For those countries now entering the summer months with the flu season behind them, a delay in vaccine is not a real cause for concern. But in the southern hemisphere where countries are entering their winter months the picture would be different if the outbreak were to worsen.
One way of administering the vaccine could be by adding a swine flu component to the seasonal flu jab given out in the autumn.
But while production facilities are much more extensive than they once were, it could still take several years to produce enough swine vaccine to match global demand if the virus continues to spread and becomes more virulent.
And in the rush to combat swine flu - from which there have been fewer than 10 confirmed deaths - manufacturers still have to keep their eye on producing an effective vaccine for seasonal flu as they do every year.
In the US alone there are an estimated 25-50 million cases reported each year. These result in 150,000 hospitalisations and 30,000 to 40,000 deaths. Worldwide there may be as many as half a million deaths each year.
"Clearly, if you make a swine flu vaccine and the pandemic doesn't actually occur, we could end up with no seasonal flu vaccine," warned Chris Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi-Aventis.
In any event, swine flu appears to be responding well to anti-viral treatments like Tamiflu and Relenza. These drugs do not attack the virus itself but an enzyme that allows it to spread within the body. Taken promptly, they can reduce the severity and length of the illness.
But production of sufficient quantities - were they needed - could again be problematic, although pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Roche Holding AG have both said they are stepping up production.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/health/8024240.stm
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