Russian researchers at St. Petersburg (Russia) issued a report on Thursday, September 10 stating that they have initiated clinical testing of a swine flu vaccine in the northwestern city of St. Petersburg.

 

Marina Stukova, chief researcher for molecular virology and gene engineering at the Influenza Research Institute in St. Petersburg said "Today we are starting research to evaluate the safety and efficiency of a live viral vaccine".

 

Swine flu is spreading at an alarming rate across the globe. As of Aug 26, Russia itself witnessed 211 cases of swine flu infected people. As per WHO data of the last week, there are more than 3,200 people who have succumbed to swine flu across the world.

 

On May 12, the World Health Organization (WHO) supplied the A/H1N1 strain for the vaccine research to the institute.

Stukova declared that the research, including inactivated vaccine tests shall be launched after Sep 18 and will be completed in November. The tests will be closed to the press.

 

The process for the vaccination is to be followed in subsequent stages. The first stage consists of a team work 30 volunteers. This stage shall be covered in a time period of 31 days. The team shall spend about a week in hospital followed by several visits to the research institute. Stukova said that the second group to receive the live virus vaccine will be tested for 42 days.

 

Another place where the new vaccine will be tested is Sergiyev Posad located 75 km northeast of Moscow. Here a total of 60 volunteers will be involved in the testing process. Each of the volunteers will be paid a ransom of 10,000 rubles ($320).

Several volunteers from various walks of life have come forward for the cause. Age and sex are no hindrance for the voluntary participation. Alla, 25, a charity fund employee, who is a volunteer in the research, says that she is motivated by the feeling to help the needy people.

 

Another volunteer, Nastya, a 19-year-old physics student says that the reward has been the main driving force for her participation. She also desires to dedicate her thesis to the issue.

 

Eduard, 48, a volunteer at the same institute in the mid-1990s, has come back for this cause with the same dedication as before. He says "If I can help society and earn some money at the same time, why not?" he told RIA Novosti.