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New data demonstrates that a single dose of an H1N1 vaccine creates a strong antibody response in healthy adults, a finding that U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius suggests could prove "critically important" in helping U.S. health officials maximize existing vaccine supply, CQ HealthBeat reports. Trials conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) found that a single dose of the Sanofi Pasteur H1N1 vaccine induced a powerful immune response in 96 percent of adults between age 18 and age 64 just eight to 10 days following vaccination, while the CSL Limited H1N1 vaccine induced a similar response in 80 percent of trial participants. The results are a boon to health officials, who now expect a greater supply of the vaccine and an increased number of immunized individuals as the fall flu season approaches. The government has ordered 195 million doses of the vaccine from drug makers, with the first 45 million doses expected in mid-October. Until these doses become available, officials continue to recommend vigilant hand washing, remaining home from work and school when sick, coughing into tissues, and seasonal flu vaccination among high-risk individuals such as the elderly. Meanwhile, H1N1 vaccine data on pregnant women and children is still unavailable, although no adverse effects have been reported in response to the vaccine (Attias, CQ HealthBeat, 9/11/09 [subscription required]; Reinberg, HealthDay, 9/11/09).