U.S. health researchers launch Zika vaccine clinical trial
By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. government researchers said on Wednesday they have begun their first clinical trial of a Zika vaccine as concerns over the mosquito-borne virus mount following the first cases of local transmission in the continental United States. There is no approved vaccine or drug for Zika, a virus spreading rapidly in the Americas that can cause the birth defect microcephaly, marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health federal research agency, said its early-stage clinical trial will involve at least 80 healthy volunteers ages 18 to 35 at three study sites.
