Thailand Friday conducted the country's first A/H1N1 influenza vaccine trial, Thai News Agency reported.

The A/H1N1 vaccine, which was used with some 24 volunteers, is made in Thailand.

The Thai volunteers were vaccinated with the nasal-spray-flu vaccine, Doctor Wichai Chokwiwat, chairman of the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO), disclosed.

This project is aimed to find out if the Thai-made vaccine is safe and to see an immunity level against the A/H1N1 flu virus, said Doctor Wichai.

The GPO will take three weeks from now to see the volunteers' condition and after that these volunteers will receive the second nasal-spray-flu vaccine, he said.

After the second vaccination, it will take one month to check the Thai-made-vaccine's efficiency, Doctor Wichai said.

The outcome of the second vaccination will help the involved-medical authorities to make a decision if the Thai-made vaccine should be used with additional 400 volunteers, he said.

If these two vaccine trials prove the Thai-made vaccine against the new flu is effective, it is expected that the Thai people will be vaccinated by the end of February next year, he added.

On Wednesday, the Thailand government announced that the country had one more dead of the influenza A/H1N1, bringing the death toll from the new virus to 190.

(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2009)