New vaccine could cut symptoms of hay fever by more than a quarter

A new vaccine has successfully reduce the symptoms of hay fever on sufferers in initial trials. The sufferers were given four injections of Pollinex Quattro over a three week period, prior to the start of the grass pollen season. More than 10% of Britons suffer from hay fever and this figure is even higher for young children. The main irritant is grass pollen, which usually starts in May, triggering symptoms such as itchy watery eyes, a runny or bunged up nose and coughing and sneezing. The findings of a study of 1,000 patients in the U.S. Canada and Europe, found that their symptoms were reduced by between 13 and 27% compared with those on a placebo. Lead researcher Professor Tony Frew, said: “Proof of efficacy and safety of Pollinex Quattro in this grass study is a breakthrough for allergy sufferers. Patients showed significant and clinically meaningful improvement.”