Those with asthma are four-times more likely than those without the respiratory disease to end up hospitalized if they contract H1N1, and Dr. William Busse of the UW School of Medicine says that’s raising concerns about the effectiveness of the vaccine among that population.
Researchers at the UW School of Medicine are now looking for possible interactions between asthma sufferers and the H1N1 vaccine. They’re conducting clinical trials to determine how much of the vaccine needs to be given to people with asthma, along with what impact any medication they’re taking could have on its effectiveness.
Dr. Busse says it’s vital to determine what will be a safe dosage for asthmatics, since nearly 25-percent of those hospitalized with H1N1 also have the disease.
Researchers hope to have results by the end of the year.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:07)
