would be the ability to stockpile twice as much vaccine doses for the globe compared to what's currently available," Dr Russo says.

The doctor says it's production capacity more than any concerns over side-effects that is driving the research.

"The current dose doesn't have any particular side-effects, certainly no more than the ordinary flu shot," he says.

The aim is to stockpile around a billion doses of the bird flu vaccine, which seems to have quite a long shelf-life, to protect a population of seven billion people.

Around 40 local people, including some who travel regularly to south-east Asia or who work in the poultry industry, have signed up so far for the vaccine research.

They won't be deliberately exposed to the bird flu virus to see if they have resistance, but instead their blood will be tested for its immune reaction about a month after they are vaccinated. The blind study will involve some participants receiving the normal dose and others the half dose, but they won't be told which group they're in.

They'll be given a booster at 12 months, and any side-effects will also be monitored.

The research is being paid for by the US Government, through a global pharmaceutical company.

Another 100 people are still needed for the Newcastle trial, and will be paid for their time.

At present avian flu is mostly transmitted from bird to bird, and on occasion from birds to humans but with difficulty and only with close contact.

"But it's very lethal if you do, so the mortality rate is 60%," Dr Russo says, and warns of the risk of complacency.

"Seven people died last week in Cambodia, two died this week in China, so it's still out there and people are still being affected."

Some time between 1959 and 1996, avian influenza mutated from a low-danger to a high-danger virus.

If the H5N1 virus mutates again to allow human-to-human transmission it's expected the current vaccine will work, but if it undergoes a major mutation that's less certain.

Dr Russo sees the vaccine stockpile as a "global insurance policy" against a bird flu pandemic.

"I think the World Health Organisation and various governments around the world are taking this very seriously and continue to fund it, and there are multiple trials and multiple vaccines," he says.