Swine flu vaccine trial (From The Oxford Times)

Swine flu vaccine trial

1:50pm Wednesday 23rd September 2009 in News By Reg Little

PAEDIATRICIANS at Oxford Children’s Hospital are looking for 250 children, including babies, to take part in a swine flu vaccine trial.

They are planning to enrol children aged six months to 12 for trials of two different swine flu vaccines, which are due to be used this winter.

Scientists say that the study will be crucial in determining which vaccine offer the best protection to children, with the number and severity of cases expected to increase with the onset of autumn and the return of schools and universities.

Prof Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Centre, said: “Children are one of the age groups most vulnerable to swine flu infection, so it’s vital we obtain information on their response to these vaccines.”

He said he was confident parents would come forward in sufficient numbers.

One of the aims of the study, however, will be to establish which of the vaccines causes the least side-effects in children, such as soreness and high temperature.

Children who take part in the study would receive two doses of a swine flu vaccine three weeks apart at the outpatients department of the Oxford Children’s Hospital.

A blood test would also be taken before and after the immunisation course to check their response to the vaccines.

Oxford is one of five English cities that has been selected for the children flu vaccine trial, being funded by the NHS National Institute for Health Research.

Trials will also be carried out in Exeter, Bristol, Southampton and London, with a total of 1,000 children to be involved.

The trial will be entirely voluntary, with families interested given detailed briefings about the potential benefits and risks.

Prof Pollard said he would start speaking to families interested in taking part in the trials this weekend, while an advertising campaign would be launched next week.

He said he expected significant numbers of local parents to come forward because of the widespread concern about both the spread and severity of swine flu as we move into the winter months.

He said: “We are already aware there is a lot of interest in swine flu vaccination.

“Everyone is concerned about what might happen this winter. The truth is nobody really knows at this stage.

“There is little doubt from the information that has come out so far that this vaccine will generate an immune response which will be protective.

“Clearly, when facing a pandemic situation we have to move quickly.”

He said that while no medical intervention could be absolutely risk free, similar seasonal flu vaccines were already given to thousands of people every year in the UK.

By conducting the study, he said researchers would be able to determine if one of the vaccines is better tolerated by children and which one best protected them from swine flu.

Millions of doses of two swine flu vaccines have been purchased for use in the UK by the Department of Health to control the expected outbreak this autumn but information about their use in children is limited.

The vaccine study in Oxford is being conducted by the University of Oxford in collaboration with the Health Protection Agency.

Parents interested in enrolling their child in the study should visit swineflutrial.org