Want to make $3K? Just sign up to catch the H1N1 flu virus

PITTSBURGH — Scientists with the National Institutes of Health are looking for volunteers to catch the flu for research studies.

Oh yeah, you’ll also get paid $3,000.

The volunteers would be quarantined for at least nine days and infected with a mild-to-moderate strain of the H1N1 flu virus.

Doctors said it’s the only clear way of studying the flu.

“We can monitor every part of the immune system response so we can learn what we need to learn in order to improve the vaccines,” said Dr. Matthew Memoli, of the National Institutes of Health.

With the first batch of 24 volunteers, doctors said they learned most people have the flu days before showing any symptoms. The study has also shown that most people have it, on average, about five or six days.

For more information, visit the National Institutes of Health's website.

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