Baxter’s facility in Austria makes annual flu vaccines but was also developing a human H5N1 vaccine for which a license was expected in the near future. Researchers claim the "serious error" could not have been accidental since it is virtually impossible for live avian flu virus to find its way into a vaccine by "accident".

As health ranger Mike Adams of NaturalNews.com points out, "The shocking answer is that this couldn’t have been an accident. Why? Because Baxter International adheres to something called BSL3 (biosafety level 3)—a set of laboratory safety protocols that prevent the cross-contamination of materials. Laboratory personnel have specific training in handling pathogenic and potentially lethal agents and are supervised by competent scientists who are experienced in working with these agents. ...All procedures involving the manipulation of infectious materials are conducted within biological safety cabinets or other physical containment devices, or by personnel wearing appropriate protective clothing and equipment. The laboratory has special engineering and design features."

Under the BSL3 code of conduct, it is impossible for live avian flu viruses to contaminate production vaccine materials that are shipped to vendors throughout the world.

2. A rogue employee (or an evil plot from the top management) is present at Baxter, whereby live avian flu viruses were intentionally placed into the vaccine materials in the hope that such materials might be injected into humans and set off a global bird flu pandemic.

Spreading bird flu would create an instantaneous surge of demand for bird flu vaccines. The profits that vaccine companies such as Baxter International could reap out of such a panic are astronomical.

"Baxter is acting a whole lot like a biological terrorism organization these days, sending deadly viral samples around the world. If you mail an envelope full of anthrax to your senator, you get arrested as a terrorist. So why is Baxter—which mailed samples of a far more deadly viral strain to labs around the world—getting away with saying, essentially, ‘Oops?’" Adams asked.

While public health officials at the time appeared concerned, claiming to investigate the cause for the contamination of flu vaccines distributed to 18 countries, as of March 21, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not released a statement on the Baxter incident. Instead WHO is moving forward with stockpiling worldwide H5N1 containing vaccines in preparation for a global pandemic, the ingredients of which are "proprietary".

It should also be noted that the federal regulators in the U.S. and the affected countries have not commented on the incident nor is there any evidence that they plan to sanction Baxter for its serious breach in security with regard to the handling of such tightly controlled pathogenic agents.

The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, the LA Times and others have been apprised of the situation but have apparently determined that it does not rise to the level of importance necessary to be published as a news story.

As of October, 2008, a total of 387 confirmed human cases from 15 countries resulting in 245 deaths had been reported to WHO, of which more than 100 cases and 50 deaths had occurred in Vietnam.