Swine Flu Vaccines On The Way

Posted by James Hoskins on October 08, 2009 11:13

Clinical trials have begun to determine which of two vaccines will be used in the UK’s national swine flu vaccination programme.

The trial is already under way and over the next few weeks 1,000 children aged between 6 months and 12 years will be given two doses of vaccine. Blood tests will hopefully reveal which vaccine provokes the greatest immune response. Trial co-ordinators will also be on the lookout for side effects although early evidence suggests that these will be mild.

The European Medicines Agency recommended the two vaccines from Novartis AG and GlaxoSmithKline earlier than usual. Both products are still being tested, but the ESA wanted to ensure that a vaccine would be available for the current winter flu season.

Both of the current contenders contain adjuvants, chemical compounds used to stimulate the immune system and increase the body’s response to a vaccine. There is some controversy over the use of adjuvants when vaccinating pregnant women or children – two groups considered to be at risk from swine flu. There is no hard evidence that adjuvants may be harmful, but many countries including the USA and Canada are buying adjuvant free vaccines for pregnant women.