MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Hungarian Bird Flu Vaccine “Effective”

Hungarian vaccine against the deadly bird flu has proved to be effective, Hungary's health minister Jeno Racz told local news agency MTI on Friday.

Now it's definitely proved that the vaccine is effective. Based on our data, the vaccine is 100 percent effective, Racz was quoted as saying.

Hungary's government announced on Wednesday that initial human tests proved promising on the vaccine, which is applicable for the deadly H5N1 form of the virus.

Budapest officials said Germany, the U.S. and Syria are among countries expressing interest in a vaccine that's shown promise against a deadly strain of bird flu.

Jeno Racz, Hungary's health minister said in a press conference today in Budapest that a vaccine tested in 100 volunteers, including himself, may protect against the current H5N1 avian strain, the virus has killed at least 60 people in Asia and been found in birds in Romania, Turkey and Russia.

Fears that virus may lead to a human pandemic have prompted governments to build stockpiles of flu drugs and pursue research into new vaccines. Still, scientists will want to know what type of H5N1 virus was used to make the Hungarian vaccine, along with other details of manufacturing, said William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University specialist who advises the U.S. government on influenza.

''We would like very much to see the results of the trial,'' Schaffner said. ''In God we trust; all others must show the data.''

Indonesia, the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine, Mongolia and the U.K. have also indicated an interest in the vaccine, Hungarian officials said. The country plans to make doses to inoculate its citizens and sell to other nations, the health officials said.