TAMPA, FL -- The University of South Florida is participating in two federal studies to determine if the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine safely protects pregnant women, children, and young adults infected with HIV.
USF is one of 35 sites and eight sub-sites in the United States and Puerto Rico that are participating in the two studies.
About 130 HIV-infected women and 140 HIV-infected children and young adults will be vaccinated around the country with about 10 coming from the Tampa Bay area.
Dr. Karen L. Bruder, USF assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, says "the study is particularly important for this group of women because pregnant women already are at greater risk of suffering serious complications from the H1N1 virus, largely because their immune systems do not function at their normal levels. If a pregnant woman also is infected with HIV, her immune system is further compromised."
The study will look at how the vaccine affects the woman and her infant.
The women will receive two doses of the vaccine and the response will be evaluated during pregnancy, at delivery, and at 3 and 6 months after delivery.
The second study will involve at least 4 HIV-infected children or young adults. The subjects will be given two doses and will be monitored for 7 months.
The goal of this study is to examine how safe the vaccine is and if it is effective in stimulating the immune system to make antibodies.
All subjects will receive the version of the H1N1 vaccine with the inactive virus, so it will not be possible for them to contract the virus from the vaccine.
For more information on the clinical trials, click
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here.
