UK children recruited for H1N1 vaccine trials

The UK has commenced a two-week swine flu vaccine trial, a month ahead of its planned programme to vaccinate 11 million people in the country.

Doctors at five sites in England will compare vaccines from two manufacturers to see which vaccine works best and has the fewest side-effects.

One thousand children aged six months to 12 years are expected to be recruited onto the trials in Oxford, Bristol, Southampton, Exeter and London.

European regulators recently licensed the first two swine flu vaccines, GlaxoSmithKline's Pandemrix and Novartis' Focetria.

Professor Andrew Pollard, from the University of Oxford told the BBC that vaccines are the best way to protect against flu and any side effects should be limited to sore arms or sometimes a fever.

The UK programme will initially vaccinate the people considered those most at risk from swine flu.

The vaccine will also be made available to more than two million front-line health workers.

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