One swine flu shot enough for pre-teens

"Preliminarydata from our trials indicate that a single 15-microgram dose of vaccine is welltolerated and induces immune responses in most older children that is generallypredictive of protection," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute ofAllergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), tolda news conference. "Among healthy children aged 10 - 17 years old,76 per cent had a robust immune response" eight to 10 days after being given asingle shot of a vaccine made by French manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur, said Fauci.The announcement came 10 days after US health officials announcedthat a single dose of swine flu vaccine could be enough to immunise healthyadults aged 18-64. Younger children showed a less robust responseand will probably need two shots against H1N1 influenza when vaccine becomesavailable next month, Fauci said. "Among healthy children three tonine years old, 36 per cent had a robust immune response and among healthychildren six months to 35 months old, 25 per cent had a robust immune response,"Fauci said, adding that the weaker response in younger children was notunexpected. Trials of swine flu vaccine on children between the agesof six months and 17 years of age began in the middle of last month, said Fauci.