My experience this past year living in Vietnam tells me this is bad news.

WHO researchers expressed concerns that material used to produce the vaccine strain could be contaminated by other viruses and that a breach of security in the laboratory could allow a more dangerous version of the bird flu virus to escape.

In an interview last month at her institute, National Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology, Prof. Nguyen Thu Van said she did not share these worries about the safety of her program. “I believe in our procedures and all the laboratory testing. I’m sure our vaccine is safe, so I’m not concerned,” she said.

~Washington Post, May 28, 2005

Maybe I would have a smidgeon of confidence in Dr. Van and her colleagues if quality and consistency were hallmarks of everyday life here in Vietnam. They’re not.

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