An experimental botulinum vaccine holds promise as a way to protect individuals who reacted to the toxoid, suggests a report from the California Department of Health. Researchers gave healthy volunteers who had been immunized with a experimental botulinum toxoid a recombinant botulinum vaccine (rBV A/B) against botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A and B. They found:

• A single intramuscular dose of the vaccine resulted in neutralizing antibody concentrations in 37 of 45 volunteers after about 2 weeks, with 39/45 having at least a 4-fold increase in such antibody concentrations to anti-botulinum neurotoxin A and B.
• 42 of 45 volunteers developed adverse effects, most of which were mild injection site reactions.
• Researchers theorize that the vaccine may provide botulism lab workers with a measure of protection.