Swine flu vaccine may have side effects

A vaccine which produces a robust immune response at one go might make swine flu
easier to handle, but authorities in India feel any such
Swine flu vaccine

immunisation needs intensive testing as it may compound any side effects the vaccine might have.

According to Director of Indian Council of Health Research (ICMR), V M Katoch, any vaccine which is introduced in India will have to be tested on the Indian population as any side effects which the vaccine might have will be compounded.

Katoch's remarks came in the backdrop of reports of a single shot vaccine which is expected to be welcomed by health authorities because it means more people can be protected as quickly as the vaccine becomes available.

A recent study by researchers at CSL Ltd, a global vaccine and plasma protein company with its headquarters in Australia, showed that a single jab fo vaccine might be enough to produce strong antibodies in the body to fight the disease.

The researchers report early results of an ongoing trial that is evaluating a two-dose vaccine in healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 64 at a single site in Australia.

The study was published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The findings suggest that one dose was enough to produce an immunogenic response, with "mild to moderate" side effects.

They also reported that the vaccine appears to have side effects similar to seasonal flu vaccines