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Swine flu vaccine trials begin at St. Louis University

Nicholas Sarakas of St. Peters, MO, is one of several hundred people participating in swine flu vaccine trials at St. Louis University.
Courtesy St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Nicholas Sarakas of St. Peters, MO, is one of several hundred people participating in swine flu vaccine trials at St. Louis University.

By Catherine Wolf, KWMU

St. Louis, MO –

Clinical trials of a vaccine for swine flu began at St. Louis University Monday. The Center for Vaccine Development is one of eight U.S. sites testing dosage amounts and whether the vaccine can be given along with a yearly flu shot.

Lead investigator Dr. Sharon Frey said initial results could be available in a few weeks and a vaccine could be ready by early fall.

"The government has ordered huge amounts, hundreds of millions of doses of vaccines, and so it's a matter of how quickly the pharmaceuticals can manufacture that and get it shipped out."

Twenty-five-year-old Nicholas Sarakas said he volunteered for the study because he works with the public a lot.

"Knowing that I'm kind of in the risk category with the demographic of people who basically suffer the most from it I kind of thought maybe this would be a good idea, and figuring I'll probably end up getting the flu shot anyway."

Researchers plan tests on children and pregnant women next. Frey said they will be given priority for getting shots once a vaccine is ready.

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