Vaccine trial hopes to reduce baby hospital admissions

Doctors in Somerset are reaching out to parents with babies to take part in a “ground-breaking” respiratory virus jab trial.

 

The Harmonie study aims to develop a vaccine that will significantly reduce the number of babies admitted to hospital with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and is looking to recruit 150 infants for the study which will initially take place at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.

 

RSV is a leading cause of the chest infection bronchiolitis and currently affects 90 per cent of children before the age of two.  Although most children with the virus have mild symptoms, one in six babies are hospitalised in the UK each winter.

 

The study follows on from research to see how strongly babies can be protected from serious illness due to RSV by giving them a single antibody dose.

 

It is hoped that 12,000 babies will take part in further trials.

 

Dr Rebecca Mann, a consultant paediatrician at the Taunton hospital, said the trial was “truly ground-breaking”.

 

She added “The vaccine has already been tested in high-risk babies with lung problems or premature babies and was found to be very safe and also effective.

 

“In those babies it has reduced hospital admissions by about 75% or so and this study is to see if we extend that study to healthy babies born over 35 weeks gestation we reduce bronchiolitis and RSV infection across the whole population of babies.”

 

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events.  Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

 

If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.

 

Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

 

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