SPOTLIGHT: GAO questions antidotes for pandemic

The GAO says that a pandemic vaccine can offer little help during the crucial initial stages of an outbreak. The Department of Health and Human Services has estimated that it would take 20 to 23 weeks to develop and manufacture a vaccine targeted at a specific strain. And increasing access to antivirals--the second key strategy for dealing with a pandemic--would demand construction of new facilities and fresh sources of production material. FierceVaccines