Tobacco plants could yield cheap anthrax vaccine

A safe and cheap anthrax vaccine could be grown to inoculate every person in the US, according to a recent study from the University of Central Florida.

Mice immunised with the vaccine produced through the genetic engineering of tobacco plants survived lethal doses of anthrax greater than those ever exposed to humans, it said.

The new production method could help the government and health care providers avoid supply shortages, as just one acre of plants can produce 360 million doses in a year, claimed the researchers. Current production involves an expensive fermentation and drugs can cause harmful side-effects such as inflammation, flu-like symptoms and rashes.