Prepandemic influenza vaccine H5N1 (split virion, inactivated, adjuvanted; Prepandrix?): A guide to its use as an active immunization against influenza A subtype H5N1 virus

摘要

Although rare, influenza pandemics are a recurrent event. Highly pathogenic avian influenza A subtype H5N1 (influenza A/H5N1) virus, more commonly known as 'bird flu', is generally considered to be the most likely causative virus of the next influenza pandemic. The influenza A/H5N1 virus possesses a new H5 subtype (H5N1) of haemagglutinin against which the majority of the population is immunologically naive.