Nursery World - Swine flu jabs go on trial for 1,000 children

Around 1,000 children aged from six months to 12 years in Oxford, Bristol, Southampton, Exeter and London will be offered immunisation against swine flu this month in a clinical trial.

They will be the first in the country to receive the vaccine.

The aim of the trial is to determine which vaccine is the most effective in children. The results will be used to inform the Government ahead of a possible vaccination programme in the autumn.

So far, swine flu vaccines have only been tested on adults.

Researchers from five centres will divide children into two groups to test either a vaccine made from an inactivated form of the whole swine flu virus, or one made from key components of the virus and a substance designed to stimulate the immune system.

They will be given two doses of the vaccine and a blood test before and after to see how their immune system responds. Researchers will also look at any side effects caused by the two vaccines, monitoring children's daily temperatures and reactions, such as injection site redness or swelling, for seven days after each immunisation.

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