Bird Flu Vaccine To Be Administered By Canister On The Skin
"This is really our last chance of a vaccine for everyone," said Professor Peter Dunnill of UCL, who developed the manufacturing process over the last year. But due to the urgency, governments would need to bypass several of the safety trials normally required for such a widely available drug.

Once a pandemic strain is identified it could be ready in days and enough could be ready in three weeks to protect the entire population, its makers say.

The vaccine is administered by a gas-powered canister which is placed on the skin.

There are plans to turn supermarkets into mass vaccination centres with staff there giving the one-shot dose.

The breakthrough is a result of work by a team at University College London and Oxford company PowderMed, which has developed the vaccine.

Dr Clive Dix, head of PowderMed, said: "This is a huge step forward for vaccines."

Experts say it could be key to preventing an estimated 50,000 deaths in Britain should a pandemic hit.

"This is really our last chance of a vaccine for everyone," said Professor Peter Dunnill of UCL, who developed the manufacturing process over the last year.

"We believe we can convert existing drug factories to produce this new type of vaccine very quickly. It actually grows on bacteria and is very quick to produce."

But due to the urgency, governments would need to bypass several of the safety trials normally required for such a widely available drug, he said.