US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said Wednesday it has started human tests of a vaccine against H5N1 bird flu in efforts to prepare to respond to a possible bird flu pandemic.

　　The tests on the vaccine safety in the first phase will involve 450 healthy adults in Baltimore, Los Angeles and Rochester, New York. If shown safe, the vaccine is planned to be further tested in other populations such as old people and children.

　　The vaccine is made by Sanofi Pasteur from an inactivated H5N1 bird flu virus isolated in 2004. Chiron Corp. of Emeryville, California, also has a US government contract to make an H5N1 bird flu vaccine.