Swine flu vaccines tested on children in Oxford had mostly minor side effects and should provide good protection against the illness, research has shown.

About 900 children were recruited for the vaccine trial in a number of centres across the UK, including Oxford, for a study by the Health Protection Agency and universities of Bristol, Oxford, Southampton, Exeter and St George's in London.

Two different types of vaccine were used, one containing an emulsion to boost immunity and one without.

About 98 per cent of children under three responded well to the version with the booster, and 80 per cent to the other.