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Serum Institute of India resumes research on vaccine for bird flu that experts say could be more severe than H1N1

After launching a nasal spray vaccine for H1N1 virus, the Serum Institute of India in Pune have now begun research on a vaccine for another deadly killer -- the H5N1 virus that causes avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.

Crusader: Adar Poonawala, executive director of Serum Institute of India in Pune, launches a nasal spray vaccine for H1N1 virus. PIC/DATTA KUMBHAR

A scientist, who was in Mumbai for the launch of the nasal vaccine, said, "We don't want anyone to panic but H5N1 can be severe than swine flu and may affect more people."

Work on the H5N1 vaccine had been put on hold, since the swine flu pandemic broke out.

H1N1 project director Rajiv Dhere confirmed the same.

"We were developing the H5N1 vaccine and had reached the clinical trial stage in March 2009 itself. Then swine flu struck and the WHO instructed us to concentrate on developing a vaccine for the problem in hand.

Therefore, we had to vacate the building where the H5N1 work was going on and dedicate that entire space to H1N1. Now, however, we are working on the H5N1 vaccine again," said Dhere.

Avian influenza had briefly caused a stir when some cases were detected among poultry in West Bengal in January this year. However, no human cases had been detected.

Executive director at the institute, Dr S S Jadhav, said that clinical trials on animals would begin shortly. "We are also keenly working on developing a vaccine for swine flu that can be administered to children below the age of three. The present nasal spray is not suitable for children. There should be some progress by the end of this year," said Jadhav.

Sule misses launch

Supriya Sule, MLA from Baramati, gave the vaccine launch a miss. She had an abrasion on her eye for which she was treated at the Breach Candy hospital. Adar Poonawala rued that she couldn't be at the event. Her cousin Ajit Pawar went to visit her when he came to know about it in the afternoon.

Rs 158, price of one dose of nasal spray Nasovac
450, cases of bird flu reported since November 2003, in more than a dozen countries