Tests Begin Of Flu Vaccine Grown In Insect Cell Lines

Scientists are launching a research study to check the effectiveness of a new type of flu vaccine that is made differently than the conventional vaccine, which is grown in eggs. The experimental vaccine instead relies on a cell line drawn from insects known as fall armyworms, which are better known for their role as pests attacking crops such as corn, cotton, barley and alfalfa. Investigators at the University of Rochester Medical Center are hoping to attract about 150 healthy volunteers to receive an experimental flu shot beginning next week. Volunteers will be vaccinated before Thanksgiving and will return to the university five times for brief check-ups and to have blood samples taken. Nurses will call the volunteers every two weeks to check whether they have symptoms of the flu.