Hamburg - A four-nation study of the vaccine against swine flu currently being brewed by European drug companies has concluded that it is both safe and more effective than first expected, a radio station reported Friday.

Quoting Jakob Cramer, the Hamburg scientist coordinating the study, NDR 90,3 radio said no extreme rashes or pain in the limbs was observed in the test patients. Germany is to begin distributing 50 million doses on October 19.

While initial forecasts said two doses per patient would be needed, the study in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium concluded one dose would be sufficient for patients up to the age of 60.

Older people would need more because their immune systems react more sluggishly. Germany has a population of about 80 million.

The radio station quoted Cramer, who is on the staff of the Bernhard Nocht infectious diseases institute in the city, saying he had no reservations about recommending the vaccine. (dpa)