22 September 1999
Early contact with dirt and bacteria may protect children against developing allergies, say researchers at the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Three separate studies have shown that children raised on farms with livestock are significantly less likely to develop allergies than other children.
In the last 20 years, the incidence of asthma and eczema has increased fourfold in this country, which now has one of the worst records for allergy sufferers anywhere. This may be because our homes are now so clean and dust-free that children don’t get the chance to develop their immune systems.
The good news is that a possible vaccine for asthma is in development. The vaccine is made from African soil bacteria and works on the principle that giving a person a few germs has a toughening effect on the body. In preliminary trials two thirds of a small test group showed dramatic health improvements as a result of using the vaccine. Further trials of the vaccine are currently being carried out, but this could be the solution for the one in three children who suffer from allergies in this country.
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