US contributes $10 million to develop flu vaccine

Washington, Oct 24 (UNI) The United States has announced a 10 million dollar contribution to support flu vaccine development and manufacturing in other countries.

The announcement came after the release of a new World Health Organization (WHO) report yesterday, on a plan for increasing the supply of vaccines to fight pandemic influenza around the world.

This plan has been developed through a consensus of the world's experts in influenza, immunization, vaccine research, and manufacturing, Mike Leavitt, US secretary of health and human services, said in a statement.

Since 2003, some 256 people have become victims of human avian influenza, and atleast 151 have died. Hundreds of millions of birds have died or been killed to limit the spread of bird flu, a primarily animal disease.

If the virus mutates into a form that is easily spread among people, a global pandemic could result.

UNI XC AKJ BST0909