08-25-2009, 12:16 AM
<b>No Side Effects So Far in Trial of Swine Flu Shot</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->âThere are no red flags regarding safety,â said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is overseeing the trials.
Because the only side effects in adults were sore arms, which are typical of any flu shot, trials on children were able to begin, and those in pregnant women are expected to begin early next month, Dr. Fauci said in a telephone news conference with officials from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The vaccine will be tested in about 4,500 people. That is far too few to pick up subtle side effects, but the virus strain in the vaccine is close enough to one strain in seasonal shots so that side effects are expected to be similar.
The trials will help officials decide whether to recommend one dose or two. Even with seasonal flu shots, young children who have never had the flu sometimes need two doses to get a âtakeâ â vaccinologist jargon for a protective immune response.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Because the only side effects in adults were sore arms, which are typical of any flu shot, trials on children were able to begin, and those in pregnant women are expected to begin early next month, Dr. Fauci said in a telephone news conference with officials from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The vaccine will be tested in about 4,500 people. That is far too few to pick up subtle side effects, but the virus strain in the vaccine is close enough to one strain in seasonal shots so that side effects are expected to be similar.
The trials will help officials decide whether to recommend one dose or two. Even with seasonal flu shots, young children who have never had the flu sometimes need two doses to get a âtakeâ â vaccinologist jargon for a protective immune response.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->