Projo Biz Blog

Officials at a private drug testing firm in Warwick said Tuesday that it has found more than enough parents willing to volunteer their children for two of the studies it is conducting on swine flu vaccines. But more volunteers -- both children and adults -- will be needed for other tests.

"We've filled enrollment in both those studies" and the youngsters have received their first dose, said Lynne Haughey, coowner of Omega Medical Research in Warwick. Booster shots are planned for the next few weeks.

The studies are designed to test the best dose for the experimental vaccine, developed by several manufacturers using methods similar to the way the seasonal flu vaccine is produced every year.

Health officials are scrambling to get vaccines approved because of the expectation that the novel, and sometimes fatal, flu will become widespread this winter.

Haughey said Omega is putting people who were not accepted into the first two studies on waiting lists. They will be called when the protocols for the subsequent tests are finalized. For now, only healthy people are being tested.

gemery@projo.com / (401)277-7442

 Tags  Rhode Island swine flu

---