Participating in the single-center study in Australia are 38 healthy volunteers between 60 and 80 years of age who have not received this year’s seasonal flu vaccine. Study subjects will be randomized into groups receiving vaccine plus Ampligen or vaccine plus a placebo.
Under the double-blind structure of the trial, neither study subjects nor clinicians conducting the trial will know which subjects are receiving Ampligen or placebo until final results are recorded.
A secondary goal of the trial is to evaluate whether antibodies stimulated by the vaccine/Ampligen combination also provide protection against H5N1, the avian influenza virus.