Bird Flu Takes Flight

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere means one chilling prospect for global health officials: it's bird-flu season. Nine countries have announced outbreaks in recent weeks, and a replay of 2006--when H5N1 killed 80 people and spread to the Middle East and Africa--could well be on the way. In an effort to stay ahead of the virus, the Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday said it is giving $132.5 million to makers of bird-flu vaccines that rely on immune-system boosters called adjuvants. "In the event of an influenza pandemic," said HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, "adjuvant could provide a way to extend a...

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