Vaccine makers get strong stock boost from potential swine flu pandemic

Both leading and minor drugmakers that also have vaccines in their portfolios saw significant rises in their stock prices on April 27, the  first trading day that the significance of what was emerging as a  potential global swine influenza pandemic was fully absorbed.

At this stage, the flu outbreak, which started in Mexico with about 50  confirmed deaths by that date, had already spread to several cities  throughout the neighboring USA, as well as in Canada, Spain and the UK,  with the World Health Organization saying it has raised the level of  influenza pandemic alert from the current phase 3 to phase 4, indicating  that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased, but not that it is  inevitable.

The WHO's Director General, Margaret Chan, said that production of  seasonal flu vaccine should continue at this time, subject to  re-evaluation as the situation evolves. She also said the agency will  facilitate the process needed to develop a vaccine effective against  A/H1N1 virus.