GM foods may be used for vaccines

Children could be given foods genetically engineered to hold a vaccine to fight a potentially fatal liver disease, scientists said today.

Potatoes, tomatoes or bananas could be used to combat the Hepatitis B virus, which can cause cancer. Tests of a prototype immunisation have given remarkable results.

Doctors today welcomed the research but said the current UK vaccination programme did not go far enough.

Prof Roger Williams, director of the Foundation for Liver Research at the Institute of Hepatology, University College London, said the new form of vaccine would be similar to giving the polio vaccine in sugar - used to immunise 121 million children in India.