The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is set to test the H1N1 vaccine in people who have asthma, news reports say. According to a press release issued on Friday, October 9,
“People with severe asthma often take high doses of glucocorticoids that can suppress their immune system, placing them at greater risk for infection and possibly serious disease caused by 2009 H1N1 influenza virus,” says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “We need to determine the optimal dose of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine that can be safely administered to this at-risk population and whether one or two doses are needed to …read more