Belgians test polio vaccine in Dutch

antwerp - Fifteen Dutch subjects are quarantined in the field of the University Hospital Antwerp (UZA) from Monday to test a vaccine against polio. The university has built a 66-tier village for the project.

Facilities include a gym and a relaxation area. Participants can also call or skype to family or friends.

Because of vaccination, polio is hardly anymore in the world. Problem with the current oral vaccine, in which the virus is attenuated but still alive, is that it causes birth to one in a million cases of proper polio. Therefore, the researchers want to design a safer vaccine.

In the Netherlands, vaccinations have been vaccinated for decades. The virus in it does not live anymore and is therefore completely safe. But in developing countries, the oral vaccine is usually used. That is cheaper and easier to apply.

The researchers needed subjects who received the injection as a child. Belgium did not get there later than the Netherlands, so that is specifically searched for Dutch.

The subjects receive a new attenuated version of the poliovirus in the container village. According to the researchers, this does not pose any risk to them. However, costing to prevent the virus from entering the environment, for example by human contact. Therefore, the subjects should be quarantined. They receive around 8500 euros for their participation.

The intention is that at the beginning of summer another fifteen people will lock themselves in the container village.