British scientists make H1N1 flu strain for vaccine

LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists have produced a strain of H1N1 flu virus which could be used for large scale production of a vaccine, health authorities said on Thursday.

The virus strain is being made available to the pharmaceutical industry and other flu laboratories, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said, describing it as "a crucial step toward large scale production of a vaccine against swine flu."

Some 13,000 people across the world have been confirmed as infected with H1N1 flu -- often referred to as swine flu -- with at least 50 countries affected. It has killed 95 people, according to officially confirmed figures from the World Health Organization.

Britain has 185 confirmed cases, said the HPA, an independent body whose remit includes the monitoring of infectious diseases.

It said the vaccine was produced by its National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) -- one of several laboratories around the world belonging to a World Health Organization (WHO) network racing to produce a strain suitable for manufacturing vaccine.

NIBSC director Stephen Inglis said WHO network laboratories in the United States and Australia were "also making good progress and we expect there soon to be a number of possible strains to use for large scale manufacture of swine flu vaccine.

(Reporting by Kate Kelland. Editing by Jon Hemming)